As the UK grain harvest gets under way, Case IH has revealed a refreshed cutting table with variable knife position and features said to improve combine performance and make the operator’s life a little easier.

Available in seven working widths from 6.1m to 12.5m, the G500V VariCut has 575mm of fore and aft movement to suit different crops and harvesting conditions with the aim of smooth crop feed-on while minimising any shedding losses.

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An inline knife drive with linear output shaft motion is designed to minimise vibration, while the previous belt drive has been replaced by gearboxes and a telescopic drive shaft to reduce driveline maintenance.

The 10.5m and 12.5m sizes have 100% synchronised dual knife drives, with the right-hand section driven via the intake auger – an upgrade also reckoned to reduce vibration.

An increase in knife speed from 660-735rpm should also mean operators can press on a bit faster.

Easier access to the auger stripper – from the rear of the header – should encourage operators to check and adjust as necessary for even, consistent crop flow.

And the two auger height positions, high for oilseed rape, low for small grains, involves loosening just four bolts and rotating an over-centre cam for a much quicker changeover.

A lighter click-on side-knife, hydraulically positioned gauge wheels on the wider sizes, single-shaft header drive and grouping all combine:header couplings on the left side should also make field moves quicker and easier.