CASE IH's new 50 series axial-flow combine harvesters will be put to the test in the coming weeks as new owners start harvest operations.
And two owners can't wait.
Tenindewa farmer Glenn Thomas has two 8250 models he bought from Purcher International, Geraldton, in action this week and naturally can't make too many comments about the 'nuances' of the headers until he has had a few hours under his belt.
But he likes what he sees.
"The new MacDon front (D140 model) has improved feeding canola and the headers are really smooth to operate,'' Mr Thomas said.
"We've also got Harvest Command fitted but it's a bit early to tell you how that has gone, though I expect it will help us a lot."
The AFS Harvest Command automation, uses 16 sensor inputs to continuously monitor the machine and adjusts seven different settings to maximise header performance.
Another feature Mr Thomas likes is the adjustable spinners which allows him to "hit 40 feet" on his 12-metre tramlines.
"We went for the extended auger with the kicker chute and we can just make the chaser bin," he said.
"I think we might extend that a bit more to get the grain right into the bin."
Another addition Mr Thomas asked for was LSW 900/60R42 tyres which alleviate the need for duals and, of course, are a more comfortable fit on tramlines.
Munglinup's Graham Stewart also bought two 8250 models from Farmers Centre, Esperance, and expects to be putting the new girls to work next week.
It has been a difficult season and he has only recorded 190 millimetres of rain for the year, but he is confident of handling any difficult situations.
"We hope to be out a bit longer but our shifts will be at the mercy of the weather," Mr Stewart said.
"We will certainly be pushing them while conditions are good."
Mr Stewart gave the thumbs-up to the improvements in these new headers, especially the ease of working the settings and the quick-change concaves - "It'll only take 10 minutes with three blokes".
He likes the reversible elevator to prevent plugging, greasing intervals (100-600 hours) and new updated features, including two-speed electric ground-drive transmission, easier adjustable rotor cage vanes and improved feeder house design.
Standard features on the 250 series include enclosed hydraulic-powered disc brakes; new front axle and final drives; scalable speed control; new Ground Speed Adaptive Sensitivity (GSAS) and new in-cab adjustable pre-sieve.
Case IH has released 7250, 8250 and 9250 models from the 250 series range for the Australian market and the 7150 from the 150 series.
