Profi Harvest 2022

Welcome to the extra issue in the profi magazine calendar… our Harvest Special. Understandably there is a lot of noise and fanfare when makers launch new flagship combines. All that research and development isn't cheap, and neither is the eye-watering price tag of these high-output machines. But now the chaff and dust have settled, how did the Claas Lexion 8900 and John Deere X9 1100 perform in the UK this summer? We've visited farms running both of these flagship combines to see how they rate them. And what a summer it’s been! The desert-dry conditions have taught us that regular harvester cleaning is more than just good practice; it can save a machine from ‘a thermal incident’. On this point, a leaf blower is a handy tool for a quick…

Increased global demand for 900hp to 1100hp self-propelled forage harvesters is behind the launch of the Krone Big X 980 (979hp) and 1080 (1,074hp). Powered by the same Liebherr Stage V compliant V12 as the flagship 1,156hp Big X 1180, the modified PowerSplit on the Big X 980 and 1080 matches available engine power to current requirements at the touch of a button. When the full engine power is not needed, the forager can work in the eco-power mode. X-Power is selected for situations that require the full power of the engine. The optional engine speed management helps to reduce fuel consumption by automatically lowering the engine speed, for example, when changing trailers. Both newcomers can be ordered with the high-lift cab and XtraPower. The latter allows additional engine power…

At first glance this spy shot looks like a self-propelled beet harvester but it is in fact a combine. Beyond that we don’t know anything else, not even the manufacturer. It does resemble a design study from TU Dresden from eight or so years ago or maybe it is another manufacturers take of the TriBine. Could it possibly be a new generation of Case IH Axial Flow with multiple grain tanks which was said to be in development around the time of the CNH merger. If you have any clues then get in touch.…

Slotting in below the Lemken Juwel 7, 8 and 10 mounted reversible ploughs, the Juwel 6 replaces the EurOpal and VariOpal 5 and 6 ranges. Suitable for 70-130hp tractors, the new low-draught model will be available early next year. With an underframe clearance of 80cm, the Juwel 6 is available with three to five furrows. The M version has a four step manual vari-width, while the 6MV has hydraulic width adjustment (hydraulic frame swivelling is optional). Standard equipment includes the tried-and-tested Dural bodies (DuraMaxx optional). Mechanical non-stop overload protection is recommended for stony soils, and as with all the company’s mounted reversible ploughs, the Juwel 6 comes with the Optiquick adjustment system for side draught-free work. All Lemken mounted ploughs are equipped with the new hydraulically-suspended depth wheel, the height…

Pudama is the name of a technique that enables precision spot fertiliser placement below maize seed during drilling. Kverneland says that it allows fertiliser rates to be reduced by up to 25% without affecting yields. Developed in cooperation with a German university, and currently fitted to the Optima TFprofi SX precision drill, the Pudama configuration sees seed and fertiliser applications synchronised by a sensor. Suitable for operating at speeds of up to 15km/hr, at maximum speed it applies 25 fertiliser spots per second. Applying fertiliser only where it is needed is said to result in greater nutrient absorption, and the technique prevents excess nitrate and phosphate from leaching into water systems. A limited number of the Optima TFprofi SX with Pudama will be available next season (fully available for 2024).…

Czech manufacturer SMS has added the 12.2m 1220 to its Teran roller range. Joining the recently-launched five-gang 920 (9.2m) and 1020 (10.2m), the 1220 is equipped with one hydraulic circuit and the position of the transport wheels bring the centre of gravity close to the middle of the machine. A feature of all Teran models is the patented TitanLoc ring tightening. This ensures that the rings are pressed together to reduce shaft wear. Total weight of the 1220 with standard 510/530mm rings is around 6.5t (more than 500kg/m), and 610/630mm diameter versions are available. The rings can also be swapped for smooth grassland rollers (can be ballasted) and for the first time this season cutting rollers. Standard equipment includes 11.5-80-15.3 transport wheels and air brakes (transport width and length is…