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John Deere X Series Combine makes short work of irrigated wheat crop as farmers prepare for its arrival

staff reporter Countryman
hn Deere Australia and New Zealand territory business manager Max Cusack with grain grower and harvesting contractor Paul Park during the Hutcheon & Pearce X Series Demonstration Day.
Camera Iconhn Deere Australia and New Zealand territory business manager Max Cusack with grain grower and harvesting contractor Paul Park during the Hutcheon & Pearce X Series Demonstration Day. Credit: John Deere Australia/John Deere Australia

NSW grain growers had a front-row seat to see John Deere’s game-changing X Series Combine Harvester make short work of an irrigated wheat crop near Deniliquin, at the Hutcheon & Pearce X Series Demo Day last month.

The X9 1000 in action was one of three machines touring key Australian grain growing regions to demonstrate the line-up’s enhanced capacity, efficiency and intelligence, while providing an opportunity for producers to speak directly with John Deere specialists.

The X Series’ arrival in Australia has coincided with the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences’ prediction of a 58.4 million tonne wheat crop in the 2021-22 season, the nation’s largest harvest on record.

John Deere Australia and New Zealand territory business manager Max Cusack said the unprecedented forecast had sparked even more interest in the X Series, as its increased capacity coupled with improved efficiency would ensure farmers could capitalise on peak windows of opportunity.

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“With the ability to harvest twelve hectares of wheat per hour depending on conditions, the X Series brings a new level of capacity to the Australian agriculture industry,” Mr Cusack said.

“Increasingly, farmers are facing shorter harvesting windows due to challenging weather conditions, which is a high-pressure environment the X Series thrives in. Within twenty minutes of this X9 1000 arriving on the farm, we had optimised its performance and were working at full capacity, harvesting between ten to fourteen kilometres per hour with a fifty-foot HDR header.

“What made this performance striking for the farmers who attended the day, was the remarkable fuel efficiency and minimal grain loss achieved.”

Grain grower and harvesting contractor Paul Park played host to farmers from as far north as Coleambally and Hillston at the demonstration on his property Keralee and watched as the crop achieved a five tonnes per hectare yield average.

Mr Park grows 1500ha of irrigated cereal crops, and services Northern NSW and parts of Victoria with his contract harvesting business, and was impressed by the productivity achieved by the X Series while retaining an ideal frame size.

“With the X Series you are getting an extra half a header, but it’s in the same size as the S Series,” Mr Park said.

“For a long time, the new harvesters were becoming larger, however this machine is the same size, but with bolstered capacity and has 20 per cent lower fuel consumption. That’s a huge saving as the fuel costs add up.

“Anything larger than four metres, for us, becomes awkward to transport when we are moving equipment to different locations.”

Mr Park said he also particularly noted the smooth front-end handling of the machine.

“What I also found impressive when watching the X9 1000 was the ability of the platform to float and ride along as it followed the ground,” he said.

“It was hugging the ground so well, it looked as though it moved independently to the harvester, which I think has ticked a huge box.”

Hillston grower, Jochim Jager, whose business has secured an X Series harvester due to arrive in 2022, said the Demo Day confirmed the traits which drew him to the machine.

As a producer of wheat, canola, lentils and barley across 10,000ha, Mr Jager said productivity and efficiency were key.

“It’s overall capacity and the fact it has minimal grain loss was evident during the demo, and a harvester with little grain loss is what we’re looking for,” Mr Jager said.

“During the demo, the X9 1000 harvested varying crops, including some lighter grain, and didn’t throw any of it out – which with crops like that, can easily happen.”

To find out when an X Series model is heading to your region, contact your local John Deere dealership.

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