Practical test: Case IH AF 9120 combine harvester Case IH’s Axial-Flow machines have a reputation for treating their crops – if not the straw – pretty gently. The latest topend 9120 version aims to boost this even further. Last summer we took one on extended test, and here are the results
It’s no secret that the yellow and red combines from the CNH group share key components – chassis, cabs, grain tanks, transmission, sieve pan and headers.
This commonality means a wider user base and access to shared technology, of which headers are a good example. The 483hp 9120 Axial-Flow harvester featured here carries one of the group’s two variable-knife units, both of which allow the driver to move the cutterbar from the cab to suit long-strawed or very dense crops. Although the 2050 header used in our tes cut at 9.15m (30ft), units of this width are now only offered in the new Varicut 3050 range, which spans from 7.6m (25ft) up to 10.7m (35ft). We looked at the Varicut in profi 04/09.
So what of the 2050? We liked it. Part of the attraction comes from its good flotation and wide skids; the rest is down to the way the auger-to-knife distance can be changed on the move from 510mm to 1,010mm. This tailor-ability allowed excellent material feed in a range of crops and conditions. And even conversion to cutting rape is quick, as no table plates have to be fitted: all the operator has to do is bolt on the extra knives and connect up their hydraulic drive. Having said that, knife storage on the header trailer, which is always supplied locally rather than by Case IH, could and should be more userfriendly.
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