TRACKS are not new on tractors but Claas has taken the radical step and made them available on its Lexion harvesters.
The release of the Claas Terra Trac system in Australia is a move to increase grip and reduce soil compaction, according to Landpower Australia Claas product manager Steve Reeves.
"The introduction of the Terra Trac system will provide grain harvesters with another option to further increase productivity and reduce soil compaction," Steve said.
"The tracks have been used extensively for some time in Europe, where there is a big focus on issues such as machinery traffic on the soil.
"As with tractors, the tracks provide a larger footprint to spread the weight of the machine over."
The Terra Trac system is an optional extra on Claas Lexion 580R and 600 models.
Steve said these larger capacity harvesters were well suited to the use of tracks.
"About 60 per cent of the Claas Lexion harvesters sold in the UK hit the paddocks with tracks instead of front tyres," Steve said.
"They help reduce soil compaction but also allow the harvester to run at high speed with a reduction in lateral movement.
"The bigger harvesters can weigh up to 30 tonnes fully loaded and with the tracks, you can easily harvest at 17km/h and the machine will be less prone to lateral movement than on tyres."
Terra Tracs are available in Australia is in widths of 890mm and 630mm. The 890mm provides the maximum reduction in soil compaction while the 630mm track is ideal for row cropping.
"The 630mm track is a great fit for tram-track farming and row cropping where there is a need to keep the tracks as narrow as possible," he said.
"Most of the larger harvesters are running dual tyres or single tyres that are 900mm wide, so the tracks are a great option."
Steve said they were also well suited to sandy country.
"We've seen the popularity of tracked tractors in areas such as Western Australia and the Mallee, where traction can be dramatically improved by using tracks," he said.
"The same principle applies with the Terra Tracs for harvesters."
