The Fendt Ideal Combine
Available in Class 7, 8 and 9 models, the Fendt® IDEAL™ combine sets a new standard for efficiency, grain-handling care and speed, and all-around performance.
By Tharran E. Gaines | Photos By Jamie Cole
The pressure is on. Producers are having to squeeze more from every acre—not just increased tonnage, but also higher-quality, less-damaged grain.
AGCO® developed the Fendt IDEAL combine to help do just that and more. Beginning seven years ago, AGCO began work on the IDEAL, and after conducting interviews with combine operators from around the world, as well as an unprecedented regimen of lab and field tests, the result is not just a new machine, but a new harvesting strategy.
IDEALharvest™
Chief among the IDEAL’s many innovative features is the IDEALharvest system—an entirely new approach to setting and monitoring combine operations. How does it work? First, the operator, using a touchscreen tablet and its easy-to-use triangular interface, sets preferences for minimizing grain damage and loss, and material other than grain (MOG) in the bin.
Then, using specialized sensors, including mass acoustic detection sensors (MADS) that measure the differences in acoustic qualities of materials passing through the combine, the IDEALharvest system takes over. These sensors determine what is grain and what is not, and they direct the IDEALharvest system to change chaffer and sieve settings, as well as ground, rotor and fan speeds—all to maintain the operator’s harvest preferences.
“The Fendt IDEAL combine makes on-the-go adjustments automatically to compensate for such factors as crop density and field slope … anticipating and correcting problems before they occur,” says Caleb Schleder, AGCO tactical marketing manager for combines. “The system helps maximize grain quality while allowing the operator to spend more time in the cab, as opposed to constantly sampling the grain in the bin and chaff behind the combine.”
The Innovative Dual Helix
According to Schleder, the IDEAL combine incorporates a number of other features that help producers deliver cleaner, high-quality grain. Among them is a new dual helix rotor that measures 24 inches in diameter and nearly 16 feet long.
Almost 2 feet longer than the competition, the rotor allows crop material to generate huge centrifugal force at a much lower speed. Class 8 and 9 models use a dual helix rotor configuration, providing 2,573 square inches (17.87 square feet) of threshing area, while the Class 7 is equipped with a single rotor.
Efficiency Throughout
“The IDEAL also excels in grain-handling capacity,” Schleder adds. “The IDEAL 9 has a grain tank capacity of 485 bushels and an unloading rate of 6 bushels per second—the fastest in the industry. However, that same [IDEAL Streamer™ 6.0 auger] system is also available as an option on the 7 and 8 models.” In addition, the Fendt IDEAL sports a radically simple and efficient drive center that uses only one gearbox and 13 belts. Such a straightforward design, coupled with the IDEAL’s industry-leading engines, puts power where it’s needed most, further providing a new standard in performance and fuel efficiency.
