Researchers were asked to analyse the running costs of combine threshing systems including the Case IH Axial-Flow AFX 8010 and AFX 2388, and machines supplied by Claas, John Deere and New Holland.
Says the company, "Independent researchers using in-field trials to assess the cost efficiency of different combine types have found Case IH Axial-Flow machines have the lowest overall operating costs and the lowest spare parts costs of all models tested."
The company says harvesting costs make up at least 25% of overall grain crop production spending. This prompted three years of field studies at the Georg-August University.
Average running costs – including depreciation, interest and operating costs – worked out at €10.96/tonne for the Case IH Axial-Flow machines. The other machines in the three-year field test are said to have cost at least €13.29/tonne to run.
The comparison showed, in all three years of the trial, the Case IH combines having the lowest spare parts costs of all tested. Average cost of parts was €0.55/tonne of harvested crop, while the comparative figures for competitors' machines were between €0.89 and
