Already convinced.
William and Harry Barton, Nottinghamshire, England
"We'd had a few wet harvests and seen the damage that could be done by the combine harvester with the large cutterbar. We were certain that crawler tracks were the answer – and we were absolutely right. It rained a lot this season and our TERRA TRAC machine was the only combine harvester in the area that could operate in the fields. The crawler tracks have proved their worth in just one year. We're completely sold on this solution. Our aim is to keep the soil in the best possible condition. That's why we've now chosen to go for controlled traffic. But the advantages of the crawler tracks don't end there: the combine harvester doesn't have to slow down to turn at the headland because the directional stability is significantly higher with crawler tracks."
- About the farm
William and Harry Barton, Nottinghamshire, England Farmed area: 1,415 ha Arable: winter wheat 425 ha, winter barley 283 ha, rapeseed 283 ha, field beans / spring field beans 212 ha, spring barley 105 ha, spring wheat 107 ha Soils: medium to heavy clay loams Staff: William and Harry Barton, three full-time employees, two casual workers at harvest Combine harvester currently used: LEXION 780 TERRA TRAC
Alexander Klümper, Bias, Germany
"Soil protection has always been a very important issue for us on our farm. So it was just logical to choose the combine harvester with TERRA TRAC. Especially now that controlled traffic and direct drilling mean that it's practically essential. A machine of this size with tyres would simply have exerted too much pressure or would have been much too wide, which wouldn't have been manageable in view of the long distances between our farm and the fields. The crawler tracks also make for outstanding cutterbar guidance, in fact it's a must when you're dealing with 12 metres. Whatever the speed, the combine harvester runs completely smoothly, even peas can be threshed really fast."
- About the farm
Alexander Klümper, Bias, Germany Farmed area: 760 ha Arable: barley, maize, peas averaging 95 ha each per year, rapeseed 190 ha, wheat 275 ha Soils: sandy to sandy loams Staff: Alexander Klümper, two full-time employees, three casual workers at harvest Combine harvester currently used: LEXION 770 TERRA TRAC
David and Finlay Hay, Perthshire, Scotland
"With the TERRA TRAC crawler units, we leave a much lighter footprint behind us and can work easily on slopes where we used to have difficulties with traction. Another big advantage is the compact transport width on the road. That's an important factor for us as we cover 25 farms across a 29 km area."
- About the farm
David and Finlay Hay, Perthshire, Scotland Farmed area: 2,630 ha Arable: winter wheat 880 ha, rapeseed 280 ha, winter barley 170 ha, spring oats 330 ha, spring barley 100 ha, turnips 45 ha, potatoes 280 ha, peas 320 ha, remaining area grassland and ecological priority area Soils: heavy loams, light sandy soils Staff: David and Finlay Hay, two permanent employees, five casual workers Combine harvester currently used: LEXION 780 TERRA TRAC
Robert and Ed Salmon, Norfolk, England
"Maintaining a good soil structure is our key focus here and the expense of having tracks was easily justified by our ability to travel in less than ideal conditions without doing damage. Having 900 mm wide tyres just wouldn’t work with our narrow lanes.
The other unexpected improvement that came with the tracks was how they helped in increasing work rates. Because they provide such a stable platform for the front attachment, you can run faster in the field. And when you cross a tram line, you don't even notice that it's there."
- About the farm
Robert and Ed Salmon, Norfolk, England Farmed area: 1,964 ha Arable: winter wheat 649 ha, winter barley 209 ha, spring barley 99 ha, spring beans 270 ha, grass seed 46 ha, linseed 153 ha, rapeseed 361 ha, silage maize 42 ha, forage rye 9 ha, malting rye 39 ha, sugar beet 30 ha, potatoes and onions 58 ha Soils: predominantly clay loams, some lighter sandy soils Staff: Robert and Ed Salmon, four employees, other casual workers at harvest Combine harvester currently used: LEXION 780 TERRA TRAC
