They are planning on any harvester changes, and they need to include the impact that a new machine may have on the performance of the entire system.

And while performance is high on the list, fuel economy is becoming increasingly important. This can be in the form of better engine performance in terms of actual litres consumed or it can be in the form of more acres/hectares per hour from the machine at the same level of fuel consumption.

Either way, investment in a self-propelled silage harvester is a major one. The machines typically cost in excess of €200,000 so they need to be looked at as an investment in a production machine that has minimum downtime in a very busy and increasingly shortened season.

The dilemma for contractors is whether to replace an existing machine or wait for another season. The range of machine options is now extensive and here Bruce Lett gives you updates on the machine improvements for 2013 season.

New John Deere forage harvesters for 2013

John Deere has revamped its self-propelled silage harvester range for the 2013 season with the introduction of its new 7080 series. There is an extra model, emissionised engines, kernel processor, styling and more.

There were six models in the replaced 7050 series with horse powers from 380hp to 812hp. The horsepower range remains identical but the 480hp 7350 has been replaced by two models, the 440hp 7280 and 490hp 7380. The expanded range of seven models below is listed in Table 1.

Emissions

The 7080 series harvesters are powered by John Deere’s latest single fuel PowerTech Plus Stage 3b/Interim Tier 4 engines, 9-litre on the smallest 7180 model, and 13.5-litre on the 7280 to 7780 machines.

Deere says all feature improved torque and power characteristics and use the same exhaust gas recirculation and variable geometry turbocharger technology as that used on the company’s latest R Series tractors. The top of the range 7980 model continues to use a Cummins 19-litre Stage 2/Tier 2 engine.

KernelStar

Deere has introduced its new KernelStar maize kernel processor on the new 7080 series. Instead of using two plain rollers to crush and process the maize kernels, the new KernelStar features contoured intermeshing discs.

According to Deere, this provides almost three times the effective processing width compared to previous systems. The design provides a more intensive treatment of the kernels with an improved material flow compared to straight-edged disc designs or conventional cylindrical rollers. Deere goes on to add that the new system also reduces the power requirement for the same processing output.

A new five-speed LOC (Length Of Cut) transmission is now standard on the two smallest machines ─ the 7180 and 7280. The five larger models continue to use John Deere’s infinitely variable length of cut (IVLOC) transmission to enable operators to change chop length on the move. On the road and in the field Deere says its intelligent engine speed management system helps operators to maximise the harvester’s performance. It claims that Headland and Harvest fuel saver modes have been proven to reduce fuel consumption by over 18 per cent, by optimising engine rpm to improve efficiency. The 1100-litre fuel tank will now be standard on all models.

i Series

In addition to the basic range, i Series foragers will also be equipped as standard with the established, integrated ‘intelligent’ package of precision farming technology. This includes HarvestLab constituent sensing, which measures dry matter and other crop constituents in real time, a GreenStar 2630 display, Harvest Monitor and Harvest Doc software, a StarFire 3000 receiver with SF2 signal (offering +/-5cm accuracy for yield mapping), and AutoLOC.

AutoLOC provides automatic adjustment of the length of cut depending on the dry matter content of the crop being harvested, based on settings programmed in by the operator on the in-cab GreenStar display.

Other options on these new foragers include the ProDrive hydrostatic transmission with full anti-slip control, automatic diff-lock and automatic park brake, AutoTrac assisted steering and an automatic spout positioning system with nine settings.

A full range of headers are available in addition to the standard 3m grass pick-up. These include the Kemper four to 12-row (3m to 9m) rotary maize headers, the 4.8 and 6.2m Zurn Profi Cut wholecrop headers, and the CRL coppice header for harvesting short-rotation coppice for biofuels.

New Holland’s new FR range

New Holland recently launched its new FR range of self-propelled silage harvesters ready for the 2013 season. There are five models in the line-up, ranging from 450hp to 824hp, which feature revamped styling, emissionisation on certain models and improvements to the pick-up, chopping and blowing systems.

Cosmetically, the new FR range features distinctive new styling and features a slick black chute like its 50th anniversary model. Sculpted steps lead up into the cab while the operator platform has been widened and again features what new Holland describe as ‘sculpted’ hand rails. Side panels open wide as a single unit and are supported by gas struts.

The smaller two models, the FR450 and FR500, feature FPT/Iveco Cursor engines which have now been emissionised with New Holland’s ECOBlue™ SCR technology to meet Tier 4A regulations. According to New Holland the ECOBlue™ SCR system offers significant performance advantages with the new FR450 and FR500 now developing a maximum harvesting power of 450hp and 520hp. AdBlue tank capacity is 150 litres, enough for two diesel tank fills according to New Holland

The firm says that fuel consumption has been ‘optimised’ courtesy of ECOBlue™ SCR technology while Power Cruise™ technology enables further fuel savings in the field. This also allows ultra-low road mode engine speeds, as low as 1400rpm. New Holland claims up to an additional 20% reduction in fuel consumption with this system.

