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HARVESTER REVIEWS<br />
1<br />
3<br />
2<br />
4<br />
1. The 7550i boasts a big grunt box<br />
2. The large radiator cleaner keeps the<br />
13.5-litre, in-line six-cylinder engine cool<br />
3. A large, curved front and rear windows<br />
offer excellent visibility<br />
4. Counterweights are concealed under the<br />
machine to provide ballast<br />
Pluses<br />
Clear view of the pick-up frominside the cab,<br />
without leaning forward<br />
Metal detector tells you what side has identified<br />
the foreign object<br />
IVLOC on the move<br />
Machine never felt like it was running out of<br />
power<br />
Crop flowed smoothly through the machine and<br />
never felt like it was surging<br />
Intelligent crop assessment technology, which is<br />
a great tool for invoicing customers<br />
Programmable header functions make operating<br />
the front easy<br />
Quiet comfortable cab<br />
Minuses<br />
The 800/65 R32 tyres are too big. Getting<br />
around the farm was an issue<br />
The pick-up wheels need to be manually<br />
removed to get through some gateways,<br />
although the new pick-ups have a hydraulic<br />
folding feature<br />
• Road mode – active between 1,250 and 2,100rpm, the system<br />
reduces engine rpm to a minimum and provides up to 27 per<br />
cent more torque to maintain forward speeds.<br />
• Field mode one – this is a headland fuel-saving mode<br />
automatically reducing engine speed once the machine is<br />
clear of the crop. As soon as the forager enters a new swath,<br />
the engine speed is automatically increased to the rpm set by<br />
the operator.<br />
• Field mode two – during work this setting automatically<br />
maintains a constant load on the forager engine so it operates<br />
at its most fuel-efficient speed of 1,900rpm. If the crop<br />
thickens, the forward speed is pegged back but the engine<br />
rpm remains the same.<br />
SAFETY FEATURES<br />
The slotted knives push back if they hit a rock, minimising the<br />
damage and helping prevent costly downtime.<br />
The unique feed roll and cutter head transmission (IVLOC)<br />
lets you choose the exact length of cut you want from the<br />
cab. It maintains a constant speed to ensure you get the length<br />
you set.<br />
The reverse sharpening system strikes the heel of the knife<br />
first, drawing the stone across the face toward the edge. This<br />
hones the edge into a fine cutting point – maintaining the bevel<br />
on the knives gives you more efficient chopping for the entire<br />
life of the knife and ensures the knives stay sharper for longer.<br />
An improved metal detector will stop the feed roller in just 40<br />
milliseconds and, where a blockage occurs, the pick-up can be<br />
reversed on the joystick.<br />
A very clever feature is the light display in the cab showing<br />
in what area of the pick-up the detector has spotted a foreign<br />
object, making it quick and easy to find.<br />
OPTIONAL I-PACKAGE<br />
The 7550i test machine was fitted with Auto LOC, which links<br />
HarvestLab dry matter sensing with the IVLOC automatic length<br />
of cut transmission.<br />
HarvestLab measures crop moisture using a near-infrared<br />
sensor. It can be used to help optimise the crop’s chop<br />
length in relation to its dry matter content – moisture content<br />
measurement of + or -2 points on the go for instant readouts.<br />
This is particularly useful for operators who are chopping maize<br />
for sale to various clients, as the HarvestLab and Harvest Doc<br />
will tell you when you have reached 100T/DM for example, filling<br />
their order.<br />
Harvest Doc is the yield metering and crop recording system,<br />
permanently stored in the machine’s computer. This is a great<br />
tool for invoicing clients to let them know 10ha of their maize<br />
has been chopped, yielding 22TDM/ha, with attached map to<br />
prove it.<br />
The infinitely variable length-of-cut (IVLOC) feature gives<br />
you lengths of either 4–19mm with 56 knives, 5–22mm with<br />
48 knives and 6–26mm with 40 knives, all with adjustment<br />
increments of one millimetre.<br />
The knives can be sharpened by pushing a button in the cab,<br />
with this function able to be interrupted if required, although<br />
those who already run foragers will understand the fuel savings<br />
and increased output from running sharp knives.<br />
Looking for a<br />
harvester?<br />
Search for ‘harvester’ on<br />
Trade<strong>Farm</strong><strong>Machinery</strong>.com.au<br />
or type the TA or DIY code<br />
shown here into the<br />
keyword search field<br />
$247,500<br />
TA879334<br />
2012 JOHN DEERE 7450. Forage Harvester with<br />
460 Kemper Front. • QLD 07 3171 1832<br />
$43,516<br />
TA850370<br />
2019 OMARV SAVIGLIANO 180DT. Trailing<br />
Forage Harvester. PTO shaft. • VIC 02 6171 3175<br />
$POA<br />
TA534035<br />
NEW HOLLAND 2A. Silage Wagon rear and side<br />
empty. • NSW 02 6171 3997<br />
58 Trade<strong>Farm</strong><strong>Machinery</strong>.com.au THE TRACTOR YOU WANT IS NOW EASIER TO FIND
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