John Deere X-Series combine order book opens

John Deere’s largest ever combine harvester – the X-Series – has arrived in Australia and the company is now taking orders for the new machine to be delivered by the 2022-23 harvest.

With above average harvests predicted for the near future, thanks to excellent weather conditions around the country, there is a growing need for smarter, more productive and more efficient machinery to complete a successful harvest.

John Deere said its X-Series combines, loaded with plenty of market leading technology, will be able to fulfill that need.

The first X-Series models have arrived at John Deere’s Australia and New Zealand headquarters in Brisbane this month, with three demonstration models headed for Australian paddocks.

The X-Series will complement John Deere’s tried and tested S-Series combines, which have just clocked up a decade of performance.

“Growers are expecting the X-Series to be the next iteration of our proven S-Series in terms of performance, but this machine will deliver a significant step-up in harvest capacity,” said John Deere Australia New Zealand Production Systems Manager, Ben Kelly.

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The X-Series Dual Separator with a wide feeder house offers the largest threshing and separation capacity John Deere has ever offered, the company said. A 7sqm Dyno-Flo XL Cleaning Shoe delivers 36 per cent more cleaning area than the S790 combine, it added.

For comparison, the smaller model in the X-Series, the X9 1000, has one per cent more horsepower than the largest S-Series, the S790, yet is capable of delivering significantly more capacity, Deere said.

“For some operators, the S-Series will remain the perfect, high-performing workhorse, and it may be that buying additional S Series machines will make the most sense for the unique needs and operating conditions of their business,” Kelly said.

“However, the X-Series delivers a size and capability which we haven’t offered here before and we are extremely excited to see it in Australian paddocks this season.

“What makes this harvest capacity even more impressive is that it is achieved with higher fuel efficiency thanks to our award-winning drivetrain design – and with minimal grain loss which means more money in growers’ pockets.”

Deere added the X-Series is able to aid farming enterprises of all sizes get high-yielding crops off in tough threshing environments.

“Growers who have had to bide their time early in the day waiting for damp straw to be ready to thresh, and then again later in the day when moisture levels increase making threshing and separating tough, can now pick up extra harvesting time morning and night,” Kelly said.

“By book-ending the day, the X Series takes the reliability of the S-Series and super-charges it for all day performance to get crops off sooner to avoid weather risks.

“The demonstration units which recently arrived are an opportunity for customers to see firsthand the machines in action in Australia and understand what it means for their business.”

Both the S-Series and X-Series connect to the John Deere Operations Center- a cloud-based, central location where growers can digitally share machine or operational information with trusted partners and advisors.

CombineAdvisor - a suite of technologies designed to maximise harvesting profits, has been available for the S-Series since 2018 and will also feature in the X-Series.

CombineAdvisor comes with the award-winning ActiveVision camera technology which automatically changes the combine harvester’s settings, as harvesting conditions change, to maximise grain quality, minimise losses and improve productivity.

“The ability of our machines to automatically adjust themselves maximises the operator’s productivity and efficiency throughout the day,” Kelly said.

“This also means more tonnes in the bin, and minimises quality downgrades, for an earlier finish and a more profitable and productive harvest.”

Four next generation platforms, including the Hinged Draper series, Rigid Draper series, the Belt Pickup, and Corn Heads, are also now available on both the X and S-Series.

This includes the widest ever front, which measures an impressive 15.2m (50ft.), to support higher harvesting capacity so growers can cover more hectares an hour.

“The star of these platforms is the Hinged Draper with Rigid Cutterbar (HDR),” Kelly said.

“For customers who need to harvest in a variety of terrain, the industry-leading HDR platform offers the versatility to harvest as a rigid off-ground platform or an on-ground terrain-following platform.”

He added John Deere HDR Rigid Cutterbar Drapers are ideal for small grains, canola and pulse growers who want to maximise their harvester's hectares per hour across various crops, changing conditions and uneven or rolling terrain, while capturing more grain – especially for down or lodged crops.

Optional John Deere Grain Saver Draper Belts are also available to help reduce canola cutterbar loss by up to 25 per cent compared to traditional, smooth draper belts, Kelly added.

As the countdown to harvest begins, John Deere dealerships are gearing up to support customers, and Kelly said now is the time for growers to ensure their equipment had the latest software installed and are ready to collect valuable harvest data.

“Yield data is a critical layer in understanding the crop’s performance and you only get one shot to collect it,” he said.

“So, now is the time to work with your local dealer to ensure your technology is up to date so you can take advantage of the benefits it will provide,” he said.