Most wheat harvested in 8 hours-world record
set by Farmeco
LINCOLNSHIRE, England -- A tracked CLAAS LEXION
580+TT combine, equipped with a 10.5 metre cutterbar, harvested
in eight hours 532.14 tonnes (1,173,167 lbs) -setting the
world record for the Most
wheat harvested in 8 hours by a team. Photo: The LEXION 580TT passed the previous
record of 451 tonnes in 8 hours after just 6 ¾ hours, and
went on to harvest 532.14 tonnes in 8 hours. (enlarge
photo)
“When I saw the reports of the previous record,
I knew it could be beaten, as we have the crops in the UK
and the machinery to do it. There was never any doubt in my
mind,” comments Keith Challen of Farmeco. “This is the latest
we have harvested in 20 years, and after a very difficult
harvest, it is nice to finish on a high and make harvest 2008
memorable for the right reason!”
The record was achieved at Heckington, in
Lincolnshire in a 200ha (494.21 acres) block of Alchemy winter
wheat, in conditions that were extremely grey and overcast,
with the invaluable assistance of independent mechanisation
expert Bill Basford.
World Record fficials track grain moisture,
grain quality, loss ratio and stubble height throughout the
competition for compliance with their parameters. For example,
acceptable grain loss for this competition is less than 0.5%.
The Claas Lexion 580TT was equipped with a
10.5 metre (34 ft 5 in) cutterbar, it is powered by a 517
horsepower Mercedes engine, and achieved an average throughput
of 66.5157 tonnes (146,645 lbs) per hour over the eight-hour
period, and on average consumed just 1.35 litres (0.3 gallons)
of fuel per tonne harvested.
Over
the eight-hour period, a total of 47.7 hectares (117.87 acres)
were harvested from five fields, where yields averaged over
11 tonnes (24,250 lbs) per hectare, with peaks of over 12
tonnes (26,455 lbs).
The specific weight remained consistent at around
74.5 to 75 grs.( 2.61 to 2.65 oz) per hectolitre, with the
moisture content starting at 17.4 and dropping to 16.5% by
late afternoon.
The crop measured between 60.96 cm and 63.5 cm
(from 1 ft 2 in to 2 ft 1 in), with the heads brackled over
and harvested leaving a stubble height of 25 cm, with all
the straw being chopped.
Analysis
of the record duration from the combine’s Telematics report
shows that during the first two hours, the Lexion 580 combine
was actually running at over 70 tonnes (154,323 lbs) per hour
before easing back to around 64 tonnes (141,095 lbs) per hour
for three hours, and then going back to around 70 tonnes (154,323
lbs) per hour for the last few hours. (enlarge
photo)
This new record improves the previous
mark of 451.2 tonnes (994,725 lbs) set earlier this summer,
which was equalled at 6 hours and 43 minutes of the record
attempt, when an explosion of joy was heard all over the farm.
Here’s a video of the previous record harvested
by a massive New Holland CR9090: