A Fendt Ideal 7T combine, which recently completed its second harvest on an Essex farm continues to impress its owners due to its simple, reliable operation and ability to maintain high productivity in a wide range of crops and conditions.
The Fendt Ideal is owned and operated by Notley Farming, a farming partnership between two neighbouring family farms near Braintree. The Fendt replaced a competitor brand rotary combine when the cost of repairs and maintenance became too much to justify.
Stock shortage led to change
“We got on well with our previous combine brand and the supplying dealer, but it became uneconomical to keep it running,” explained Farm Manager, Stephen Byford. “We would have replaced it with a new machine of the same brand, but the dealer had no stock so we looked at a Fendt Ideal 7T from Crawfords instead. We already operated three Fendt tractors so were familiar with the quality and reliability as well as the dealer back-up, so without considering anything else we placed our order.”
Quickly impressed
The Ideal 7T, the smallest, single rotor model in Fendt’s rotary line-up, was delivered in July last year for the start of harvest. The crop rotation includes wheat, spring barley, oilseed rape, beans and linseed. “I was immediately impressed,” said Stephen. “The Ideal has an exceptionally long and efficient rotor, and I think that is one of the main reasons it performs so well.
“Everything is set up from the in-cab terminal. To start, I just select default settings for the crop type, and then tweak these as conditions change through the day. It’s easy to achieve the right degree of threshing and cleaning to suit almost any situation, and losses are usually negligible. Our spring barley is for malting and the Ideal removes the awns and achieves a clean sample without skinning the grains. It’s an easy and rewarding combine to drive.”
Tricky linseed crop
This year linseed was included in the rotation, and even when the seeds were ripe much of the straw remained green. “Our previous combine would have struggled to handle the crop at all, but the Fendt’s long rotor separated the grains from the large volume of green, wiry straw without a problem. We frequently checked behind the combine for losses, but it was hard to find anything in or under the swath,” Stephen continued.
Impressive productivity
Average work rates achieved in a good crop of wheat are approximately 40t/hr. “That’s plenty for us, as we can’t handle more than 200t/day into our grain stores but having that sort of productivity available is reassuring when wet weather is forecast,” Stephen added. “I use the HarvestPlus function most of the time in wheat and barley. It monitors the working load and adjusts the travel speed to keep the threshing system full while avoiding losses. It makes the most of the capacity while leaving me free to concentrate on other aspects of operation, and it reduces fatigue.”
Residue handling
The straw chopper distributes residues across the full 30ft cut width, and spread bias control allows simple adjustment of the spread pattern from the cab, to compensate for strong winds from the sides. Some straw is baled by a local farmer and contractor for livestock bedding, and he told Stephen last year that the swathed straw quality is far better for baling than from the previous combine.
SuperFlow header
The Ideal is equipped with a SuperFlow header which uses a rubber belt to transfer cut crop from the knife to the main cross auger. Stephen said that by maintaining a constant, even flow of material to the intake elevator and threshing system, it helps maintain maximum productivity. “It’s excellent,” he stressed. “As soon as the crop is cut by the knife it is pulled back into the header avoiding losses and preventing accumulations that risk overloading the processing systems. Also, because the knife is further forward, it is easy to keep an eye on it in tricky conditions without having to lean over the steering wheel. Another advantage of the header design is that it can be tilted forwards. Where crops can be close to the ground, particularly beans, laid oilseed rape and barley, the knife and fingers can be angled forward beneath the crop to ensure nothing is missed, while avoiding the need for lifters.”
Excellent working environment
Stephen describes the cab as ‘superb’. He said it is extremely quiet and comfortable, and there is a great view all around due to the large glass area and narrow corner pillars. The main control terminal is like those on the farm’s Fendt tractors. “Being used to Fendt tractors meant everything was quickly familiar. I particularly like the duplication between the touch-terminal and mechanical controls on the armrest. Starting a new crop; then I tend to select default factory settings on the main Varioterminal, then adjust for the conditions as they alter through the day. The terminal menus are logical and make it easy to access the system adjustments needed, but often it’s quicker and easier to use mechanical buttons or switches instead.”
Tracks
The Ideal 7T is the farm’s first combine with rubber tracks. Compared to the previous wheeled combine, the Ideal is narrower despite its increased capacity, making it easier to move on the road while ride quality is also better in the fields. “I’ve been surprised by the difference tracks make, and I wouldn’t go back to a wheeled combine now,” he confirmed.
The Ideal is easy to look after, and Stephen commented that it is surprising how little time is required for daily cleaning and checks. “The reversing fan keeps the cooling system and engine bay almost completely free of dust and chaff, and lubrication is simple with few grease points to worry about. Like the Fendt tractors, it’s very fuel efficient so a tank lasts at least a day-and-a-half harvesting heavy wheat, while AdBlue consumption is minimal.”
Asked if there is anything about the Fendt Ideal that he would like to see improved, Stephen suggested the standard seat material should be leather rather than fabric, as that would make it easier to keep clean.
Loyal to Fendt and dealer
“We haven’t bought anything other than Fendt tractors since 1995,” confirmed Stephen. “The back-up was excellent from the local dealer at that time, and the great service continued when Crawfords took over the Fendt franchise for this area in 2010.
“This meant that when we were forced to change from our previous combine brand last year, the Fendt Ideal 7T from Crawfords was the obvious choice. Having recently completed our second harvest, during which I was more familiar with its operation and it again performed extremely well, I remain very pleased that we chose it.”
To learn more about the Fendt Ideal 7T Combine and how it can transform your harvesting operations, contact Crawfords today. Our expert team is ready to provide detailed information, arrange a demo, and answer any questions you may have. Call us now or visit your nearest Crawfords dealership to see how Fendt’s cutting-edge technology can benefit your farm!