Of the five model range, it is the firm’s three mid-range models that are more popular in Ireland according to New Holland’s Brian Magee. These are the 520hp FR500, 685hp FR600 and Caterpillar engine powered FR700 which develops 685hp (all horsepower figures quoted are max power). The largest model is the FR850 which Brian says is popular for very large, demanding maize harvesting operations such as those for bio-plants. The FR850 is powered by an enormous V8, 20 litre, and 824hp FPT/Iveco Vector engine with lots of power on tap for maize processing.

In the chopping department, the crop flow within the FR series new chopper body has been streamlined for a smoother crop flow through the machine.

Changes to the firms paddle type blower has increased the mass of smooth flowing air by 40% which New Holland says means it can transport higher volumes of crop more efficiently and reduce the risk of crop accumulation in the chopper body area. The 2 x 8 knife (standard) and 2 x 12 knife configurations are popular here in Ireland according to Brian Magee. For fine chopping crops for bio-mass crop applications a high-inertia 2 x 20 knife unit is available.

The firm’s Dual Drive, HydroLoc™, variable chop length system features independent hydrostatic drive of the head and feed rolls. This is a very popular option in the Ireland according to Brian Magee, with most contractors choosing the option.

Up front there is a new grass pick-up, the high capacity 300FP grass pick-up header. Available in two working widths of 3m and 3.8m, both are equipped with a roller wind guard to ensure smooth crop flow from swath to harvester.

This can be adjusted from the cab to cater for different volumes of crop in the swath. An extra tine bar has been added as well which New Holland says enables higher forward speeds. Other header options for FR range include maize and grain headers, a 6m Marangon direct cut header with 14 ultra-flat round cutting discs and 130FB coppice header with integrated saw blades which New Holland says can slice through coppice stems of up to 15cm.

Also available on the new series is the firms IntelliFill™ system. IntelliFill™ uses a 3D camera and sensor mounted under the spout to create a distance image of the trailer and its surroundings to guide the crop into the trailer and ensure a uniform fill.

New Holland claims the crops can be accurately discharged up to a distance of 20m. The system needs no manual calibration and recognises different types of trailer automatically.

The new FR series is now fitted with what New Holland describe as the Ultra-wide IntelliView™ IV colour touch-screen monitor to monitor and control the machines functions.

GPS based Yield mapping is also available. This can be analysed using New Holland PLM™ (Precision Land Management) software so that contactors can provide customers with accurate reports/mapping on their field performance.

Krone improves its self-propelled harvester range

German firm Krone has added a number new features and improvements to its self-propelled silage harvester range for 2013. There are changes to the engines, drivelines, chopping and processing elements, headers and ISOBus harvester control system.

The previous year the firm switched from Mercedes engines to MAN units on its three larger harvesters. The Big X 700 uses a V8 16.16 litre unit while the 850 and 1100 both use V12 24.24 litre units. The smaller Big X 500 continues to use a 12.8 litre 510hp Mercedes engine. New though on the MAN engines are two operating modes, ECO Power for lighter operations such as grass silage harvesting and X Power for maize silage harvesting with kernel processor.

The Big X 850/1100 has a new driveline for 2013 and is driven by Bosch-Rexroth hydrostatic wheel motors with planetary drives. According to Krone the new transmission now has a higher breakaway torque from standstill, in that the harvester now accelerates away from a standstill better. It is a single speed hydrostatic driveline with a speed range of 0 – 40 km/h and features integral multi-plate disc brakes as well according to the manufacturer. The hydrostatic drive also features Anti Slip Regulation (ASR) which has three modes of grass, maize and off to allow for different ground conditions.

A new 48 knife chopping cylinder is now available for 2013l which offers a theoretical chopping length of between 2mm and 12mm. This, according to the manufacturer provides 20% more cuts per minute than its 40 knife cylinder. A new disc cracker for maize kernel processing is now available for next season as well on the Big X 1100.

As an option, the Big X harvesters can be supplied ISOBus steering ready, compatible with Reichhardt, Trimble, Topcon and Autofarm GPS systems. This allows customers to integrate their own existing GPS systems onto the harvester and its steering system without having to purchase a GPS system just for the harvester. The customers own system simply ‘plug and plays’ into the harvesters ISOBus steering system.

Also available is a NIR (Near Infar Red) sensor on the chute for monitoring the crop moisture. According to Krone, this has an accuracy of +/-3% and the moisture is displayed in the top left corner of the harvesters monitor. The moisture data can be assigned to the customer’s job data in the Krone control terminal.