CINCINNATI, Ohio – Combine headers are taking on a double role as they evolve into a residue management tool.
That’s the approach John Deere took when designing its 600C corn heads introduced in Cincinnati in August.
The 600C reduces cob loss by 15 percent while shoving 10 percent less residue into the combine for processing. In field comparisons, the 600C had five to 10 percent more harvest capacity than the 90 series corn heads.
John Deere harvester works manager Seth Crawford said the volume of material per acre is increasing at the same time that stalks are becoming tougher. This combination forces producers to integrate their residue management systems with their harvest systems.
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Accompanying this trend is an expansion of corn acres.
The combination of these three factors makes it less of an option for producers to postpone residue management operations until later in the fall or early next spring. Residue management becomes married to the harvest operation, Crawford said, and it all starts at the corn head.
Compared to previous JD corn heads, the 600C has higher speed stalk rolls and bigger gathering chains, which run 15 percent slower than previous models. Slower chain speed pulls more cobs into the combine’s threshing mechanism. The chains are driven by heavy duty ductile iron sprockets to improve capacity and durability.
It also has a more aggressive auger to handle higher volumes at a higher ground speed.
These changes are designed to keep more ears in the corn head and more trash on the ground.
Crawford said more corn acres mean less time in the fall for extra field passes. As a result, more producers are moving toward single-pass residue management with a head such as the JD StalkMaster chopping head, available as an option on three of the new models.
The gear cases in the StalkMaster are engineered to chop and size the stalks in one pass, eliminating the need for further cultivation.
Two other options for the 600C are the conventional straight stalk rolls and the knife rolls, both of which have been redesigned to last longer.
“New replaceable wear strips have been added and the end dividers now fold out for convenient servicing of the Perma Glide points,” Crawford said.
“This provides easy access and simple adjustment of the row units without tools. The row units are scalloped to reduce leaf buildup and the auger pan now has two cleanout doors.”
One of the 600C’s most noticeable features is the simple spring-loaded latch that allows the operator full access to the entire row unit point and shield height adjustment points. There are four predetermined height positions. No tools are required.
The deck plates are hydraulically adjustable and header height sensing is standard on all 600C heads.
The new corn heads come in five models. The smallest is the 606C, a six row head on 30 inch row spacing with a list price of $58,000. The largest is the 612C, a 12 row head on row spacing of 20, 22 or 30 inches. It carries a list price of $105,000.
Also introduced at the Cincinnati product event are boronized knife guards for John Deere straight cut
cereal grain headers. Boron is a natural mineral used to harden steel surfaces. Crawford expects the guards to last about twice as long as the guards they replace.
The guards are the same configuration as the previous guards, so they are interchangeable. Farmers who buy new knife guards from a John Deere dealer will automatically get the
boronized ones.
They sell for $27.50 each.
