CNH are happy to allow Case and New Holland to compete with one another, especially in combines, where Case dominates the market in North America and New Holland holds a similar sway in Europe.
Yet the two do share a common inventory to a certain extent, and the latest example of this is the new range of combine harvester heads CNH has recently introduced.
Case has just announced that all its Axial Flow combines can now be equipped with the new G500V VariCut variable knife grain headers, which feature the same improvements as the New Holland version.
Seven models from Case
There are seven G500V models, which span 6.1-12.5m (20-41ft) working widths, each with a knife that can be moved across a 575mm fore/aft range to ensure consistent crop flow in all crop types and conditions.
A further development is that the auger stripper setting can now be altered from the rear of the header, encouraging operators to regularly check for correct adjustment.
The new auger height adjustment assembly provides two pre-set positions. The higher one is primarily for rapeseed and the lower one is more suitable for cereal crops.
The wider models feature new hydraulically operated gauge wheels that can be switched between transport and field mode from the cab, removing the need to manually raise the wheels before loading the header onto the trailer.
Knife drive
These latest headers feature an inline knife drive, with fully-linear output shaft motion, which is claimed to provide smoother operation with minimal vibration.
The two largest versions of 10.5m/35ft and 12.5m/41ft, feature a synchronized dual knife drive, where the right-hand knife is driven via the intake auger, an upgrade which is said to further reduce vibration.
Case have also increased the knife speed from 660rpm to 735rpm, enabling higher forward speeds while still effectively cutting the crop.
A new easy-to-fit side knife with aluminium cast frame is 33% lighter than the outgoing design, and over-centre locking retains the side knife or divider assemblies, halving knife removal time, according to Case.
