On Topic

Whilst wrapping cars might be our every day, here at Complete Graphics we’re no stranger to a challenge and are always up for something different. Farol Ltd took delivery of the John Deere 9900i Forage Harvester in the classic John Deere green. However their customer was looking for something different, whilst still in keeping with the iconic brand that is John Deere.

Cameron and Katie took a visit to Farol in Thame to view the scale of the project and discuss the colour that the customer would be looking for. Entering the driveway, you are greeted by a sea of green and yellow farm machinery and vehicles of all shapes and sizes, leaving you in no doubt that Farol are John Deere’s biggest supplier in the UK. The flurry of activity in the yard at Farol first thing in the morning is a sight to behold as the technicians methodically pack their vans with the tools and parts necessary to repair farming equipment up and down the country. From vans full of huge tractor tyres down to John Deere approved nuts and bolts to get a combine up and running again, one by one the vans leave and the doors open to the public. The pristine showroom is worth a visit if you have an interest in machinery and John Deere memorabilia, you can find overalls, chainsaws, toy tractors, and many more items for your farm.

Forage Harvesters Technical Specs

Dan Phipps, Director at Farol looking after the Forage Harvesting products said that “This [forage harvester] is one of the best in the industry by far without a shadow of a doubt”. Each of these machines have a 24.2L 970hp V12 engine. To put that into perspective, a Lamborghini Aventador has 6.5L 690hp V12.

Within the workings of the machines, one of the components of the 9900i is the Harvest Lab 3000 which collects data such as crop yield and moisture for analysis to allow the user to make operational decisions on the job. The ProStream crop flow takes throughput per horsepower to a new level, winning this machine the name of “throughput champion”. The John Deere brochure for this machine states that “We looked at everything that works great. And started improving”. These huge and yet intuitive machines really are a state of the art development.

Why wrap a Harvester?

According to Dan Phipps, it was to personalise the machines for their client. These huge machines already stand out due to their size but with the added contrast of the black vinyl, it emphasises how dramatic they look, especially contrasted with the warm, muted tones of the English Countryside during harvest. When wrapping a vehicle, not only is there a wide range of colours to choose from, but finishes as well. This client chose a sparkle gloss finish, in Ebony Black, but vinyl wrapping can be achieved with Matt, Satin, Metallic and Chrome finishes as well.

Personalisation isn’t the only benefit however, as vinyl adds a layer of protection from the wear and tear of daily hard labour out in the fields. Farm machinery is often sold back to Farol after a few years, and so a wrap can help protect the resale value, much like on a car.

What was the process?

Wrapping both harvesters took the team three days. As the vehicles were brand new and clean when they arrived on site, the team just had to clean them down with an alcohol based cleaner in order to remove any dust from the surface. This helps the vinyl stick and prevents it from peeling in the future.

Then it was time to wrap! This was done by applying large sheets of vinyl to the huge panels of the harvesters and using specialist tools to ensure panels are covered properly. The edges were trimmed, and each panel heated to ensure the vinyl conforms to the curvature of the vehicle. The customer also required the windows to be tinted to help with the hot summer days of harvesting with the sun beating down on the glass cab. We used a 55% tint on the windows and this was applied to the rear window and side doors. After a final inspection, the harvesters were ready to be delivered to the customer.

(Watch the process and delivery of the final vehicles to location on our YouTube Channel)

Contact Complete Graphics:

complete-graphics.co.uk Email: info@complete-graphics.co.uk Tel.: 01993 684112