A mass of new products were on show at a joint launch by Amazone, Krone and Grimme last week in Germany. We pick out what’s likely to draw the crowds at Agritechnica in November

Amazone

ZA-M fertiliser spreader

The ZA-M twin disc fertiliser spreader (below) range replaces the company’s previous 900 range, boasting more capacity with a lighter frame. Capacity spans 1000-3000 litres and working width is from 10-36m.

Three models make up the range: the 1001, the 1201 and the 1501, which is available in Profis spec with weighing system, too. For those who want to go bigger, there’s the ZA-M Ultra 4200 with up to 52m working width and 4200 litre hopper.

The ZA-M is also the first range to be fitted with Amazone’s SafetySet, which includes a sophisticated lighting system, extra warning signs and a guard rail for operator safety.

At the other end of the scale, the trailed ZG-B Ultra Hydro can hold up to 10,000kg worth of fert and has a spreading width of 52m. That means a 50% increase in workrate compared to larger mounted fertiliser spreaders,

Forward speed-dependent rate control and a weighing system are standard on the hydraulically driven machine and it’s shod with large-volume AS tyres for rapid travel speeds.

ZA-M twin disc fertiliser spreader

The UX range of trailed sprayers has a new flagship model, the 6200 Super. The largest sprayer that Amazone offers, it has a new tank design and 520/85R42 tyres rather than flotations. So the 6600-litre machine with 40m boom can be driven at 50kph with a full tank on the road.

It’s fitted with a hitch plate and ball attachment, which takes some of the load off the axle and wheels and improves overall traction. UX sprayers are available in both Special and Super specs, the former fitted with a single 280 litres/min pump unit and the latter with either a 430 or 530 litres/min twin pump for higher spray rates and wider boom widths.

Amazone is also set to increase production of its self-propelled range of sprayers, having brought the manufacturing of its SX4000 sprayer in-house to its factory at Leeden. Previously made by Agrifac and first launched at Agritechnica in 2007, the SX4000 is fitted with hydro-pneumatic suspension and has a ground clearance of 1.2m. It’s also got hydraulically adjustable track width and has a tank capacity of 4000 litres.

Power harrows

The new KE Special and Super power harrows have what Amazone calls an e-box, instead of the conventional gearbox set-up, which transfers the higher speed from the pto to the rotors, which can result in the use of more power and fuel.

The e-box builds up the force directly at the rotor itself and as a result operators can choose from six speeds, all adjusted by moving the bevel gearwheels in the gearbox. The Special has 2.5m and 3m working widths and needs 140hp, while the Super has 3m and 4m and demands 180hp. There’s also a front-mounted frame for those who want to adopt a double-pass system.

The new KX range slots into the gap between the larger KG and smaller KE ranges, and fitted with trailing tines, the 3m machine is aimed at those with tractors of the 190hp mark.

Cultivators

With a power requirement of 35hp/m working width, the Cenius stubble cultivator (below) offers a min-till option for mid-sized farms. Working depth can be altered from 5-30cm, while tines are positioned 270mm apart. Available in 3m, 3.5m and 4m working widths, there’s a choice of levelling tool between leaf springs of discs followed by an optional following roller.

Meanwhile the Primera DMC 12000 tine drill is a 12m version, which needs a hefty 400hp to pull it. Four rows of chisel points are each followed by two covering rollers, which enable high ground speeds, and allow work rates of up to 200ha a day says Amazone. You’ll need an escort, though, as transport width is 4.5m.

Cenius stubble cultivator

Krone

Krone is upping the ante in the UK with a number of new products on the way and the announcement that a new organisation, Krone UK, will be in Micklefield near Leeds.

Big M 400

Since launching its first self-propelled mower in 1996, Krone has sold more than 1000 Big Ms throughout the world. This November’s Agritechnica will see the debut of a new 400hp model called the Big M 400 that is powered by a 400hp Mercedes engine. It is said to give 15% more output than the smaller Big M 11.

With a choice of three different conditioner versions, it’s also fitted with a heavy-duty mower bed and automotive transmission, meaning lower revs in transport mode.

There’s a new cooling system, too, which sucks air in from the top rather than the back screen, and a reverser fan which blows any trash away every 10 minutes.

Having proven the SafeCut auto-reset cutterbar system on the Big M self-propelled mower for the past two years, Krone is now fitting all its mowers with it. Each mower disc is connected via a roll pin which shears off if an obstacle is encountered, but as the sprocket continues revolving the stopped disc lifts up out of the way of neighbouring discs to prevent damage. Once the roll pin has been replaced, the tripped bearing then goes back into use.

Swadro 2000

Massive, octopus-like Swadro 2000 6-rotor 19m rake now heads up the company’s range. Four leading 3.3m wide rotors each have 13 tine arms, while two outer rotors have 15 arms. Because the leading rotors operate at a higher speed, crop flow is speeded up while swaths are left without roping, resulting in less chance of blockages.

On the road, the huge rig can fold to 3m transport width and has an “intelligent” steering axle, which performs passively in the row and kicks in when turning. Operators can set working depth for each rotor separately or all together from the cab, and one rotor can be lifted up in corners, too. It will need at least 130hp on the front and will cope with 20 ha a day (50 acres).

MX forage wagons

As the trend for using combination forage wagons not only to self-load, but also as silage trailers continues in mainland Europe, Krone has expanded its range to include two new MX models.

The new 31cu m models fit between the smaller AX and larger ZX ranges and have an 880mm-diameter feed with eight rows of Hardox-coated tines. All controls are now on the left-hand side of the machine and the entire knife bank folds down and swings out to the side for fast knife changes without tools.

Krone’s larger ZX forage wagons also gain an electronic weighing system on hydraulically levelling models. Krone is the first manufacturer to offer this as an integral feature, using three weighing pins in the drawbar and axle to weigh and memorise the weight of each load, accumulating these loads to give a total weight.

Grimme

Rexor 620

The biggest news from Grimme was the unveiling of the Rexor 620 self-propelled beet harvester. This six-row machine has three turbine cleaning units. The active auger starts separating haulms and trash at the beginning, rather than further back, so the bottleneck which usually forms under the front axle is reduced, leading to 70% better throughflow, claims the company.

The articulated-drive chassis is on two steerable axles, and with a 7.5m turning circle, it’s more manoeuvrable than a VW Golf, says Grimme. The Rexor is also the first self-propelled harvester allowed to travel at 40kph on the road (in Germany).

MAXI-bed system

Potatoes and other root veg are usually planted either in rows or beds, typically 1.5-1.8m wide with two rows in each bed. But Grimme’s latest MAXI-bed system increases this to 2.7m – apparently, increasing output by 50%. Growers can now get three rows in each bed, resulting in 10% more productive land per hectare. Grimme has introduced five new machines to fit the system, including the Elevator Harvester GT300.

FL720 loading station

Cutting out the need for crop to be shifted back to the yard for loading, the FL720 potato field-loading station is the first truly mobile unit, thanks to its hydraulically retractable unloading elevator. Haulm and trash is removed from the crop and the elevator neatly retracts under the picking and grading unit, making it narrow enough for road transport.

Rootster

After the launch of the six-row Rootster 604 at the 2007 Agritechnica, there is now a nine-row Rootster 904 sugar beet harvester, suitable for rows of 45-50cm wide. Optional extras are steering stub axles and a remote control for trailer drivers to load themselves.

Grimme trailed sugar beet harvesters can now be fitted with an automatic steering system called the Root Runner. A feeler unit is attached to the front of the harvester which follows the row and feeds signals back to either an actuator at the steering wheel or an Isobus-operated electro hydraulic steering mechanism.