A NUMBER of new root vegetable machines have been launched by Grimme – including the first four-row trailed potato planter with a transport width of under 3m.

Aiming for the 2023 season with the latest product line-up, Grimme said the new 'narrow' Prios 440 should help fight transport regulations on some roads and has a number of other key features.

With the help of a goose-neck drawbar, coupled to an intermediate frame and a separate lifting mechanism, the planter can also be combined with any common implement for active soil cultivation, such as a rotary harrow, or rotary tiller.

This separate lifting mechanism allows a quick change between different soil cultivation implements, with the depth guidance of the soil cultivation being able to be set independent of the potato planter, which means the planting depth of the tubers can be accurately maintained.

Focusing on the components of the machine, the depth control of the fertiliser outlet discs, furrow openers, covering discs and the ridge shaping unit are independent of each other.

Four feeler wheels at the front of the machine and two ultrasonic sensors in front of the ridge shaping unit, detect the working depth and thus ensure optimum depth control and consistent emergence of the tubers.

In order to save money and resources, the fertiliser box, the barrel system and the planting elements can be switched on/off separately from each other and for each row individually via section control in the cab.

This can significantly reduce nutrient inputs into the environment, especially when creating spraying tracks or planting on wedge-shaped fields, said Grimme. Unnecessary pulverisation of the fertiliser in the fertiliser box is prevented by a row-specific shut-off of the metering auger and the agitator shaft.

To help farmers build up the perfect ridge in the field with a smooth surface, the ridging bodies are made of plastic (PE) and can be combined with closed ridge crown plates or, for a loose, crumbly surface, with cage rollers.

Regulations on the transport widths of machines are tightening and normally a four-row planter with a row width of 75cm, would have a road transport width of 3.3m. The Prios 440, with a row width of 75cm, can be equipped with two telescopic axles.

This allows the working width of 3.3m to be reduced to a road transport width of less than 3m for the first time. Protruding machine parts, such as the soil guiding plates, the outermost ridging bodies and loosening tines, are retracted into the machine contour.

The Prios 440 is operated by Isobus as standard. The SmartView video system equipped with a 12-inch touchscreen monitor, zoom function, live slow motion, live image transmission via WLAN, Visual Protect PRO and the option of image recording, ensures a good overview of all machine functions.

Following the same width advantage is the new Select 200 two-row elevator harvester, which also boasts the unique ActiveSteering system.

With this, the automatic axle steering eases turning at the headland, reduces the turning circle and enables optimal guidance into the row.

All main webs can be equipped with the patented, infinitely adjustable and reversible VarioDrive, which combines the advantages of a mechanical and hydraulic drive.

In conjunction with Speedtronic-Web, the conveying speed of all main webs is automatically adjusted, relating to the load and driving speed. And, the unique variety of separators allows optimal adaptation to different harvesting conditions.

For example, the machine can be equipped with a MultiSep, a double MultiSep, roller separators (RollerSep) or the fine haulm elevator (HaulmSep), featuring various automatic functions. For maximum separation performance, even the combination of a double separator and blower (TurboSep) is possible for the first time.

To ensure maximum crop protection, the separators can now be set at a more downward angle so that the conveying capacity increases compared to the separating capacity.

Operation of the Select 200 is done via Isobus as standard. Either the Isobus operator terminal of the tractor, or the Isobus operator terminals type CCI 800 or CCI 1200 can be used for this purpose.

Upgrade for Evo 280 bunker harvester

The two-row bunker harvester, Evo 280, is equipped with three large separators and is suitable for various crops, such as potatoes, onions and carrots.

Up to now, the Evo 280 could optionally be equipped with a patented six-tonne NonstopBunker, which enabled gentle and loss-free bunker unloading during harvesting but for the 2022 harvest season, Grimme is offering a bigger NonstopBunker with a capacity of 7.5 tonnes as an option. This can further increase the performance of the harvester as well as that of the transport logistics.

Thanks to the generously dimensioned over-loading height and width, large distances can be bridged between the harvester and transporting trailers and even high transport vehicles can be loaded easily while harvesting.

Despite the larger bunker, the Evo 280 has a road transport width of less than 3m.

New design for Rexor beet harvester

New self-propelled beet harvesters in the Rexor series, the 6200 with 30m3 and the Rexor 6300 with 45m3 bunker volumes, have been redesigned for the 2022 season.

The new digging attachment has seven cleaning rollers as standard, which ensure a more powerful and intensive cleaning. Thanks to the external frame, the driver always has an unobstructed view of the roller table and the entire digging unit.

Both the Oppel wheel and digging unit with walking shares are equipped with a maintenance-free drive and a new maintenance-free constant scalper, which works much more agilely and quickly due to its lower weight.

All chopper versions are now guided by guiding skids in front of the chopper shaft, which ensures optimum defoliation at all times with reduced wear.

The new version of the Oppel wheel digging unit has four instead of two beet feelers, which are also used as feeler skids. The redesigned unit can, therefore, be guided even more precisely along the row and at the optimum height.

This helps the driver and improves the steering behaviour of the auto pilot when cornering. With this new concept of height guidance, there is no need for a feeler wheel shaft between the chopper and the Oppel wheel.

This significantly improves visibility into the digging unit, reduces the weight of the intake and minimises wear.

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