Grimme unveils six new machines at its first farm days event

Last week more than 2,700 farmers and growers from across Europe attended Grimme's first ever Farm Days event, with six machines taking centre stage at the Grimme farm in Cappeln Germany.

Over four days (21 – 24 June), Grimme put the spotlight on a new VARITRON 470 self-propelled harvester, the EVO 280 ALL CROP two-row bunker harvester, the SELECT 200 two-row elevator harvester, the PRIOS 440 4-row cup planter and two REXOR self-propelled beet harvesters. Grimme also used the event to announce that Grimme Group's 2021 turnover had increased by 9.43% to EUR 557.1 million (about USD 327.7 million).
 

The fine haulm elevator and the ring elevator can now be individually and conveniently reversed from inside the operator cab to both remove and prevent blockages. With the third-generation machine, the direction of the extracting rollers can easily be reversed, giving the operator complete control of the separation process.

The VARITRON 470 can be equipped with different intakes for harvesting potatoes, onions and carrots and when used in a two-phase harvesting system, it can pick up previously windrowed onions and potatoes.

The 2023 wheeled version of the VARITRON 470 can be equipped with a proven 64 cm bunker extension to reach both high-sided transport trailers and boxes in the second row of a trailer. At a row width of 75 cm, the transport trailer can drive in the spraying tracks and can be loaded across four rows without damage or loss.

The new VARITRON 470 is equipped with the 12.1 inch operator terminal CCI 1200 as standard. With an eye on precision farming, the VARITRON 470 can be equipped with an integrated mass mapping system that produces a yield map showing areas of high and low yield. Combining this data with a Farm Management Information System, a site-specific application map for fertiliser, pesticides, or seed can be produced.

The 2022 EVO 280 ALL CROP two-row bunker harvester retains the previous model's compact footprint allowing it to be transported on public roads as it is less than 3 m wide. However, Grimme has made a considerable increase in another area, increasing the capacity of the six-ton NonstopBunker to 7.5 tonnes.
 Beet harvesters were not neglected with Grimme launching the REXOR 6200 (30m3 bunker capacity) and the REXOR 6300 (45m3 bunker volume). Both models feature completely redesigned digging attachments, which now feature seven cleaning rollers to ensure a more powerful and intensive clean.
 Both the REXOR 6200 and 6300 offer Oppel wheel digging units with four beet feelers rather than two, which are also used as feeler skids. The redesigned unit can be guided precisely along the row and at the optimum height, improving the autopilot's steering behaviour when cornering.

With this new concept of height guidance, the view into the digging unit is vastly improved as there is no need for a feeler wheel shaft between the chopper and the Oppel wheel. The new generation of REXORs is available with a four-year guarantee for the first time, which is complemented by flexible rental models and competitively priced service packages.

Grimme also introduced the SELECT 200 - a new two-row elevator harvester featuring the unique Active Steering system, a road transport width of less than 3 m, and the patented VarioDrive, which combines the benefits of both mechanical and hydraulically driven main webs. The machine can be supplied with no less than four different separators allowing operators to adapt the harvester to suit the conditions.
 The final new machine on show was Grimme's first four-row cup planter – the PRIOS 440. With a transport width of fewer than 3 m, the PRIOS 440 can be combined with any common soil cultivator (rotary harrow, rotary tiller) thanks to its gooseneck drawbar coupled to an intermediate frame and a separate lifting mechanism.

The PRIOS 440 features a new depth guidance concept, with the depth control of the fertiliser outlet discs, furrow openers, covering discs and the ridge shaping unit all independent. 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 ensure optimum depth control and consistent emergence of the tubers.

With an eye on efficiencies and cost savings, the fertiliser box, barrel system and planting elements can be switched on/off individually via Section Control. This can significantly reduce nutrient inputs into the environment, especially when creating spraying tracks or planting on wedge-shaped fields. Unnecessary pulverisation of the fertiliser in the fertiliser box is prevented by the row-specific shut-off of the metering auger and the agitator shaft.

To build up ridges with a smooth surface, the plastic ridging bodies combine with closed ridge crown plates or, for a loose, crumbly surface, with cage rollers. For the first time, ridge shaping can be achieved by combining ridge crown plates and cage rollers. The unique "hybrid-ridge shaping unit" creates a ridge with stable, smooth flanks and an open-pored crown.

This combines the advantages of a shaping board with those of a cage roller. The hybrid-ridge shaping unit can be converted and adjusted in the field without using tools, allowing flexible adaptation of the ridge shaping process to soil conditions and customer requirements.

To increase the soil's water absorption and prevent soil erosion, the ridge shaping unit can be additionally equipped with the dyking system "TerraProtect". Patrick Graf Grote, Managing director of Grimme UK:
 

"It was fantastic to see so many people from across Europe attend the first ever Grimme Farm Days. It was a fantastic four days and all of the new machines created a staggering amount of interest."

"We are very much looking forward to receiving our demonstration models and showing UK growers these new models, which offer a fantastic combination of innovative features, performance, comfort and reliability."