John Deere 600F Hydraflex Platforms
John Deere’s new 600F HydraFlex platforms are designed to help the head run faster and cut cleaner over uneven ground. When ground conditions change, for instance, the float pressure can be adjusted from the cab. The heads, which come in 20-, 22-, 25-, 30-and 35-foot lengths, can also be locked up for combining crops such as wheat by using mechanical lock-out brackets.
If you are used to a “wobble box,” John Deere has a completely different system for driving the knife. Deere heads feature a heavy-duty epicyclical drive to boost capacity and reliability. The knife speed operates at 520 rpm on both rigid and flex platforms. As well, the knife stroke is 3.5 inches, adding more efficiency to cutting action.
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The 600F series heads use a large 26-inch diameter auger and handles 30 per cent more crop material than previous John Deeres. There are also four inline rows of auger fingers across the length of the auger to aid crop input.
Claas of America Lexion
Claas’s Lexion combine lineup offers rigid-cut grain headers including the G520, G525, G535 and the 40-foot G540. As well, Lexion also offers flex-headers with the F525, F530 and the F535 Max Flex and the F540 Max Flex.
The 40-foot heads are a potential game changer for Lexion. At first glance, these heads are huge and their capacity boost is significant.
The Lexion heads use a split reel, split auger and split knife to achieve a precision cut and positive feeding across the 40-foot cutting width. The F540 and F535 MaxFlex headers feature seven inches of vertical flex range. This can be adjusted hydraulically at the header or in the cab. These headers can also be “locked up” in a rigid position for the harvest of small grains.
All the flex heads are equipped with “Auto Contour” which enables the header to follow any terrain by automatically raising or lowering the header or tilting laterally.
The 35-and 40-foot headers have dual reels and all the heads have a stainless steel table section, which according to Lexion will improve wear and provide excellent feeding. These Lexion grain heads also feature standard full-width retractable table auger fingers for a seamless transition of crop material into the feeder house and then into the threshing system.
New Holland 72C and 74C Series Direct-Cut Auger Headers
New Holland offers the 72C direct-cut and 74C flex-cut series auger headers, which the company says will increase the capacity of the entire combine by cutting the crop cleanly and quickly and then delivering it smoothly and evenly to the feeder house. The direct-cut 72 C auger header is available in 20-, 25-and 30-foot lengths. The 20 foot has a single knife drive while the larger heads are driven by twin knife drives. The flex-cut 74C comes in 20-, 25-, 30-, and 35-foot lengths with a choice of 1.5-inch knives and guards (twin cut) or a three inch knife and guard.
The 72C and 74C headers have large 26-inch diameter, full-fingered augers for smooth, even crop feeding. They also have new self-adjusting knife drive belts, which provide an enhanced belt wrap on both headers. There is a choice of reels and crop dividers too so you can adapt these headers to specific crop conditions.
These New Holland grain heads feature an optional “Terrain Tracer” flotation system, which automatically tilts the header laterally and raises the head vertically to follow the ground contour. According to the company, the Terrain Tracer takes the bounce out of rough spots like small gullies and tire tracks while still maximizing grain pick-up.
