Glass, Space and Torque: John Deere's New W260 Windrower

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John Deere’s new W260 self-propelled windrower and 500R platform were on display at the Farm Progress Show this year.

“The combination of the W260 Windrower and 500R Platform results in improved cut quality and consistent windrow formation to minimize dry-down time and deliver high-quality hay and forage,” said James Petersen, senior marketing representative, John Deere Ottumwa Works, in a press release. “When harvesting a forage crop where time is money, operators can cut up to 100 extra acres a day because of the increased cutting speed and reduced overlaps.”

The new windrower, toted as the largest in the industry, offers a cab 30% larger than its predecessors, a 37% increase in glass surface area, tinted rear window and HD lighting. Its Final Tier IV, 260HP 6.8L engine boasts reduced fuel consumption, higher power at lower rpm and improved low-end torque.

The W260 has both JDLink and CommandARM capabilities, offering remote diagnostics and fingertip control of machine settings, respectively.

Other changes include gull-wing doors, making service and maintenance easier and the repositioning of the air intake to above the machine, thereby reducing chaff buildup and extending service intervals.

In this video, taken at Farm Progress Show, John Deere’s Jeremy Unruh gives us a tour of the W260 and 500R, highlighting AutoTrac capabilities, the overshot cross-auger, as well as the changes to towers, accelerators and the cutterbar rotation.

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