T6 Extra FineCut Chopper with Xcel Chopper Knives

T6 Extra FineCut Chopper with Xcel Chopper Knives

Xcel Chopper Knives

Harvest has started, and grain is rolling into the bins. The combines are set, and the sample looks good, but the producers must be sure they considered their residue management needs. The straw must be chopped fine enough to minimize row-unit plugging and future tillage passes, and it must be spread evenly to enable uniform emergence and faster soil warming for next year’s crop. Next year’s harvest starts this harvest, and it begins with proper residue management.

On T6 Combines, John Deere offers both a fine-cut (FC) and extra-fine-cut (XFC) chopper to meet a wide range of cut quality needs. The following table shows the key configuration differences in the chopper types.

Chopper type	Number of knives	Knife type	Number of counter knives	Speed	T6 800
Fine Cut chopping device	85	Straight knife	61	3200 rpm	Y
Extra Fine Cut chopping device	124	Xcel Chopper Knife	61	3200 rpm	Y
Y = Available N = Not available

Depending on the producer’s needs, an XFC chopper could provide the additional cut quality they are looking for. Cut quality results vary depending on conditions. Test results have shown that the FC chopper with the knifebank at 100 percent engagement provides similar cut quality to the XFC chopper with the knifebank at 0 percent engagement as shown in the figure below. As knifebank engagement percentage on the XFC is increased, cut quality continues to increase as well as power consumed. Dealers and producers should be aware that the XFC chopper does consume additional horsepower and fuel compared to a FC chopper. The decision to utilize an XFC chopper versus a FC chopper needs to be carefully considered and needs to align with the producer’s overall residue management strategy.

FC chopper quality versus XFC chopper quality based on knifebank engagement

FC chopper quality versus XFC chopper quality based on knifebank engagement

Benefits

Two chopper configurations are available to meet the customers residue management cut quality needs
Potential for improved crop emergence and faster soil warm up

T6 800 Combine