The Next Step: 2100 Series

Proven power and performance with a modern look

Going into 1995, many changes were taking place at CaseIH. Case became a company all its own, instead of being a subsidiary of Tenneco. Case stock was offered to the public, and became known as the Case Corporation. CaseIH, the agricultural division of Case Corp., unveiled a new logo, which had replaced the old "Case" and "IH" logos used since the CaseIH merger. CaseIH's first new product offerings featuring the new CaseIH logo were the 2100 series Axial-Flow combines.

A cab with a view

While many looked at the 2100 series combines as "new sizzle on an old steak", it is important to realize there were many changes besides the one most apparent-an all-new cab design. The heavy-duty final drives (standard on all 2188s and 2166s/2144s with duals, optional on all other 2166/2144 combines) were considerably heavier (57% more weight, bearings with 33% more load-carrying capacity) than those used on previous 1600 series combines. It was obvious that farmers were going to have larger headers installed on these combines as their capacity increased, so larger final drives were going to be necessary to carry the extra weight. Also, dual wheels used 20 bolts to mount the wheels to the final drives, instead of 10 bolts used previously on 1600 series. The combination service brake/park brake was an all-new design. These brakes were multi-disc units that ran in oil all the time that required minimal pedal effort to actuate. The park brake utilized an all-new setup that would be used in most CaseIH agricultural equipment a few years later. The park brake applied with spring pressure, and was released with hydraulic pressure that was controlled by an electric-actuated solenoid valve. If either electricity to the solenoid was lost, or hydraulic supply pressure was lost, the park brake would engage immediately by itself. These brakes were a marked improvement over the ones used previously on 1600 series.

The Inside Story

The hydraulic system on the 2100 series was completely redesigned from 1600 series as well. The 2100 series hydraulic system utilized a pressure & flow-compensated hydraulic pump for its main functions, similar to what tractors had been using for years before. This pump creates very little flow when there is no demand on the hydraulic system, saving horsepower and fuel while creating less heat in the hydraulic system. This pump was used for steering, header lift/lower, unloader swing in/out, reel lift, reel fore/aft, and Field Tracker functions. A gear pump, which was mounted in tandem with the PFC pump, supplied oil for the hydraulic reel drive as well as brake functions, unloader on/off function, and the separator engage/disengage on the 44 & 66 models. Feeder lift cylinders were larger in diameter, requiring only 2 lift cylinders as opposed to 3 used on 1600 series models. Other improvements included a bigger alternator(135 amp rating), 40% heavier bearings and flanges on the straw chopper, larger diameter shafts for the clean grain auger on the 2188 and tailings auger on all models. Serviceability was improved by means of a front step on the feeder house, a ladder and service deck on the RH side of the cab, access panels on both sides of the combine that opened with ease due to a gas cylinder which reduced operator effort, batteries relocated to the LH side of the combine, a step and grab handle to allow easy access to the radiator, and numerous shields and panels which served a purpose in both safety and overall.

Unload and GO

The grain tank unloader system was speeded up 10% for faster unloading, and the accumulator was electrically-actuated by a "whisker switch" on the feeder house which allowed the accumulator to be used only when the feeder house was all the way up.

A new dawn for CaseIH Combine Cabs

And then there was the cab. The first thing the farmer noticed was the deep, self-cleaning steps (borrowed from the Magnum tractor line) as he climbed the ladder into the cab. This ladder not only swung up alongside the combine during field use, but was also made to swing around in front of the LH drive wheel so as to allow narrower transport width and allowing the use of narrower corn heads without the ladder knocking down standing corn. Before he entered the cab, the farmer noticed a left-hand service door that allowed him to get a grain sample without getting into the grain tank by means of a "sample door". He then noticed the LH cab "door" was made entirely of curved glass, allowing excellent visibility. As he sat down in the seat, the differences between the 2100 series and previous Axial-Flows became more clear. The cab was 8" wider than previous models, and was surrounded by curved glass allowing unprecedented visibility. The cab was also centered above the feeder house, instead of being mounted off-center as was the case in the previous series of combines. The tilt steering wheel pedestal offered infinite positions and another lever allowed the steering wheel to pivot up and down on the pedestal. The cab mounts were aimed to a point just above the operator's head, aligning the center of gravity of the cab and the operator at the center of the operator. This design, called "focalized cab mounting", minimized bumps and vibrations, making the operator less tired after a long day in the combine. A passenger seat sat on top of a storage area that allowed the customer to carry anything from his lunch to some tools and spare parts for his machine. The heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system was completely redesigned on the 2100 series combines. The HVAC unit which contained the air-conditioner/heater coils was relocated to under the operator's seat for easier service access. 13 air ducts were strategically placed throughout the cab for optimum airflow for operator comfort as well as windshield defrosting capabilities. Large dials were used to adjust the infinitely-variable fan speed and temperature control knobs. The temperature was controlled by an electronic sensor located in the HVAC coils, an HVAC computer, and an electronic heater valve. HFC-134A refrigerant was first used in CaseIH combines starting with the 2100 series. The cab was pressurized by another cab blower motor that ran all the time that the engine had oil pressure, and air was constantly recirculated within the cab by a cab filter located directly behind the operator seat. The fresh air coming into the cab was ran through a small, round cab filter located behind the LH service door. Six worklights mounted on top of the cab offered "stadium lighting" when working at night. An optional lighting package allowed 2 aftercut lights, and 2 lights mounted on the side of the grain tank. Also, 3 fully retractable "troublelights" mounted on tether cords offered "on the spot" lighting in case of a need to work on a certain area of the combine at night without needing a flashlight.

