A new range of VarioStar headers that feature a hydraulically operated extendable knife is optionally available for all John Deere’s 2013 model year combines. The versatile unit is available in four cutting widths – 6.1m, 6.7m, 7.6m and 9.15m – and can be used in all crops and conditions.
The knife position on the VarioStar header is seamlessly adjustable fore and aft through a distance of 500mm usinga control box in the cab without the need for any inserts or additional parts, and it can also be converted in less than 15 minutes to harvest oilseed rape using vertically mounted side knives stored in the platform trailer.
VarioStar has been designed to deliver a good crop flow to evenly feed the combine, and incorporates a split 620mm diameter intake auger to maintain the combine’s high productivity. The knife is guided by a roller bearing that allows high ground speeds and is fully integrated into the combine’s active contour following system.
The combine range Deere introduced for 2012 remains in place for 2013 and features 11 W, T and S Series machines optimised for European harvesting conditions. These include the flagship S690 that with 617hp features the most powerful engine available in a combine today, as well as the largest grain tank at a capacity of 14,100 litres.
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| The John Deere S690 is the most powerful combine on the market with a power output of 617hp. |
Key features of the 11-model range available in the UK and Ireland include an integrated 66cm wide rubber track design for SSeries models only that allow road speeds up to 30km/hr, with full hydraulic suspension and an overall transport width of 3.47m.
John Deere’s web-based JDLink telematics solution is supplied free as standard with new W, T and SSeries combine models for the first year of ownership. JDLink provides data on machine location and fuel consumption, as well as machine hour and location tracking, geofencing to protect a machine from misuse, and maintenance planning. This enables fleet owners and managers to determine, for example, if operators need more training.
The full combine line-up the W540, W550, W650 and W660 conventional five and six straw-walker combines; the five- and six-walker T550, T560, T660 and T670 models, featuring the company’s established tangential tine separation technology; and the S670, S680 and S690 machines.
For more information visit: www.johndeere.co.uk.
