Claas has introduced the first in a new generation of cutterbars for the Tucano and Lexion combine ranges. In addition, a new 12.3m version of the Vario is now available, designed for use within Controlled Traffic Farming systems
The new Vario 930 and 770 and the Cerio 930 and 770 have cutting widths of 9.3m and 7.7m respectively and incorporate a number of innovative new features. They replace the current Vario 900 and 750 models and offer both a slightly wider working width and far greater functionality.
On current Vario cutterbars, the knife can be adjusted over a range from -10cm to +20cm for cereals and up to +50cm for direct cutting oilseed rape using manually fitted filler plates.
On the new generation Vario 930 and 770, the knife can now be infinitely adjusted over a range from -10cm to +60cm, and the cutterbar table incorporates integrated rapeseed plates. This saves considerable time and allows infinite knife adjustment over the full 70cm range – and even when the rapeseed plates are in place, the knife can still be adjusted through a 20cm range.
The new design also means that side-knives can be easily fitted without needing to use tools, and once connected using two flat-sealing couplers, this automatically activates the hydraulic pump to drive the knives.
The knife on the latest Cereo headers can be adjusted +/-10cm.To minimise losses, additional panelling has been added to the right hand side of the cutterbar and the knife and reel-end positions are also transmitted automatically to the combine.
The new Cerio cutterbar is designed to provide many of the benefits of the Vario, but at a lower cost. Designed for use with cereals, the knife distance on the Cerio is manually adjusted, with five possible positions available over a range from -10cm to +10cm in order to maximise crop flow. To alter the knife distance, 10 bolts are simply loosened which then allows the knife to be pushed in or out.
In most other respects the Cerio cutterbar is very similar to the Vario, using the same frame, intake auger, drives and reel.
Other new features across all four Vario and Cerio cutterbars include a wider diameter intake auger, which has been increased by 16 per cent to 660mm to allow greater amounts of straw to easily flow into the combine. Both the intake auger and the knife are now mechanically driven via a gearbox and shaft. The reel is also fitted with wear-resistant bearings and the stripper bars are adjusted from the outside.
In addition, the cutterbar features an angled top beam to provide the operator with a better view into the cutterbar. The Laser Pilot units can also now be folded and adjusted without tools and when finished, the cutterbar will automatically return to the “park” position at the press of a button.
New Vario 1230
To better work within a 12m Controlled Traffic Farming system, Claas has also introduced the new Vario 1230 cutterbar, which has a cutting width of 12.3m.
The new Vario 1230 features a split reel and a linear driven knife with a cutting speed of 1,344 strokes/minute, driven from each side of the cutterbar.
The crop is fed to the centre of the cutterbar by a 660mm diameter auger and, for improved contour following, the cutterbar is fitted with six Auto Contour sensor bands instead of four previously.
For more information visit: www.claas.co.uk.
