John Deere’s W- and T-Series machines are already well known for their performance in the straw walker combine sector, but with new and easy-to-replace sections in front of the threshing concave, operators are now able to adjust to changing harvesting conditions and increase overall performance.
It takes only 15 minutes to change the universal concave for wet conditions to the small grain concave for dry conditions or the round bar concave for large grains such as maize. This can produce an increase in output of up to 12 per cent, for example by changing to a small grain concave in tough conditions to enable more aggressive threshing.
All T-Series models are now equipped with a new separator grate. The rear cast iron fingers have been replaced by new patented steel separation segments to increase output. Alongside this feature, the distance between the rear beater drum and the grate below has been reduced, which allows more aggressive separation. Independent institutes have measured a productivity increase of up to 10 per cent with the new separator grate.
Operators will also benefit from a new 360-degree LED light option, which provides a better view when working during the night and in low visibility conditions. In addition, maintenance of the W- and T-Series combines has been improved by using a central oil drain bank to allow the oil to be changed with reduced losses and less pollution.
Second generation W330 and W440
Designed for smaller and medium sized farms, the second generation W330 and W440 combines are now available. For increased operator comfort, overall cab volume has been increased by 15 per cent to 3.3 cubic metres and now offers a similar working environment to that of John Deere’s larger combine models.
The new 8:3 touchscreen display is intuitive to use and is unique in this industry segment. In addition, automatic combine adjustment (ACA) lets the operator select the next crop to be harvested, and the combine then automatically adjusts the drum and cleaning system by varying the drum and fan speeds, concave clearance etc.
To speed up emptying of the grain tank, the unloading rate has been increased from 55 to 75 lit/sec on the W330 PTC (pre-threshing cylinder) model. On the W440 the rate has been increased from 55 to 100 lit/sec by implementing the unloading system from the W440 PTC. The W330 PTC combine will also feature a new lateral tilt option for the feederhouse, which allows the header to follow ground contours in all directions.
For more information visit: www.johndeere.co.uk.
