The Austoft 8010 and 8810 models is a major update to Case IH’s product offering in Africa and Middle East markets. With 28 new features and improvements that came out of more than 18,000 hours of field-testing, Case IH now offers a full range of harvesting equipment for all types of sugarcane cultivation in the MEA region.
Marcin Ruppert, Case IH Marketing Manager Middle East and Africa, said: “The new Austoft 8010 and 8810 models further extend our product offering, meeting an increasing demand for innovation in the sugarcane harvesting industry. We are confident sugarcane growers will appreciate the improvements in these new machines which will lead to more profit for the farmers and increased output for sugar mills.”
Among the new features are LED work lights, a raised cab position for better operator visibility which doesn’t add to the overall height of the harvester and new rearview mirrors, footrests and operator seat to improve driver comfort.
Other features and improvements include an optional ‘Auto Float’ function (crop divider height control): this function automates the control of both crop divider lift cylinders, keeping the toe in contact with the soil at all times, while also preventing ‘ploughing’. It can stop inexperienced operators from accidentally lowering the crop dividers too deep, while letting experienced operators focus more attention on other harvesting functions. Activation has been integrated into the Auto Tracker control, so no additional operator actions are needed to use the system.
A larger diesel fuel tank has 29% more capacity and an adjusted position within the machine to increase the number of hours in the field, reduce maintenance costs and improve serviceability.
Three video cameras are positioned on the sides and lower part of the machine and able to be easily monitored on the AFS Pro700, with adjustable screens that provide easy interaction and switching of views.
The engine protection software has been improved to reduce the risk of engine damage due to a high cooling system temperature, and these events are now recorded to help identify issues with improper operation or inadequate maintenance.
