High-capacity combines deliver unmatched harvest power and performance, but they require a high-capacity head to feed the crop into the machine. That’s why Case IH engineers worked with customers to develop the all-new C500 series corn heads. These new corn heads are a perfect match for today’s more powerful combines and bring a new level of performance and productivity to your harvest.
“The C500 series corn heads are designed around three core principles: maximize throughput, reduce grain loss and increase uptime in the field,” says Tyler Romoser, Case IH global header product specialist. “Today’s highly productive combines need a corn head that can deliver more crop.”
C500 Series corn heads come in a variety of configurations to fit your specific farming needs. The 12-, 16-, and 18-row rigid models come in 20- and 22-inch configurations, and the 8-, 12-, and 16-row rigid models are available in 30-inch configurations. All models are available in either a chopping or non-chopping configuration.
Biggest auger in the industry
The job of any corn head is delivering crop into the combine. And the 12- and 16-row, 30-inch C500 series models offer the largest cross auger in the industry. “At just under 24-inches in diameter, this auger design delivers improved hand off dynamics between the head and feeder house, providing unparalleled capacity gains to ensure we are maximizing the throughput potential of the combine behind it,” Romoser says.
The new auger design powers through crop and harvest conditions that would otherwise cause crop flow hesitation or plugging. “Field testing shows the larger auger has a 30% capacity increase over comparable models in our prior series when faced with tough harvest conditions,” Romoser says.
Balanced weight distribution
When engineers talked to producers, they discovered that header weight was an issue. “A heavier corn header changes the dynamics of weight distribution for the entire combine, which can impact performance,” Romoser says. “But we don’t want to sacrifice durability and performance.”
Engineers rebalanced the C500 series headers, reducing weight by up to 100 pounds per row unit compared to previous models. “Reduced weight achieves a better center of gravity for the header and combine, reducing weight at the front of the combine for increased performance, improved floatation in the field and more nimble movement in the field,” Romoser says. “And we did this without sacrificing the durability our customer demand from their headers.”
Hood and divider design
The C500 series header dividers and hoods provide excellent performance in downed corn conditions. “Divider height settings can be adjusted and synchronized across the header via the adjustment bolt at the front of the hood,” Romoser says. “C500 series corn heads come standard with active end dividers on the outermost hoods and are available with optional tall corn shields. Each hood and divider come standard with replaceable wear strips for added durability.”
Increase uptime, reduced maintenance
A spring free, self-adjusting deck plate system delivers automatic, on the fly adjustment of the deck plate gap. This system improves overall performance and harvest productivity by absorbing stalk-to-stalk variation (up to 6mm or ¼-inch), independently across each row unit. The hydraulic in-cab deck plate control keeps operator control and adjustment at your fingertips when needed.
A standard slip clutch monitoring system alerts the operator via an in-cab alarm, extending the life of these components and reducing harvesting down time.
The hood and divider is designed for stress-free service access for row unit service, cleaning, and maintenance. Each C500 series head also comes standard with a gathering chain service tool, freeing both hands when servicing the gathering chains.
Stalk stompers available
Available in both full width and tire/track configurations, C500 series headers offer factory-fit and replacement part accessory stalk stomper options to manage residue needs and mitigate tire or track wear due to stubble damage. These stompers offer multiple operation settings and pivot fully up for storage or trailering needs.
Case IH precision tech
All C500 series corn heads are compatible with RowGuide Pro™. “This combines GPS with advanced sensor technology for seamless row tracking and easier combine operation, even in the most demanding harvest conditions,” Romoser says.
C500 series corn heads are compatible with 88/130/140/150/160 series Case IH combines, 20/230/240/250/260 series Case IH combines, as well as the new AF series combines. Contact your local Case IH dealer to determine the right head for your farming operation.