Comfort, convince and ease of operation all in one

The console where the controls were located was no longer mounted to the cab, but to the operator's seat itself, where it moved in unison with the seat. This console could be adjusted fore/aft in relationship to the operator, and the palm rest for the hydro handle was infinitely adjustable to fit all hand sizes. The hydro handle itself became a "mini-control center" as the following functions were located on it: header lift/lower, Field Tracker left/right manual tilt, unloader auger swing in/out, unloader on/off, reel fore/aft, reel raise/lower. A unique electrical arrangement allowed the unloader to shut off by itself when the unloader was swung all the way in, in case of an operator inadvertently forgetting to shut off the unloader when he swung the auger in. Under the armrest were additional controls for header raise speed, header lower speed, and minimum reel speed. Other console controls were for park brake on/off, 2-speed Hydro on/off, Power Guide Axle on/off, fan speed increase/decrease, rotor speed increase/decrease, and Field Tracker controls. A new feature on 2100 series Axial-Flows was the ability to open/close the concave from the cab by a switch.

Cutting grain was never so easy on an Axial-flow

Another new feature on 2100 series was the "Return to Cut" feature. This allowed the operator to preset a desired cutting height by using the AHHC knob. If the operator raised the header for any reason, he could return to the desired height by merely pushing the "header lower" button momentarily as long as the feeder was engaged. Also, a Float Control option was available. This was for headers that ran at extremely low heights. The pressure of the hydraulic oil in the lift cylinders was monitored in this mode. When the header would start to push harder(indicating the header may be pushing itself into the ground), the header was lifted up until nthe cylinder pressure would decrease. How much cylinder pressure was needed to do this was adjustable in the cab, as well as the rate of response. This application was designed for primarily European use and other applications where AHHC was not used. Reel speed controls were located on this console as well. Auto-reel-to-ground-speed became standard on 2100 series. A "corn position" was provided on the reel speed control for applications where no reel speed was desired.

High Tech Cab

The RH corner post, commonly referred to as the "A" post, contained many displays, warning lights, and gauges. The bottom panel contained the grain loss monitor, which was pretty much the same as the one used on 1600 series. The middle panel contained an optional header height indicator, which used a potentiometer mounted on the LH side of the feeder house to indicate to the operator how high or low his feeder house was. Also on the middle panel was the industry's first dual display tachometer/speedometer. The top portion could display either engine RPM or cleaning fan RPM, while the bottom display could display ground speed or rotor speed. These displays could also be used in conjunction with the buttons below them to monitor total acres harvested, separator and engine hours, adjust calibration settings for header width on the acre counter, feeder cutoff and spreader alarm, engine speed alarm, tire size adjustment, English/metric setting, and low fuel alarm setting. The display would alert the operator when the unloader auger was on and when the fuel level was below the preset limit. The upper portion of the middle panel contained the shaft speed monitor, which was redesigned on 2100 series combines. A silhouette of a combine was used as a background to show the operator where the problem area was in relationship to the combine. Also, the shaft speed monitor was operational only if the machine was above 1800 engine RPM to eliminate nuisance warning alarms at lower engine RPMs. The top panel of the "A" post contained numerous gauges and warning lights to alert the operator of specific problems with the combine. The gauges monitored fuel tank level, coolant temperature, and battery voltage. Warning lights monitored problems relating to alternator function, engine oil pressure, excessive coolant temperature, low coolant level, hydraulic fluid level, excessive oil temperature, and air conditioner system pressures. Additional lights alerted the operator when his grain tank was full, unloading auger was swung out, unloading auger was on, and when the park brake was on. The cab of the 2100 series combine truly became a "command center" for the operator, allowing the operator to know everything that was going on with his machine while making the job of operating a combine less tiresome.

