on the ground in all directions. Tilting the header forward allowed me to push the knife down under the crop, while the reel was set to pull the crop in over the knife. The straw was very damp, but I maintained a constant 6.5kph working speed as the crop fed cleanly into the header, and then the belts transported it to the centre of the table for heads-first feeding into the elevator. Very little was left in the field, and we maintained high outputs. “Another benefit of the accurate ground following is that, even with its 40ft width, stubbles are shaved off close to the ground. It adapts to undulations quickly, and only a couple of replacement knife sections were needed during harvest.” Impressive work rates Despite high straw volumes and damp conditions, average work rates of six hectares per hour were achieved harvesting first wheats yielding 10t per hectare. Early starts and late finishes were generally avoided due to high grain moisture content but, even so, between 55–62ha per day was harvested with time also taken for moving between fields. “With the Ideal 10T, we benefitted from longer working days due to the header’s ability to pick up and feed the crop smoothly, and the thorough but gentle threshing and separation by the Dual Helix rotors. The IDEALbalance twin sieves provide a huge cleaning area, and even with large volumes of wet straw and in higher yielding crops, average losses were below half a per cent and never exceeded one per cent. There were barely any header losses, and none from the rotors,” emphasised Keith. Keith said the Ideal’s VisionCab is spacious, quiet, and comfortable. Adjustments are easily carried out from the Varioterminal, and it is easy to achieve a good sample. Half the straw is swathed for baling by a local dairy farmer, and the rest is chopped. Keith said that swapping from chopping to swathing and back again is achieved at the touch of a button in under one minute. Straw is spread across the 40ft cut width without needing full power, and adjustable spread bias maintains even distribution on windy days.
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An Ideal 10T with IDEALdrive joystick steering, a 40ft Geringhoff TruFlex draper header and an experimental, extra-long 12.2m unloading auger for improved CTF compatibility, made easy work of 1,200ha of cereals harvesting in challenging conditions.
Fendt Connect Fendt Connect telemetry allows the combine position and operating status to be monitored through a smartphone App. Authorised dealers can use it to check for fault codes and service requirements. Keith said that it is difficult to accurately compare running costs as every harvest is different, but he believes that the Fendt’s fuel use per hectare of harvesting is lower than the previous machine, despite it having more power and achieving superior work rates. Loyal to dealer and brand “We have definitely become a Fendt farm,” he concluded. “The B&B Tractors team is fantastic. Colin Blood sits down
The Ideal 10T has a 17,100-litre grain tank which can be unloaded in just 81 seconds by the 210 litres/sec unloading auger. The unloading rate can be reduced in four stages, helping avoid spillages while topping off trailers.
with us, discusses what we need and the best way to own it, and we trust him. The engineers who looked after our Ideal 10T this year were some of the best technicians ever to visit our farm and we had complete confidence in their abilities. Support from Fendt Combine Specialist Ant Risdon was excellent too. He arranged for us to try an extended unloading auger for improved compatibility with our CTF system, and he called in several times to check that we were getting the most from the machine and was always available at the end of the phone. Between the manufacturer and dealer, we have exactly what is needed from a key supplier.”
“2021 was the wettest ‘dry’ harvest I’ve experienced in 34 years of farming, but operating our new Fendt Ideal 10T with IDEALDrive joystick steering and the Geringhoff 40ft header, was less tiring than driving our previous smaller combines, even after long days in the seat.” Keith Challen – Farm Manager, Belvoir Farming Company, Notts.
Half of the straw is chopped, and the remainder is baled by a local farmer. Even with the straw spreader operating at less than full capacity in damp conditions, a 40ft spread width is easily achieved.
Belvoir Farming Company Farm Manager, Keith Challen says the Ideal’s VisionCab is very comfortable. With no conventional steering wheel, the view of the header is described as ‘marvellous.
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