12 minute read
G Shepherd
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
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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.
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 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.”
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. 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.
Keith Challen – Farm Manager, Belvoir Farming Company, Notts.
Germany Farms
Chris Germany, Germany Farms, Notts.
A Fendt Ideal 10T which replaced two combines of another brand on a large Nottinghamshire arable farm is achieving similar work rates and improving harvesting efficiency.
“Changing from a system which worked well to something completely different, but which we hoped would be even better was a difficult decision,” commented farmer Chris Germany.
Trading as Germany Farms, the Germany family farms approximately 1,250ha of arable crops on owned and rented land in four main locations close to its base near Newark. Wheat and oilseed rape usually dominate the crop rotation, but unfavourable conditions for drilling during autumn 2020 meant that 250ha of spring barley replaced some of the wheat.
Reviewed operation
The previous two-combine system worked well, but when both machines were due for updating it was an opportunity to review the harvesting strategy. “They both had 25ft headers, and one had worked five harvests and the other had worked six, and both gave excellent service,” explained operator Tom Germany. “However, our harvest area had reduced by 80ha and my father who drove one of the combines was stepping back from full time work on the farm, so rather than ordering two more of the same size and brand we considered alternatives including one larger machine.”
The family enjoys an excellent relationship with AGCO main dealer B&B Tractors, and a Fendt Ideal 8 demonstrator was borrowed in 2019, followed by an Ideal 9 the next year. The latest model of the previous brand was also considered as the dealer back-up had always been excellent, but the family concluded that the most attractive option was a Fendt Ideal 10T, with a Geringhoff 40ft header.
Versatile header
Conventional fixed 30ft headers had been tried previously, but on undulating ground including many old clay pits, shorter crops were missed and stubble was left uneven, so the farm continued using 25ft machines. However, to move to a single combine operation successfully a wider header was needed to maintain the work rates needed. The Geringhoff header flexes and pivots to accurately follow ground contours and appeared the ideal solution. Fendt VarioGuide auto-steer with RTK accuracy was specified to make the most of the extra width, and the Ideal 10T with a 40ft Geringhoff TruFlex draper header arrived for the 2021 harvest.
Challenging conditions
Excellent late spring growing conditions produced large straw volumes, but with up to 790hp available the Ideal 10T was never short of power. “It was a damp harvest from start to finish - rarely wet but never crispy dry,” noted Chris. “We grow milling wheats and aim to harvest the crop in peak condition, so starting and finishing times were strongly influenced by the weather. The Geringhoff header picked up laid wheat cleanly and delivered it ears first into the combine which helped maximise work rates. It was very impressive.”
Damp conditions meant short working days during which the Ideal 10T averaged 50–55ha. “It coped well with the damp crop and high straw volumes, and the only overload warning occurred while harvesting green oats,” explained Tom. “If we had fallen behind and there was added pressure to get crops in to store then we could have worked later, but drying capacity became the limiting factor.”
Joystick steering
Tom said the VisionCab is very comfortable, and he remains delighted with his decision to specify optional IDEALdrive – a small steering joystick on the left-hand armrest which replaces the conventional steering column and wheel. “I wouldn’t want another combine with a steering wheel,” he stressed. “The joystick is quicker and easier to use and steering lock to lock requires only small stick movements left or right.
“It took an hour or so to get used to it, but after a day it felt strange getting into the car to drive home. With no steering wheel, the view across the header is exceptional which was a real help harvesting laid crops.”
Most settings are adjusted through the armrest-mounted 10.4-in Varioterminal. IDEALharvest provides real-time visualisation of crop flow through the Dual Helix rotors and the IDEALbalance dual-pan cleaning system. “Being able to visualise what’s happening inside is a big help when optimising output, and helps me make fact-based decisions,” confirmed Tom. “The Ideal 10T has a huge sieve area so even in high yielding crops and on slopes, losses remain very low.”
