DLG oversees the testing procedure and confirms the results
At the start of August 2020, Fendt put its large combine Fendt IDEAL 9T through its paces in a performance test. Experts from DLG TestService attended the tests as independent bystanders. In the test and up against another combine harvester from the same power class, the Fendt IDEAL 9T demonstrated impressive results in terms of flow rate and losses, as well as grain quality and straw length.
DLG TestService attended and recorded the test as an independent institution. The engineers from DLG TestService in Groß Umstadt have been carrying out threshing tests with exceptional expertise for many decades. They were accompanied by external expert, Prof. Thomas Rademacher, Professor of Agricultural Technology at Bingen University.
"The aim of the tests is to put together a characteristic curve for output losses from a variety of combine harvesters," says Prof. Rademacher. "The machines harvest in the field at different output rates or driving speeds, while we measure the grain losses and grain quality."
High output at low losses
The tests took place at the start of August 2020 in wheat fields at speeds between 4 and 8 km/h. At 8 km/h, the maximum achievable speed under the given harvest
conditions, the Fendt IDEAL 9T recorded an overall flow rate of almost 150 tonnes and a grain throughput of nearly 89 tonnes per hour. The comparison machine achieved a lower maximum flow rate in the tests with much greater levels of grain loss. Losses on the Fendt IDEAL 9T were recorded at just 1%,resulting in a 21.5% higher overall flow rate.
Negligible broken grain content from the Fendt IDEAL
The amount of foreign matter and broken grain is decisive to the quality of the crop. Especially with less moisture in the grain, over-intensive threshingcan quickly lead to a greater percentage of broken grain. At grain moisture levels of 12% to 13%, the Fendt IDEAL 9T achieved the best results on the day of the test at very low broken grain contents of 0.1% to 0.3%, while its counterpart generated much more broken grain at 0.8% to 1.5%.
High proportion of long straw
As part of the tests, the degree of preparation of the remaining straw was also investigated. For this purpose, straw samples were taken from the swathes and the sieve lines were determined afterwards using the DLG cascade sieve. Compared to the reference machine, the straw quality of the Fendt IDEAL 9T in the swathes was marked by higher proportions in the longer straw range (>67 mm and 30 to 67 mm) and lower proportions in the smaller range (<8 mm). At the higher speed of 8 km/h, the differences were more pronounced than at the lower speed of 4 km/h.
About the combine harvester comparison test
The test pitted the Fendt IDEAL 9T against a combine harvester of the same performance class and the same cutting unit width, both harvesting wheat. The harvest conditions on the test field in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were good on the day. The wheat measured grain moisture levels of 12% to 13% and a straw moisture content of approx. 10%. The grain to straw ratio was 1: 0.65. Both machines were calibrated before the test and each was set up by technicians from the relevant combine manufacturer. Dummy runs were also carried out before
Press releasefendt.comthe actual test runs, so the settings on both combine harvesters could be perfectly adapted to the harvesting conditions."Following measurement method standards, we used the 'sheet procedure' in the tests. This is when all deposits from the combine harvester are placed on a sheet and then cleared again to identify and weigh the grain losses. We used the shell method alongside that, as an additional control method," says Prof. Rademacher. In the comparison test, the combines drive track-to-track and always into full crop to minimise differences in the crop they are threshing and to subject every machine to exactly the same conditions."
The assessment is based on the principle that everything that goes into a machine has tobe weighed," says Dr. Rubenschuh. "After each test run, the combine harvester refuels on a weighing trolley and the harvest quantities are documented. The volume of straw and chaff collected with the sheets, as well as the grain losses derived from them, is also weighed. We then use the driving speed and the grain or straw quantities to determine the grain or overall throughput. We calculate grain losses from the weighed grain losses and the grain yield."The measurement technology used in the test was validated in advance by DLG TestService.
The entire test series was attended and documented by the DLG experts on site. Afterwards, the grain samples taken during refuelling and the straw samples taken from the swathes were examined and evaluated in the DLG TestService lab."For the first time in Fendt history, we have subjected a combine harvester to an independent DLG comparison test to show the public how well we fare among the best," said Christoph Gröblinghoff, Chairman of Fendt Management Board, commenting on the heavyweight test. "
The Fendt IDEAL combine harvester meets all our expectations in these extensive test runs. But even more importantly, it also meets the expectations that customers place on a Fendt combine harvester with innovative technology and such high-performance data."
