Two years ago, Claas’s new combine could have been said to be in a class by itself.
The industry has traditionally set classes based on horsepower, grain tank capacity and unload rate.
“I guess you can say that when your new combine makes a substantial improvement in all three areas, you earn the right to say it’s up in the next class,” said Claas Lexion’s Mike Anderson.
However, that long-used system changed in January 2003, when the Ag Equipment Manufacturers Association set out guidelines to designate the criteria for each combine class in North America. AEM is a voluntary organization comprising all major manufacturers.
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The organization saw that in some situations, combine horsepower was increasing while other factors such as tank size and unload rate remained the same.
Conversely, some grain tanks were growing while the horsepower remained the same. AEM members saw that a better combine classification system was needed.
“It was apparent that horsepower is the one factor that is most directly related to the overall throughput performance of any combine,” said Kelly Kravig, combine manager for CNH Global’s head office in Racine, Wisconsin. Kravig serves on the AEM combine classification committee.
“All the other factors are really secondary to power, so as a group, we decided the classes should be arranged by power. In the early stages of our discussions, there was a strong tendency to want to measure performance or throughput, but that is so variable.
“Early in your harvest season, you usually have adverse conditions. By mid-harvest it’s been hot and you hit that sweet spot with your combine. By late harvest, it might turn extremely dry and brittle or it might turn to heavy rain. And, you get those same kinds of variations from hour to hour during the day. So we finally agreed that processing performance is not a good way to set the criteria. Power is the only fair criteria.”
He said the organization left Classes 4, 5 and 6 much the same as they had been and left the breaks at about 40 kilowatt or 53 hp intervals.
Power classifications
In January 2003 the original classes officially became pure power designations. Tank capacity and unload rates were no longer part of the formula.
The AEM then looked at the proposed Class 7 and Class 8 criteria. Kravig said that while this classification was under development, implement manufacturers were already building combines that would logically fit into Class 7 and Class 8 categories.
“Our next step was to carve out a new Class 7 and a new Class 8 based on projected power increments of 40 kilowatts. We stuck with 40 kilowatt splits because that gave us some consistency between the older established classes and the new classes.”
AEM decided that if it was to designate a bona fide Class 7 or Class 8, there must be three companies building combines that fit the power range for that class. Class 7 went into effect in January 2003 and Class 8 went into effect in January 2004.
The association also decided that all North American combine manufacturers must agree to additional classes beyond Class 8. So far, those criteria have not been met for an AEM Class 9.
Kravig explained how AEM deals with higher horsepower combines.
“Anything that goes beyond the 280 kilowatt or 375 hp level is termed a Class 8 Plus. I would have to think that once we have three such combines, the AEM will firm up the criteria for Class 9 combines.”
John Deere
John Deere has also upped the ante. The JD website still lists the 9860 STS as 375 hp, putting it into the AEM Class 8 category. However, a John Deere dealer said there is a bigger machine that isn’t listed yet.
According to Ray Bouchard, partner and general manager at Enns Brothers in Portage la Prairie, Man., the company has a 9860 STS Premium with 420 hp and a boost that brings it up to 471 hp.
“That’s our biggest combine to date. And it’s new. It’s not even on our spec sheets yet. I don’t know what class number we want to give it, but it does have power.”
Case New Holland
For the 2006 model year, CNH has increased the horsepower on its Class 8 combines. Although both brands share the same 10.3-litre engine, the engine management systems are different.
The New Holland CR970 has a 400 hp Tier II engine with boost up to 425 hp. The Case AFX 8010 has a 400 hp Tier III engine with a boost up to 450 hp.
The Case Tier III version of the engine gives the operator a variety of software program options for varying field conditions.
Agco
The largest combine in the new Gleaner lineup is the R75 with a Cummins rated at 350 hp and a power surge up to 375 hp when the engine lugs down to 1,900 rpm.
Massey Ferguson is expected to have a new engine in the near future, but for 2006 the 9790 comes with a 350 hp Cummins with the 375 hp power surge.
