The Gomel-based agricultural machinery maker Gomselmash has started field tests of a semicrawler grain harvester Palesse GS812. The tests are going on in Russia’s Amur oblast and involve specialists of Gomselmash’s central design bureau for grain and fodder harvesting machinery, it was learnt from Igor Mitsuro, head of the agricultural machinery reliability department of the design bureau.

Boasting off-road capability, the new harvester has been made for Amur oblast farmers. The pilot specimen still preserves all design peculiarities of the model Palesse GS812 but now uses a special track drive, which is adapted to the leading axle of the harvester. The track drive was made in Birobidzhan.

The testing began in mid-August. Due to frequent rains the harvester has to deal with water-logged fields. The testing is supposed to last till mid-October as after the grain harvesting campaign Palesse GS812 will be used for soy bean harvesting to test a special six-metre header with a floating knife bar.

Igor Mitsuro believes it is too early to talk about commercial production of the new model. “We have already designed a harvester with special tyres and off-road capability. However, few customers intend to buy vehicles, which are somewhat more expensive than standard models,” he said. However, the ability to supply a caterpillar-mounted harvester will do good for the company’s image.