John Deere has updated its W- and T-series combines with an enlarged active separation and cleaning shoe area. Together these features are said to deliver an increase in machine output of up to 15%.  The main threshing drum’s diameter stays at 660mm, but the concave wrapping angle is increased by 8° — to expand the threshing area and machine throughput. The overshot beater’s diameter rises to 500mm, so it maintains the same angles and tip speed in the crop flow to minimize straw damage. Rear separator drum diameter grows to 800mm and, with a new separator grate with more openings, is designed to give better separation in difficult harvesting conditions.  Using aluminium to construct the cleaning shoe allows its size to be increased without adding weight; sieve area is more than 6m2. The fan has also been redesigned to make adjustment easier. John Deere has developed a quick-engage Booster Bar, a rasp bar that can be swung into the crop flow in situations where more aggressive threshing is required — in barley, for example. The Booster Bar eliminates the use of deawning plates to close the concave, which reduces the overall active separation area.  T-series combines can now travel at speeds of up to 40km/hr — and that includes the tracked models, which are added to the walker line for the first time. Maximum width of tracked five-/six-walker combines is 3.3/3.5m. W-series combines also get the new cleaning shoe and Booster Bar, while tracks and 40km/hr will be available on selected models. AutoTrac steering can now be specified on the W330 and W440 combines