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New combine from Case IH helps farmers maximize productivity

Case IH has launched a new combine to help farmers improve productivity and maximize their time in the field.

Ryan Kau, North American Harvesting Marketing Manager says the AF11 combine was built on three principles. “Throughput and capacity, technology, and runtime uptime,” he says.

He tells Brownfield there is matched capacity throughout the machine. “There shouldn’t be any area where you’re limited,” he says.  “Whether it’s from the header into a larger feeder into a larger threshing and separating area. The larger cleaning system, larger grain tank, and faster unload speed. All of those things are tied to being more efficient and more productive in the field for our producers.”

Kau says customers played an integral role in the company’s purposeful redesign of the combine. “When you start to talk residue management,” he says.  “If we can be efficient with that and set ourselves up for success for whatever the next operation we’re doing.  That is making sure we can get the proper chop quality and spread to the width of some of the wider heads we’re seeing today.  It also sets us up for success in our next operation.”

The 775 hp machine is Case IH’s first-ever dual rotor and has an active and dynamic cleaning system.  The AF11 has a 567-bushel grain tank and a 6-bushel-per-second unload rate, both topping the charts for a Class 10+ combine.

He says labor shortages remain problematic for farmers of all sizes and this new combine addresses that challenge. “When we’re talking the AF11, specifically, the ability to do more with less machines,” he says.  “In some cases, maybe a producer can go from five combines down to four.  They can cut the need for an operator completely out of the scenario. Or when we’re talking Harvest Command, which we’ve had since 2019 on our 250 series machines and we’ve now moved that into our 160 series, and then we’ll have that in the AF11 as well, we can take a less skilled operator, put them in and have them operating at fairly peak efficiency in a short period of time.”

Kau says there will be limited production for the Case IH AF11 combine in 2024. 

AUDIO: Ryan Kau, North American Harvesting Marketing Manager, Case IH