CELEBRATING 35 years of Axial-Flow technology sees Case IH flag six new combine harvesters boasting enhanced power - but more miserly fuel consumption.
Their proven Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) engines offer users low idle speeds of 660rpm to reduce fuel consumption when not under load.
Field trials have shown fuel savings of up to 10 per cent, which is a significant saving for growers according to Case IH product manager for hay and harvest Geoff Rendell.
Extra grunt in the 130 Series delivers 198 kilowatts (265hp) on the 5130 model, rising to 240kW (322hp) on the 6130 and 261kW (350hp) on the 7130 model.
The big brother 230 Series kicks in with 285kW (382hp) on the 7230, 337kW (450hp) on the 8230, topping out at a whopping 373kW (500hp) on the 9230 model.
Thanks to a new shaped rotor, Mr Rendell said the sensitivity of the standard settings had been reduced for all crops while threshing performance in specialty crops had been boosted - without affecting straw quality.
Importantly, Case IH said the reputation for low levels of cracked grain turned in by its Axial-Flow headers was set to continue.
Platform widths range from 7.6 to 13.7 metres with grain tank capacity on the flagship 9230 said to be one of the highest in its class at 12,330L.
Meanwhile, the Auto Crop Setting facility will automatically vary rotor and cleaning fan RPM, sieve clearance and threshing gap, depending on crop type. Further versatility is evident with the self-levelling cleaning system which can compensate for angles of up to 13pc to enhance performance on slopes.
For unloading on the go, the length of the new unload auger system on the 7230, 8230 and 9230 has been increased to 9.3m (30ft 5in).
Operator comfort was said to be a top-rating feature of all 30 Series machines with all six models equipped with state-of-the-art AFS Pro 700 displays.
Compatible with all Case IH equipment, they can be transferred between a range of farm machinery, including tractors and sprayers.
The first 30 Series Axial-Flow headers are poised to make their Australian debut in May.
Meanwhile, technology that allows a combine harvester operator to control the location of the tractor and chaser bin for automated on-the-go unloading takes harvest automation to the next level, according to John Deere.
Its Machine Communication Radio is claimed to be the first radio on the market that can create an in-field, high-speed wireless network, facilitating machine-to-machine communication.
The radio is designed to enable up to 10 vehicles in a single network to distribute data between one another - all when operating within a 7.5km radius.
"Having real-time data is critical for equipment operators during harvest," said AMS product manager for John Deere, Holli Brokaw.
The radio, which is said to be easy to set up and use, teams up with the Machine Sync activation and GreenStar 3 2630 Display and StarFire Receiver to create an in-field network for sharing logistics information.
"Operators can see the location of all grain carts in the network and, from the combine, they can send a ready-to-unload request," Ms Brokaw said.
Deere says its software provides the header’s location and bin-fill status to the chaser bin driver who will then determine how quickly the combine will need to unload, prioritise which should go to first when multiple headers are working a paddock, or call in additional chaser bins if needed.
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