John Deere’s ballasting system wins Agritechnica silver medal

John Deere has won a silver medal at Agritechnica for its EZ Ballast Wheel system – a ballasting solution for tractors that doesn’t hog the front or rear lift capacities.

The weight distribution system is designed for higher traction and lower soil compaction.

Letting operators change the front and rear wheel weights, taking just five minutes per wheel, without the need for additional tools or a second person, claims the company.

See also: New John Deere S700 combines

Depending on where the weight is needed to compensate for the front and rear-mounted implement combination, the user is able to adjust the weight distribution very easily from the tractor’s CommandCenter display.

Each front wheel can have a 250kg weight, while the rear wheels can be fitted with two 250kg weights, giving a total ballast of up to 1,500kg, claims the company.

JD claims that when in road transport the wheel ballast system avoids unnecessary weight on the tractor. This helps to bring fuel costs down by 3%.

Trimming stalks

The US firm has also launched Kemper’s new StalkBuster that attaches to the rear of a John Deere maize header to trim freshly cut stalks down to ground level.

The wear-resistant flails crush the remaining stalks into tiny pieces before the forager wheels pass over them. This is designed to reduce the overwintering habitat of the corn borer pest and limit the risk of fusarium staying in the soil.

The new kit only requires around 4hp per row and running from a swinging gearbox which closely follows the field contour to chop every stalk to ground level. The saving when using the StalkBuster is around £75/ha when compared with mulching.

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