As the National Farm Machinery Show kicked off Wednesday at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, one of the event’s biggest attractions—quite literally—was the introduction of Case IH’s new AF11 combine.
Leo Bose, Harvest Marketing Lead with Case IH, details the power and capacity behind their new combine.
“We have a C516 corn head hooked to this, so 16 rows with 30-inch row spacing,” according to Bose. “It also has a 567-bushel grain tank capacity which unloads at over six bushels per second on load rate and within 100 seconds, I can get that grain tank unloaded. Also, that engine is 775 horsepower, so that power plant is really putting that power where we need it.”
As growers have an increasing amount of ground to cover while facing unpredictable harvest windows and labor shortages, Bose says the new Case IH AF11 addresses these challenges head-on.
“We see this machine as a way to drive capacity, bring state of the art technology and bottom-line benefits for our customers, while also providing the reliability that customers have come to expect from Case IH,” says Bose.
How soon will Case IH’s new AF11 combine be available through your local dealership?
“Later this summer, we’ll actually have an order-writing program that customers will be able to work with their local dealer, and then we look at limited production for 2025.”
The AF11 is the first in the AF series and will offer a number of top-of-the-line technology-focused features, including Case IH’s combine automation solution, Harvest Command.
Case IH offers a suite of precision technology and connectivity products that not only simplify harvest operations, but also solve ongoing issues, such as labor and operating windows by opening doors to less experienced labor, and help an operation improve its ROI through shared analytics and diagnostics.
“The AF11 is offering technology-driven efficiencies to growers,” adds Bose. “It’s about elevating control – even if the farmer isn’t in the driver seat. We’re providing technology that can optimize machine settings in real-time to navigate even the toughest conditions harvest can throw your way.”
When it comes to the overall inventory of Case IH’s new equipment and replacement parts, Bose says that their supply chain is back on track.
“For Case IH, that’s pretty much in the rear-view mirror,” says Bose. “There may be those hiccups here once in a while, but for us, we don’t see that as an issue because our supply base is pretty broad when you look at who we’re pulling in and who we’re using, so for us, it really has leveled off from probably three to four years ago.
Bose says more information about specifications and pricing for the Case IH AF11 will be released at a later date.
