Deere updates header line-up

John Deere has announced several new headers that will be compatible with most of its S Series and T Series combine harvesters, as well as the new X Series.

The new additions are the HDR Rigid Cutterbar Drapers, RDF HydraFlex Drapers, a BP15 Belt Pickup, and CR and CF Corn Heads.

John Deere said its HDR Rigid Cutterbar Drapers are ideal for harvesting small grains, canola and pulse crops.

"The HDR has a new hinged frame that provides unmatched terrain-following capability with twice the wing range as a MacDon FD1 FlexDraper, and with uniform cut height," said John Deere Tactical Segment Manager, Marko Koelln.

"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.

"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."

John Deere’s HDR drapers are available in cutting widths of 10.7m, 12.2m, 13.7m and 15.2m.

"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 said.

RELATED READS:

Deere unveils smarter combine range

John Deere S780 combine harvester: Machine Spotlight

How to: Prepare your combine harvester for a challenging season

John Deere said its new RDF HydraFlex Drapers are built on the existing John Deere 700FD range and provides new features to reduce grain loss.

These new drapers are compatible with the new X Series, as well as with S Series and T Series Combine Harvesters dating back to model year 2012. 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 said.

"RDF HydraFlex Drapers reduce grain loss and let operators harvest at faster speeds without sacrificing cut quality."

The Hydraflex Drapers carry over John Deere’s 10 cm double-cut, dual-drive shaft HydraFlex Cutterbar. The knife system makes 1980 cuts per minute for faster harvesting, while two centre feed belt options are available for multiple crops and conditions.

The standard centre belt is recommended for crops like soybeans while an optional cleated centre belt is suited to feed higher-volume crops, like canola, into the feed drum.

John Deere said its BP15 Belt Pickup is suitable for small grains and canola growers and delivers a 20 per cent faster feed rate than its predecessor, the John Deere 615P.

"The BP15 has a wider feederhouse opening with adjustable feed auger flighting and fingers that allow this belt-pickup platform to harvest more hectares,” Koelln said.

The BP15 features improved feed rate adjustability to handle large or bulky crops with a standard two-speed auger drive sprocket that delivers a 20 per cent faster feed rate when needed such as when harvesting canola, Deere said. A slower speed feed rate can be used for less bulky crops like cereals and grass seed.

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 51cm gauge wheels for varying window conditions and crop types," Koelln said.

For harvesting leaning, down or fallen crop, 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.

John Deere CF Folding Corn Heads include all the features of CR Rigid Corn Heads but offer a low-profile folding frame and a fold cycle time of less than 60 seconds when connected to S700 Combine Harvesters, John Deere said.

The new drapers, corn heads and belt pickup come with a header control unit (HCU) that communicates with the combine. The HCU saves head-specific factory calibration settings; collects and sends header-width information to the combine for accurate yield mapping; detects and reports header-specific diagnostic codes; as well as tracks hours of use and maintenance intervals.

"Our new headers will be a powerful addition to the market and available alongside the 700D Draper which has, for many years, been a mainstay of the Australian farming industry's harvest equipment lineup," Koelln said.

Deere said its dealers will start taking orders from August for a limited number of headers scheduled for delivery in 2021's harvesting season.