Potato harvesters in Holland

[Niels]

Potato harvesting over here is done a little different sometimes compared to the UK. I thought I'll show some pictures from the difficult season which Dutch potato growers are facing this year.

A Dewulf Kwatro four row potato harvester which our local dealership was demonstrating today. Dewulf are more known for their two row self propelled bunker harvesters, especially in the UK, but they decided to properly enter the four row SP market this year with the Kwatro. It has proved to be a very succesful machine.

With Dewulfs great rival in the background, a Grimme Tectron 415. Both machines are very much alike. Claas tracks and cab, four rows, bunker.

The Grimme did half a round on the field but clogged up with soil. Good advertisement for the Dewulf boys as their Kwatro kept on going, albeit at a steady phase.

The Dewulf again. It has a ten tonne bunker which can be unloaded on the move. It is powered by a 450 HP Scania engine. During such difficult conditions it needs every horsepower.

Everything is build very compact these days. A nightmare for the guy who has the job of cleaning it. Dewulf claim theirs is the easiest to clean over any harvester.

One large 1050 tyre is used at the rear to press the soil down evenly. It was doing well on the slippery wet clay.

The machine's lifting unit is supported by 5 steel wheels and doesn't use diablo roll's anymore. The disc's are hydraulically driven. Wonderful in these conditions.

This is the farmers own harvesting set-up which proved useless in wet conditions. Most large potato growers over here (200 acres or more) use four row trailed machines these days.

To show that conditions certainly weren't ideal. This NH T6090 got stuck on its first load. Luckily a MF 8250 Xtra comes to the rescue.

Wide tyres underneath this trailer would do it much good.

Plenty of attention for the Belgian machine. Three of these Kwatro's have been sold in my area this year, which is impressive since it only excisted on paper last year. For next season three more have already been ordered, with more to come I am sure.

This Grimme Tectron 415 was working just half a mile away. Making short work of four acres of  'Bintje' potatoes.

In recent years Grimme have sold an unbelievable amount of these harvesters in the South-West of Holland. One of the prime potato growing areas in our country. With plenty of fresh water, and nice clay soil, yields are decent.

The farmer will be glad when his harvest is done. The contractor still had a few customers waiting.

Grimme use two smaller wheels at the rear rather than one.

Unloading the potatoes at the farm. A New Holland TM 155 with a 20 tonne Beco trailer.

There is still a place for classics! a Case IH 1455xl on a Miedema 15 tonne trailer.

These potatoes will be sold from the farm yard and in local shops so they are stored in 1 tonne boxes.

From the field straight into storage.

[jordantaylor]

could with one or even two of those big grimmes where i work as we run 6 two row harvester, cut down the tractors needed if we did

[Light Land]

Thanks for posting.look at that 1455XL what a tough looking tractor.

[robl12]

Up here in the north east of scotland there are several large root crop growers and most of them use self propelled  harvesters. Good to see how others have been dealing with wet conditions.

[Niels]

could with one or even two of those big grimmes where i work as we run 6 two row harvester, cut down the tractors needed if we did

True, but keep in mind that we are on 75cm rows (30") and not 36" like the majority of the UK growers I think? Grimme do produce the Tectron to lift two 72" beds but that makes it an awkwerd big bugger on the road to move about being 3,6m wide. Now its 3,15m I believe for a 4x 75cm machine.

[archbarch]

great pictures thanks for posting, we have some very large growers in the Fens but not many still on 30 inch rows. There seems to be a shift to 80 inch beds especially for carrotts/snips.

[IH885XLMAN]

True, but keep in mind we are on 75cm rows (30") and not 36" like the majority of the UK growers are I think? Grimme to produce the Tectron to lift two 72" beds but that makes it an awkwerd big bugger on the road to move about, being 3,6m wide. Now its 3,15m I believe.

theres a simple way to cutting the tractor usage down ....... replace the wide big red machine

with a ford transit minibus  with paper bags and get the pickers on the field just like the old days  ;D will save on making a mess of the field no big machines getting stuck ha ha!

[Jez]

The Dewulf looks like it would drop the potatoes a long way into the trailer??

The Grimme looks like you would be able to lower the elevator into the bottom of thetrailer and reduce the drop height.

Great interesting photos though thanks.

[Gav836]

True, but keep in mind we are on 75cm rows (30") and not 36" like the majority of the UK growers are I think? Grimme to produce the Tectron to lift two 72" beds but that makes it an awkwerd big bugger on the road to move about, being 3,6m wide. Now its 3,15m I believe.

Most people around this way are indeed on 36" rows, our neighbour does actually run a Tectron and it certainly is a bit of a beast to get about across the large area they farm, they also run a 2 row machine as well as a back up and for smaller fields. In the three seasons that I've been working here I've yet to be able to get up close to it when its working as its always gone away by the time I'm free to go look at it.

[Niels]

Jez: The Grimme and Dewulf are both about equal when it comes to unloading I think. The potatoes will always be dropped about two to three feet depending on trailer size. The solution is fitting 'fall breakers' in the trailers.

Gav: Aha, seems interesting. So there are some in the UK at least. I think that, with these big machines, it also isn't possible to grade them with people standing on the harvester. You don't as well with the Pearson? Do you think that it is better grading them on the harvester or in store? Do some stones pass over the harvester and damage tubers before they are stored bulk or in boxes?

[Gav836]

Definately grading into store in my opinion as it speeds the operation up in my experience, there's also not the worry of 2/4 people standing on the back of a travelling machine to worry about. Stone damage is usually down to a minimum anyway due to the destoning being carried out pre planting, not usually anything big left in the rows after that.

[Niels]

I fully agree with you, I think  , but I saw so many harvesters still with people standing on the back that it made me wonder if I was wrong. Thanks.

[catkom3]

Around where I live,all the Grimme machines are fitted with canvas chute's,to reduce the distance the spud's fall into the trailers,

this Tectron must have been in on demo,it wasn't going to well,the Grimme sevice van was in the feild,and it wasn't moveing 

Regards

Joe.