Last season a John Deere X9 combine harvester worked at CGFP Wojnowo on grain and corn harvesting. We check the results of the work with the biggest machine from the stable of the American manufacturer.

The John Deere X9 combine harvester has revolutionized the idea of efficient harvesting. Named “King of Efficiency”, it can reach productivity of 100t/h, and the results of the first season in Poland allowed us to draw excellent conclusions. It is important to note that the machine has proven itself not only in grain harvesting, but also in corn harvesting, as evidenced by the final reaping at the Voynovo ZPP.

Harvesting wheat – passed with an “A”.

One of the key farms in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship is CGFP Wojnowo with an arable area of about 5000 ha. The main crops are wheat, rape, corn and sunflowers. With such a large area it is reasonable to use the largest machines. A John Deere X9 harvester was used on the farm in question. As mechanic Damian Pavelkevich points out, harvest time was difficult, but we managed to get through it without any problems.

“During the harvest time, the X9 proved to be very good. With their progress, I was able to achieve high yields in both wheat and rapeseed harvesting. The work with the HD45X 13.7m header went smoothly. The header fed the grain very well into the combine. I got 7-7.5 km/h when I was harvesting wheat. The performance was tremendous.”

The novelty that was used at CGFP Wojnowo was the HD45X articulated cutterbar with active conveyor belts.

“As an operator, I’m very happy with this solution, because to go all season and not change a single cutterbar is really a success and a significant time-saver. The cutterbar adapts to the terrain, allowing you to increase speed despite the typical hills and slopes in our area. This is not possible with conventional equipment,”.

adds Damian

Autumn time – test on corn

Autumn is traditionally corn harvesting, for which this year in Voinovo we used X9 machine, equipped with sixteen-row Geringhoff attachment. It is interesting that according to the calculations, it was possible to get more than 100 tons/hour with an average performance of less than 10 tons/hour, which is the result of at least several factors, such as technologically advanced hitch and powerful 13,6 L engine of the machine. As the operator points out, the harvester performed well in difficult conditions, including rain.

The attachment works perfectly with the combine harvester. I think that this is the optimal working width of 16 rows (12 meters), which is ideal for the X9 1100. I think it’s more advantageous to work slower with a wider cutterbar than to work with narrower cutterbars at a faster pace. Then we don’t get the same productivity. As with grain harvesting, harvest automation systems like Combine Advisor play an important role. I’m glad that everything is set up automatically. It makes harvesting easier, but also gets the job done. I can concentrate on the corn header because controlling those sixteen rows is very difficult, especially at this speed. Fortunately, I don’t have to focus on watching for grain losses,” adds Damian Pavelkiewicz .

adds Damian Pavelkiewicz .

The pace of work during the harvest must be supported by well-planned logistics. In the case of harvesting in Voynovo, reloading trailers were also used on a permanent basis, so the time was not wasted.

I would also note that a machine working in severe conditions may require cleaning. Working with grain and corn are two very different stories. When harvesting corn, the cutterbar requires daily maintenance. We lubricate the rollers, review the snack. But in grain harvesting, we don’t have to deal with those activities. The X9 series combine is equipped with a very convenient radiator cleaning system. If debris accumulates on the radiator screen, the fan blades rotate and clean the radiator. Operators say this saves a lot of time they’d have to spend on manual work,”

says John Deere Product Specialist Pavel Kaminsky

The fact that the machine was operated by an experienced operator with more than nine years of experience was key to the evaluation. During his professional career Mr. Damian managed to work with machines of many brands, the last four years he spent on a John Deere S790i combine harvester. Voynovo also operates three John Deere 7-series tractors, two 6-series tractors and one M-series tractor.

Comfort is just as important as performance

When working on such large areas, fuel consumption is undoubtedly an important aspect. In the case of the CGFP Wojnowo, this ranges from 12-14.7 liters per hectare, depending on whether the straw is mowed or cut.

We are satisfied not only with the combine’s performance and fuel consumption, but also with the excellent quality of straw chopping and the uniform distribution of crop residues across the width of the cutterbar. This makes it easier to prepare the soil for the following sowing, reduces disease incidence and ensures uniform sprouting of the following crops.

As one of the first users of a John Deere X9 combine harvester in Poland points out, solutions that increase operator comfort are essential during the dozen or so hours of harvesting.

The 3.68 m3 cab interior has been perfectly soundproofed. The cab is equipped with 10 USB connectors, thanks to the infotainment system for Android and Apple CarPlay we can connect our Teflon like in the car and use your favorite apps on the car stereo display. Additional storage compartments, cup holders and a large cooler (25.5 liters) make fatigue less noticeable after hours of work. A hit among operators is the ActiveSeat II seat with ventilation and heating, a 16 degree turn and a massage function.

4.0 Series Combine
The John Deere X9 is equipped with the well-known CommandPRO joystick, designed with ergonomics and comfort in mind.

The 6 programmable buttons can be configured differently for different users so that a particular operator does not have to readjust the lever when logging in. In this way, each person feels as if they are in their own space. Intuitive operation is supported by large, ergonomically arranged touch displays. Navigation is facilitated by logically organized menus and a quick access panel. The settings manager allows you to save previous settings such as threshing clearance size, rotor speed. All settings can be loaded in just a few seconds,”

explains Pawel Kaminski .

Like all John Deere Jumping Deer machines, the John Deere X9 collects data and sends it in real time to a user account in the John Deere Operations Center. There they are stored and serve as the basis for important business analyses and allow key agronomic decisions to be made for subsequent treatments.