An increase in separation area for the mid-range models in Agco’s Ideal combine range builds on the cleaning performance upgrades introduced on all four variants for this year’s harvest.

It comes from simply replacing all blanking plates with finger grates in the housing for the two Helix threshing and separation rotors.

This configuration, which has always been standard on the range-topping Ideal 10 combine, exclusive to Fendt, gives the Fendt and Massey Ferguson iterations of the 549hp Ideal 8 a 27% boost in separation capacity, and 12% for the 660hp Ideal 9 from a total separation area of 4.54sq m.

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The twin Helix rotors and CyclonePlus cleaning system © Agco

The 483hp Ideal 7, with its single threshing and separation rotor, continues unchanged in this respect, but it does have the CyclonePlus cleaning system introduced across the board on model-year 2026 machines.

This features a redesigned pre-sieve with 1cu m of concave area, 8% wider main sieves and a revised airflow concept that results in a 39% increase in ventilated area and a rise in cleaning capacity of some 25% over the previous setup.

Ideal combines with the new cleaning system installed are said to have performed well this harvest, with users reporting better grain quality and lower losses across a wide range of settings.

An optional kit optimises crop distribution on the top sieve when harvesting on side slopes by keeping grain spread over it.

Fendt models also feature a high-wear package for the feed area and drum located immediately ahead of the rotors.

The wear plates are now fashioned from Hardox rather than stainless steel, as are the front plate and bolt guard, and there are optional upgrades for combines tackling a lot of maize to reduce metal fatigue in critical areas.

Model-year 2027 combines will get a radiator as standard to improve oil cooling for the two-speed MotionShift hydrostatic transmission, primarily to maintain optimum temperature during lengthy road journeys and when climbing steep gradients.