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T for two in Lincolnshire
Replacing two combines with one can be a daunting prospect when faced with having to maintain the same output. The John Deere T660 combine bought by Lincolnshire neighbours Paul Holmes and Jonathan Fowler not only matched the workload in 2008, but exceeded the harvesting output of their two previous machines.
The decision was made to replace two ageing combines – a 15 year old model of another make and an 18 year old John Deere 1188 – with the new T660, equipped with a 7.6m (25ft) cutting platform, which was bought in November 2007 from local John Deere dealer Burdens in Sutterton. All the combine servicing is taken care of by Burdens on a five year contract, allowing the new owners to know the exact costs of the machine over this period.
The combine completed its first harvest cutting 750 acres of winter wheat plus an additional 40 acres of contract work. “The combine has done everything we have wanted and has more than exceeded our expectations, with not one hour of downtime throughout the entire season,” says Paul Holmes.
The two adjacent farms in Boston include 2000 acres of arable land and 600 acres of tidal salt marsh grassland that is let out for grazing cattle. Both farms work together to share certain machinery and staff, in order to cut overheads. “We have a very flexible staffing arrangement which allows us to work well together and overcome any problems that may arise,” adds Paul.
Even during last year’s difficult harvest, using just one combine proved more than adequate to complete the job. Paul Holmes feels that if they were able to manage that wet harvest with just one combine, then they can cope with just about anything. “The two older combines together would average around 25 tonnes per hour,” he says. “With the T660 we were cutting around 35 tonnes per hour, with achievable spot rates of up to 45 tonnes per hour. Over a four day period we cut just under 350 acres of winter wheat – a total of 1500 tonnes.”
Having just the one combine not only freed up extra staff but also allowed the farms to create two separate gangs to work alternate 16 hour shifts. “By doing this we didn’t have to put too much pressure on the staff to work continuous long days, but we could keep the T660 working at a very high output,” says Paul.
Power for the T660 comes from the new, fuel efficient John Deere PowerTech six-cylinder engine, which at 350hp offers up to 8.5 per cent more horsepower than previous models. Designed specifically for use in John Deere combines, these electronically controlled engines provide extra horsepower to maintain capacity in tough conditions, with up to 17 additional horsepower available when unloading.
Fuel economy has also been an impressive feature on the T660, with the combine averaging just 40 to 45 litres per hour. “We were able to run the combine for a full 16 hour day without needing to refill once,” Paul Holmes says.
The T660 came equipped with AutoTrac assisted steering and Harvest Doc software, which allows all the harvesting data to be downloaded onto an office computer to produce accurate yield and moisture maps. Accurate to within 10cm with the SF2 signal, AutoTrac allows the operator to drive in a straight line without using the steering wheel except at headlands and around obstacles in the field. This was one of the first guidance systems to be used on the farms and has proved to be a valuable addition to the combine specification.
“We couldn’t do without the AutoTrac system now,” says Paul. “It means the operator is able to concentrate on fine tuning the combine settings if required without having to worry about driving in a straight line. AutoTrac also means we don’t waste time with partially full platform passes either. It has proved even more useful in the dark, but it has yet to show its usefulness in dusty conditions due to the very wet harvest we had.”
Paul Holmes was so impressed with the AutoTrac system that his next tractor, a 180hp John Deere 7530, will be equipped with the necessary components to accept the combine’s StarFire receiver and GreenStar display. “This will allow us to swap the receiver and screen from the combine to the new tractor for drilling and cultivation work,” he explains.
As the majority of straw is baled on both farms, the crop needs to be left in good condition. The design of the T Series combine’s new threshing system not only reduces grain being pinched but also handles straw gently and gives a very high quality sample. This new design is a step ahead of traditional multi-drum systems in that the crop mat is guided along a smoother path with no abrupt changes in direction, and not forced through sharp angles.
Machinery fleet
Combine:
Tractors
- John Deere 7920
- John Deere 6920S
- John Deere 6910
- John Deere 6620
- John Deere 6600
- John Deere 6330
- John Deere 6310
- John Deere 6210
- + 2 x tracked tractors
Cultivation equipment
- Simba 6.6m discs
- Vaderstadt 4m drill
- 2 x Kverneland six-furrow ploughs
Telehandler
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