With its twin separator units, the Grimme SF 1700 GBS self-propelled potato harvester boasts massive digging outputs – up to 150t/hr in certain conditions, according to the German manufacturer. Andrew Faulkner rides on the first UK-destined production example, lifting Estima second earlies out of sandy soils in Suffolk
Eyes down on the digger web, up to the twin monitors, then pan across to the cart elevator before a final twist around to check on the picking table. As first-time driving experiences go, the SF 1700 GBS’s is as intimidating as they get.
Of course, the irony is that when the operator has grown accustomed to the self-propelled GBS’s seemingly considerable demands, the machine, in reality, provides an easier and less tiring drive than a more conventional trailed unit. He looks straight down on the lifting unit, all the controls are within comfortable reach, and he doesn’t have to crane his neck to view the cart elevator it extends out just behind the line of his right shoulder.
But this operator experience, though undeniably important, is just one factor in the SF argument. After all, there has to be more than driver benefit when investing around £170,000 in what, in essence, is still a two-row potato harvester. And there is. The self-propelled offers more power, increased manoeuvrability, greater outputs, and is better able to cope with extreme lifting conditions than a trailed harvester. All of these factors need taking into account when attempting to justify the clearly hefty price tag.
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