US machinery giant John Deere has introduced its new 9000 Series Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters.
The 9000 Series provide up to 400 tons of throughput per hour, along with silage processing that's independent of the length of cut.
"Ultimately, high-quality feed helps livestock producers improve their feeding efficiency, animal health and productivity, while reducing their feeding costs," said Tim Meister, division manager for marketing at John Deere.
"The 9000 Series Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters produce superior silage quality that lay the foundation for a healthy and productive herd, which produces high milk or beef yields at low input costs."
The four models, all with final Tier 4-compliant engines include: 9600 616 hp (460 kw) (625 ps) John Deere 6 cyl. 13.5L PowerTech Engine; 9700 759 hp (566 kw) (770 ps) Liebherr V12 24L Engine; 9800 858 hp (640 kw) (870 ps) Liebherr V12 24L Engine and the 9900 957 hp (713 kw) (970 ps) Liebherr V12 24L Engine.
Mr Meister said the improved performance and capabilities of the 9000 Series enable producers and custom harvesters to obtain the highest possible return on investment under narrow harvesting windows where high-capacity and high-quality feed are the goal.
"Custom harvesters can raise the profitability of their SPFH investment by covering more ground in the same harvesting window while increasing their margins through lower operating costs," Mr Meister explained.
"The increased reliability and strengthened components found on the 9000 Series maximize uptime and ensure you're in the field on time and ready to go."
Compared to its predecessor, the 9000 Series is 10 percent more productive per horsepower and offers a 10 percent improvement in kernel processing.
Up front, a new 772 12-Row, Big Drum Corn Header consumes up to 7 tons of forage per minute.
Fuel consumption has also been improved by 10 percent per ton when compared to the 8000 Series, and wear parts on the new machines are built to last three times longer.
"From a technology standpoint, the 9000 Series is the most advanced SPFH John Deere has ever produced," Mr Meister stated.
