Combine Harvesters, Farm Machinery

Gleaner introduces “lightest, most durable” Class 8 combine

AGCO combine brand Gleaner says the latest addition to its S8 Super series combine harvester line-up, the S88, is the industry’s first Class 8 transverse rotary combine.

Some key features of the brand new machine, according to Gleaner, include a lighter weight, simpler design, reduced fuel consumption and a brand new transmission.

AGCO combine product manager Shane Jardine says Gleaner has designed the S88 combine platform in a way that all functional areas of the machine deliver optimum performance and efficiency.   

“We’ve created a light weight, nimble combine designed so that the horsepower is used to efficiently cut and thresh the crop, not to move a heavy machine or overly complex system through the field,” he says.

Powered by a fuel efficient 9.8-litre AGCO Power engine offering 430hp, the S88 features a one-piece welded mainframe with a low centre of gravity and true centreline design.

Gleaner says this provides the “lightest and most balanced weight distribution combine in the world”, and claims the S88 is as much as 5,580kg lighter than other Class 8 combines.

“[The S88] is saving 26 horsepower just in moving the weight difference through the field, while others will require more horsepower and tracks to get through similar conditions,” Jardine says.

Gleaner says it has put a lot of effort into the design of the machine to make it as simple and efficient as possible, and this required a series of redesigning so most of the machine’s power is focused on threshing and separating the grain.

To achieve that, Gleaner has equipped the S88, as well as the entire S8 range with simpler, straight-through shafts instead of “power-robbing” 90-degree gearboxes or CVT drives found in other combine models.

The transverse-mounted rotor and processor are 30-by-90 inches, providing 48 per cent more throughput area than previous models and 360 degrees of threshing and separating area.

The S8 Super series also features a unique four-section, 7-bar concave and wider-spaced helical bars to deliver increased capacity and gentler threshing. In addition, Gleaner adds the processor has been designed to harvest multiple crop types in varying conditions.  

To optimise capacity and throughput, the front conveyor chain has been configured to release crop to the rear conveyor faster, where 50 per cent increased torque on the rear chain’s drive system helps pull the crop into the processor for quicker feeding.

The clean-grain elevator has 30 per cent more capacity and moves grain way from the shoe more quickly.

Gleaner has also redesigned the clean-grain auger to feature a larger and deeper trough; below centreline cross auger as well as heavier paddles so it is more efficient yet gentle on the grain.

A SmartCooling system with reversing variable-pitch fan eliminates the need to clean radiators, coolers and rotary screens; and also keeps the engine compartment clean and engine cool so it uses up to 66 per cent less horsepower.

Some other new features of the S88 include:

  • A Dura-Guard two speed rotor gearbox, built specifically for the S88. The heavy-duty gearbox features a larger sheave, bearings and belt and has a wider overlap on rotor speeds and lets operators run on the high side of the low range in many crop conditions for maximum efficiency.
  • Increased fuel tank capacity to 879-litres, allowing more work to be done in a day.
  • New perforated cascade pan. The new pan is slanted at a six degree angle with an additional 992 square inches converted to pneumatic cleaning area. This provides additional cleaning capacity and allows high moisture crops to fall through sooner and reach the sieve and clean grain cross auger faster.
  • Gleaner’s XIR transmission with two-speed hydro for greater climbing ability on hills and convenient on-the-go shifting. The two-speed on-the-go shift will be done from a button on the right-hand console for improved hill-climbing performance and better acceleration on the road.

Also available in the S8 series is the S78 model featuring the same 7-cylinder engine delivering 375 rated horsepower and a maximum boost power of 451hp.

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