4 minute read
Ahead of the Curve
Two new drapers, a belt pickup and two new corn
heads will be available for Australian John Deere owners as the giant launches its new lineup
Above: The HDR maximises combine performance through greater grain capture across various crops, changing conditions and uneven or rolling terrain
John Deere is now taking orders for an entirely updated header lineup, ready for harvest 2021, after launching its new range recently. Comprising the new HDR rigid cutterbar drapers, RDF HydraFlex drapers, a BP15 belt pickup, and CR and CF corn heads, each is compatible with most of Deere’s S series and T series combine harvesters, as well as the larger models in its X series. John Deere tactical segment manager Marko Koelln says the new headers will be available alongside the company’s 700D draper series, which he says has long been “a mainstay of the Australian farming industry’s harvest equipment lineup”.
HDR RIGID CUTTERBAR DRAPERS
Koelln says the HDR rigid cutterbar drapers boast a new hinged frame, which gives them a wide wing range and what he says is unmatched terrain-following ability. “Easy to use, these drapers pick up and sweep the down or lodged crop across the cutterbar to recover more crop thanks to a consistent distance between the reel fingers and cutterbar, improved reel range and increased reel-drive motor torque,” he says. “Optional John Deere grain saver draper belts can also help to reduce canola cutterbar loss by up to 25 per cent when compared to traditional, smooth draper belts.” Available in cutting widths of 10.7m, 12.2m, 13.7m and 15.2m, the drapers are designed to help bring more crop into your combine with each pass – working most effectively for canola, pulse and small grain growers. Deere says the drapers can also help minimise grain loss when operating under a wide range of crops and conditions – while capturing more grain, especially for down or lodged crops. “By upgrading from our 13.7m draper to the new, larger 15.2m version, farmers are able to cover around 10 per cent more ground each day, for improved time and input cost efficiencies,” Koelln says.
RDF HYDRAFLEX DRAPERS
Compatible with harvesters dating back to 2012, the new John Deere RDF HydraFlex Drapers are built on the back of the existing John Deere 700FD, while providing new features to reduce grain loss. All RDF HydraFlex drapers feature a new two-speed centre feed section that lets operators slow down the feed drum and centre feed belt by 20 per cent compared with the 700FD. “This puts more grain in the tank by reducing free grain loss, while operators can easily go from low to high speed when direct heading canola,” Koelln says. “RDF HydraFlex drapers reduce grain loss and let operators harvest at faster speeds without sacrificing cut quality.” The drapers carry over the John Deere 10cm double-cut, dualdrive shaft HydraFlex cutterbar, which can make 1,980 cuts per minute to enable faster harvesting speeds. Deere will also provide two centre feed belt options – a standard centre belt recommended for soybeans or an optional cleated centre belt to deliver higher-volume crops, like canola, into the feed drum.
BP15 BELT PICKUP
John Deere’s new BP15 belt pickup platform is designed to handle high volumes of crops in tough conditions – aimed at small grain and canola growers who need to harvest more hectares per hour with an X Series, S Series or T Series. Koelln says the new pickup delivers a 20 per cent faster feed rate than its predecessor, the John Deere 615P, thanks in part to a two-speed auger drive sprocket which helps improve feed rate adjustability, for large or bulky crops like canola. “The BP15 has a wider feederhouse opening with adjustable feed auger flighting and fingers that allow this belt-pickup platform to harvest more hectares,” he says. A slower speed feed rate can be used for less bulky crops like cereals and grass seed, while a factory-installed crop shield minimises grain loss by preventing it from building up and laying on the feederhouse. “Less time will be spent making adjustments as no tools are needed to modify the height of the large, 51cm gauge wheels for varying window conditions and crop types,” Koelln says.
CORN HEADS
Deere has also developed a new range of two types of corn heads. Designed for harvesting leaning, down or fallen crop, the CR rigid corn heads can be equipped from the factory with active end fenders that pull more ears into the head as the harvester moves through the paddock. The John Deere CF folding corn heads include all the features of CR rigid corn heads but offer a low-profile folding frame and an industry-leading fold cycle time of less than 60 seconds when connected to S700 combine harvesters, Deere says. They also cut down costs by eliminating the need to purchase a header trailer. Each of the new drapers, corn heads and the belt pickup come with a header control unit (HCU) that communicates seamlessly with the combine. The HCU saves head-specific factory calibration settings and collects and sends header-width information to the combine for accurate yield mapping, and detects and reports header-specific diagnostic codes, plus tracks hours of use and maintenance intervals.
