After New Holland introduced the rotary combine concept with its first TR model in the 1970s, that threshing system came to dominate the market in North America.
Though it may seem like the conventional straw walker combine has faded into obscurity, it hasn’t. Many brands offer at least one model of that style.
John Deere has been building the T670 conventional straw walker model for customers who want better quality straw for baling. That’s one area where the conventional combine generally outperforms the rotary.
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This spring, John Deere announced the T670 will soon be replaced by the T6 800, which begins production this fall.
“On June 1, we introduced the new T6 800 combine to North America,” says Bergen Nelson, John Deere’s go-to-market manager for combines.
”There’s definitely some opportunity and interest from customers that have a walker combine today and are after higher straw quality. There’s a lot of new features on the T6 800, replacing the T670.
“We brought a lot of features from the S7 and X9 combines over to the T6 800. Updating the cab, larger grain tank (now 383 bushels). The unloading auger speed has been updated to almost 4.3 bushels per second, the same unloading rate as S Series combines.”
The Class 7, T6 800 will use a 402 horsepower Gen 2, 9.0-litre Deere diesel power plant like the rotary S7 600 and S7 700 models.
It can be mated to a three-speed or Deere’s stepless ProDrive transmission. Up front, operators will notice an improvement in the cab.
“It’s the same cab that’s available on our S7 and X9 combines,” says Nelson. “That means it’s going to have additional cup holders, heat to the feet, G5 integrated command centre.
“It will have all the functionality all operators are accustomed to on the X9 combines, as well as integrated receiver, JD Link modem to stream their agronomic data to their John Deere Operations centre account.
“So, overall more comfort, more visibility, more LED lights than they are accustomed to if they own a current T670. It’s a substantial upgrade as far as operator comfort.”
Other technology available on the T6 800 is comparable to its sister lines. It’s machine sync compatible, which allows the combine and a tractor and grain cart to pair up during the unloading process. It also has available ground speed automation.
“That system allows the machine to speed up and slow down automatically, based on operator input as well as machine input like rotor pressure and engine load,” says Nelson. “That’s new this year for the T Series.
“Terrain setting automation is a technology that automatically changes the fan speed, sieve and chaffer based on the roll and pitch by the GPS of the machine. So, we’re seeing a pretty significant increase in clean grain capacity, keeping grain in the machine versus rolling out the back, depending on what size hill our customer would be operating on.
“Depending on how the machine is equipped, the customer can have the option of putting the HillMaster system on, which is a hydraulic system automatically levelling the combine up to 22 degrees. There is an update on this system, with a different valve that allows the system to operate smoother. The operators will have a smoother experience.”
The T6 800 can be mated to the brand’s 35-foot hinged flex draper header or a 40-foot rigid draper header with a flexible cutter bar.
With greater demand from farmers in Europe for conventional combines, it’s no surprise the T6 800s will be built in Deere’s Zweibrucken Germany combine plant, rather than its Harvester Works in East Moline, Illinois, where the rotaries are assembled.
Nelson says it will likely be available in August for orders for the 2025 season.
