The test pitted the Fendt IDEAL 9T against a combine harvester of the same performance class and the same cutting unit width, both harvesting in wheat on a field in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
"Following measurement method standards, we used the 'sheet procedure'. This means that all deposits from the combine harvester are placed on a sheet and then cleared again to identify and weigh the grain losses. We used the well-known shell method alongside that, as an additional control method," says Prof. Rademacher.
Both machines were calibrated before the test and each was set up by technicians from the combine manufacturer to undergo extensive tests under the same conditions. The output and losses were tested using two assessment methods in five test rows and at different speeds between 4 and 8 km/h.
"The assessment is based on the principle that everything that goes into a machine has to be weighed," says Prof. Rademacher. "Both combine harvesters unloaded the grain onto a weighing cart after each partial inspection. We use this and the pre-set driving speed to determine the grain output."
The samples taken were then examined and assessed by independent experts in the DLG lab. The losses are evaluated by looking at the straw and the chaff. The clean grain losses are weighed as well as the straw and chaff. On the basis of the yield, the grain losses can then also be calculated.
"For the first time in Fendt history, we have subjected a combine harvester to an independent DLG comparison test to show the public how well we fare among the best," said Christoph Gröblinghoff, Chairman of Fendt Management Board, commenting on the heavyweight test. "The Fendt IDEAL combine harvester meets all our expectations in these extensive test runs. But even more importantly, it also meets the expectations that customers place on a Fendt combine harvester with innovative technology and such high performance data."