HarvestPlus allows target crop throughput and travel speeds to be set, then the combine operates as close to these as possible while not exceeding specified grain loss limits. “It works really well,” stressed Tom. “Automatic speed adjustment lets me concentrate on the header and other aspects of the operation and reduces fatigue.”
Despite the conditions, the grain sample quality was excellent. After changing crops or varieties standard settings were applied, then Tom tweaked settings from the cab to optimise performance. “It’s very easy to achieve a good sample, and our Skyfall wheat came into store looking as if it had already been through a cleaner.”
The large 17,100-litre grain tank is emptied at a rate of 210 litres/sec which Chris describes as ‘phenomenal’. For topping off trailers the flow can be reduced in four stages, and the auger position is easily adjusted by the joystickmounted scroll wheel.
Straw quality is important as most is baled, and Chris said that although the crop is thoroughly threshed and separated the gentle handling means there is little damage, and the swath is left in good condition for baling.
Cost and efficiency
Replacing two smaller combines with the Ideal 10T has reduced fuel use from 1,200 litres to 800 litres per day. “It harvests a similar area to the two previous machines, but burns 30 per cent less fuel,” confirmed Chris.
During the 2021 harvest, the Ideal 10T recorded 220 cutting, and 270 engine hours, and reliability was excellent with only a few minor teething issues. Daily checks are quick and easy, and Chris said he is constantly amazed by the clean engine bay. “We blow it out with a compressor but there is hardly ever any build-up of dust and chaff, and the cooling pack remains clean. There are only four grease nipples on the header, and a few on the combine which require attention every 50 hours. Apart from filling with diesel there is little to do and compared to preparing the two previous combines we save a lot of time.”
Other efficiency improvements include grain handling. Previously up to five trailers were left on headlands for filling, then fleets of two or three tractors shuttled them between the field and store. Last harvest two or occasionally three tractors and trailers were needed, which headed to the single combine for unloading on the move, then transported the grain straight to the store.
Time is also saved when opening up and finishing fields. Both sides of the Geringhoff header are equally narrow, and Chris said this makes it practical to work in either direction when cutting headlands, and it is also possible to turn and return rather than working in lands saving time for short work.
Fendt and dealer
Almost all the farm’s machinery is bought through B&B Tractors. “We get on well with Group Sales Manager Colin Blood – we trust his advice, and the service from the workshop team is excellent. We deal with people who look after us, and B&B Tractors is a big enough dealer to guarantee the back-up we need, but still gives us the personal service we value.” As well as the Ideal combine, the farm operates three Fendt tractors and a Rogator sprayer. “We have used Fendt since 2010, and find the tractors comfortable, reliable, easy to operate, and their residual values are good,” emphasised Chris. “We feel they are more economical than most other
Happy with decision
“Changing from two combines to one was a big decision, but we had confidence in the Fendt brand and knew we could trust our dealer. We were also certain that if a major problem occurred then a replacement combine would be available. Reliability proved excellent though, and it matched the work rate of our previous two combines while achieving an excellent grain sample with minimal losses.” “We never had a problem with our previous combines or dealer, but the Ideal 10T and Geringhoff header performed even better than expected achieving efficiency and cost savings despite difficult conditions, so we remain very pleased with our decision.”
Nottinghamshire-based Germany Farms selected a Fendt Ideal 10T combine with IDEALdrive joystick steering and a 40ft Geringhoff TruFlex draper header to replace two smaller combines of a competitor brand on its 1,250ha arable farm.
Chris Germany, Germany Farms, Notts.
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www.fendt.com
AGCO GmbH – Fendt Marketing 87616 Marktoberdorf, Germany Fendt is a worldwide brand of AGCO. All details regarding scope of delivery, appearance, performance, dimensions and weights, fuel consumption and running costs of vehicles reflect the latest information available at the time of print. These may change by the time of purchase. Your Fendt dealer will be happy to inform you about any changes. The vehicles shown do not feature country-specific equipment.
