Shelbourne Reynolds is to market MacDon draper combine headers in the UK, a move the company says should enable the harvesting capacity of today’s larger combine harvesters to be fully exploited.
“A combine’s output is often limited by the ability of the table to get the crop on board,” Shelbourne Reynold’s sales and marketing manager, Neil Smith, said. “The combine may have the capacity, but in many harvesting conditions much of this capacity can remain unused.
“Whether it be oilseed rape, wheat, beans, peas or grass for seed, the MacDon draper header provides a smooth, uninterrupted flow of crop to the drum and increases throughput and harvesting efficiency as a result.”
For this season, Shelbourne plans to trial MacDon headers in a wide range of crops on New Holland CR9090, Claas Lexion 600, John Deere S690 and Case 9120 combines. Working widths will be 9.1m, 10.6m and 12.2m (30ft, 35ft and 40ft).
MacDon produces draper headers at its Winnipeg, Canada, plant and offers a product range that is widely used throughout North America and beyond.
“The use of these headers is recognised as a natural progression for high-capacity combines requiring wide headers to maximise performance,” Mr Smith added.
The MacDon D60 Series draper header is designed, through use of an adapter plate, to be fitted to all makes of combine and is claimed to significantly increase combine output when compared with auger-type tables.
The crop, cut with a hydraulically driven reciprocating knife, falls headfirst onto conveyors that take it to the centre of the table – there is no delay as it waits to be picked up by the main auger and, as a result, no bunching or tangling. To ensure tall crops, such as oilseed rape, move smoothly along the conveyor there is a cross auger on the top edge of the rear of the header that gently encourages lateral movement in line with that of the conveyors.
Once in the middle of the table, the crop uses an intake auger to feed the crop into the elevator housing. The feed auger is equipped with retracting fingers that provide an aggressive pulling of the crop and, as a result, a bunch-free, head-first crop presentation to the drum.
The hydraulically-driven conveyors are constructed from tough 106cm wide rubber skim-coated drapers having a reversible double V-guide with tracking and integral seal on leading edge to allow a smooth uninterrupted crop flow.
Other features include hydraulic fore and aft positioning for the five-bat reel, hydraulic head tilt and stabiliser wheels.
The MacDon draper headers can be seen on Shelbourne Reynold’s stand at Cereals 2009.
For more information visit: www.shelbourne.com.
