Fendt launches IDEAL combine in Oz

Fendt is officially breaking into Australia’s harvester market with its slick and innovative IDEAL combine range with power outputs of up to 790hp.

The IDEAL range is built at AGCO’s European Harvesting Centre of Excellence in Breganze, Italy, and has been designed and engineered from the ground up by a team of experts at parent company, AGCO.

Special attention has been paid to e?ciency, grain and straw quality, reliability, useability, as well as a revolutionary sensor technology for optimal machine settings.

“We’re very excited to be offering the Fendt IDEAL combine harvester into the ANZ region,” said AGCO Product Marketing Manager for Harvesting, Jake Kerr.

“The Fendt IDEAL is a high capacity and technology leading combine that aligns perfectly with Fendt’s positioning in the professional broad-acre sector.

“Fendt has an unrivalled reputation and a proven history with professional growers who are seeking the best machine to deliver the best results and that’s what they’ll get with the Fendt IDEAL combine.”

If the IDEAL combine looks familiar, it is because Massey Ferguson, another company owned by AGCO, is also offering it in Australia. However, Fendt’s IDEAL range offers more power and capacity than Massey Ferguson’s range, which only goes up to Class 9.

In addition, Fendt’s combines offer some unique features such as the optional IDEALDrive joystick control which completely removes the steering wheel from the cab for unmatched visibility to the header.

Fendt’s IDEAL Combine is offered in four models – the Fendt IDEAL 7, 8, 9 and 10 with power output ranging from 451 to 790hp.

The Fendt IDEAL 8, 9 & 10 feature MAN engines while the IDEAL 7 has an AGCO power engine which offer maximum output and e?cient fuel consumption, Fendt said.

The IDEAL combine features a Helix threshing unit and separating system with single or dual configurations that separate all grains cleanly without impacting on the straw quality, Fendt said. With a length of 4.84m, the Helix rotor is the longest on the market, Fendt claimed.

The intake augers, threshing bars and rotor ?ngers are arranged in a spiral around the rotor, in a similar pattern to DNA, hence the Helix name. The unique arrangement is so there is constant load on the rotor and the grains are handled with as much care as possible.

The processor also requires much less power which helps increase the output and machine e?ciency and produce perfect straw and grain quality, Fendt said. The IDEAL 8, 9 and 10 has a Dual Helix threshing unit with two rotors, while the IDEAL 7 has a single Helix threshing unit and one rotor.

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Another innovation on the Fendt IDEAL combine is the IDEALbalance system featuring two grain pans at the front of the threshing unit. The front grain pan collects the material threshed out by the rasp bars at the front and forwards it to the front part of the preparation floor. The rear grain pan collects the material separated by the rotor tines and sends it backwards to the preparation floor. This ensures full use of the preparation floor and that the crop is well cleaned.

The curve of the two grain pans also allow optimal and consistent output even on slopes, Fendt said. Compared to conventional combines, Fendt’s IDEAL units can reduce losses on gradients by up to 15 per cent, the manufacturer said.

The Ciclone cleaning system, together with the IDEALbalance have been redesigned to further increase the cleaning capacity of the range-topping IDEAL 10T which features a 4-channel cleaning system.

In addition, a patented WavePan system with a curved double cascade provides a wider air outlet which significantly increases the air volume for more efficient cleaning. Most short straw and chaff is separated from the grain on the first drop between preparation floor and intermediate floor.

Fendt claims its IDEAL range has one of the largest grain tanks on the market with a capacity of 17,100 litres.

It also has an unloading rate of 210l/s, which Fendt claims is 15 per cent faster than the nearest competitor. A new ScrollSwing control allows the operator to move the auger back and forth during unloading to allow even filling of the chaser bin or wagon. The discharge rate can be hydraulically adjusted for optimum unloading.

The IDEAL has a vehicle frame of 1.4m and can be fitted with tracks or wheels or a combination of both, depending on the operator’s preference. If equipped with the 26-inch TrakRide crawler track, the Fendt IDEAL has a maximum vehicle width of 3.3m which is ideal for transportation, and a contact area of 2.55 square metres which ensures low ground pressure.

AGCO’s innovative AutoDock automatic header docking system allows operators to couple the header to the IDEAL combine quickly and safely from the cab. With the push of a button on the terminal in the cab, operators can complete the electrical and hydraulic coupling within five seconds.

The automatic header docking works through an RFID code, the Ag Tag which can be ?tted to all headers as an option. The RFID code allows the combine to automatically recognise the header and retrieve the last settings for the table such as dimensions and sensitivity settings for automatic header control.

The new SuperFlow table with an operating width of 12.2m is available for the Fendt IDEAL and ensures smooth feeding of crop into the combine, Fendt said.

The IDEALharvest system has been developed especially for the Fendt IDEAL combine to record and present real time harvesting data to the operator, Fendt said. It uses a series of sensors called Mass Acoustic Detection sensors (MAD) ?tted along the rotors and the shaker shoe to detect the ?ow of crop within the machine as well as any losses which occur.

The MAD sensors work in conjunction with the grain quality camera to capture and display crucial data such as grain losses, percentage of cracked grain and grain purity to the operator.

The driver can look at the iPad display in real time to see whether more material can be found in the front, right or left of the processor. With the SmartConnect app, they can select a customised harvest strategy between cracked grain, grain loss and purity, within a triangle adjustment displayed on the iPad.

The driver also sets the ratio between machine output and quality. From there, the machine adjusts itself continuously based on the chosen settings and reacts in real time to changing harvest conditions. For example, the IDEALharvest system can automatically adjust the grain separation and the rotor speed if cracked grains occur.

The Fendt IDEAL features a spacious Vision cab that o?ers plenty of room and great visibility out the front and around the machine.

Perhaps a more unconventional and unique feature is the optional IDEALdrive system which eliminates the use of a steering column to manoeuvre the machine.

Instead of using a steering wheel, operators control the combine harvester with a joystick on the left armrest. Getting rid of the steering column means operators have unmatched visibility to the front of the machine.

Fendt claims some university studies have shown the IDEALdrive reduces muscle activity by 65 per cent compared to a conventional steering wheel, hence reducing operator fatigue overall.

Fendt Australia has confirmed that the IDEAL combine will be available in Australia in limited numbers this year with the full gamut to be available for next harvest.