MAGNUM Tractor Power Maximizes Harvest Efficiency

As far as engines and horsepower were concerned, there were very little changes between the late 1644/66/88 combines and the first 2100 series combines. It was felt that the horsepower savings offered by the PFC hydraulic system would make these combines seem to have more horsepower without actually having to offer a bigger engine.  Magnum tractor engine technology was shared with Axial-Flow combines to provide plenty of reserve power and durability to take grueling punishment a combine engine takes during harvest.

New Grain Headers for a New Combine

1010 & 1020 heads featured a new oil-bath enclosed sickle-drive gearcase. These offered more strength and reliability than the previous open-style wobble box used on 1010 & 1020 headers. Also, all headers became available with flashing amber lights for better safety when roading combines with the head still connected. Also, due to changes in the 2100 series electrical system, a new AHHC potentiometer was required for use on 1020 heads. While the new 2100 series pot. and the old 1600 series pot. look similar with identical plug-ins, they do not function the same and will not work in the wrong application.

Ready to work all day and night long

In 1996, many changes were done to the 2100 series of combines. First off, the 2166 & 88 combines had several changes done to the engine area as these engines now had to meet emissions requirements. New injection pumps, new injectors and injector lines, new pistons and cylinder heads were necessary to make these engines emissions compliant. Also, wastegate turbochargers were used. These new turbochargers gave the exhaust sound of these engines a different tone as compared to earlier engines. The wastegate turbos had a noticeably higher pitch, or squeal sound. Also, radiator size was increased on the 2 bigger machines as well as a fuel cooler was added to help the engines meet emissions. Interestingly, the 2144 engine was actually derated so as not to have to meet emissions specs. Emissions specs. were required in 1996 on all off-road diesel engines of 175HP or more, therefore the 2144 was derated from 180 engine HP to 174 HP.

2188 cutting corn like a knife through butter

The 2188 was introduced with a 3-strand feeder chain in 1996. This design helped to eliminate feeder slat bending, which was common on previous 80 series combines. The clean grain elevator drive sprocket became a dual-sprocket design which allowed a higher elevator speed in high-yielding conditions, yet retained the regular elevator drive speed to be used in normal crops. To change speeds, all the operator had to do was slide the sprocket over on its shaft (on 88 models) or removed from the shaft and flipped around(44 & 66 models). Rubber seal extensions were added to the back ends of the shoe sieve to help prevent loss of grain from going over the sides of the shoe sieve. A new "shielded" wiring harness was introduced for the grain loss monitor system, which eliminated interference from other electrical sources on the combine from causing faulty readings on the grain loss monitor. The unloader auger was factory-installed starting in 1996-previous combines had the outer horizontal auger installed at the dealership. Also, a new 500 lb. rotor drive torque sensor spring was introduced for use in oilseed crops where rotor belt slippage had occurred. The original "non-Field Tracker" header lift switch was discontinued due to reliability problems; the Field Tracker version of the header lift switch became the standard switch on all models.

Advanced Farming System

However, probably the most celebrated change to the Axial-Flow combine in 1996 was the availability of a combination yield monitor/GPS mapping system which allowed the operator to pinpoint areas in his fields where yield was greatest, poorest, needed the most improvement, etc. CaseIH referred to this system as AFS- Advanced Farming Systems. The yield monitor consisted of a sensor located in the elevator head which measured the amount of grain flowing past it, and a sensor located in the inclined delivery auger on 88 models (optional on 66 models) or mounted on the horizontal grain tank auger (standard on 66/44 models) that measured the temperature of the grain and the moisture of the grain. In the cab was a monitor (commonly referred to as the "black box" style monitor) that offered the operator instant readouts for moisture, yield, total bushels, average moisture, etc to help him make decisions about future farming practices, crop varieties, etc. as well as keeping track of different fields, hybrids, crops, etc. It was to be used as a management tool for the operator. The farmer could also equip the yield monitor with an optional GPS system to help him pinpoint where exactly in the field he had his best yields, poorest yields, etc. The GPS system was made by Satloc and offered sub-meter accuracy. The "black box" monitor was built to CaseIH spec. by Ag-Leader. Either the yield monitor or GPS system could be installed at the factory or field-installed at a later date. 1997 brought out another series of changes for the 2100 series combines. A tilting rear window in the cab replaced the previous fixed-design window, allowing ease of cleaning the window in dirty conditions. The cab filter was redesigned for better cab filtration, with the new filter having 4 times more capacity than the previous design. The previous design's cab filter was inadequate in capacity and needed cleanings too frequently. This new design used a much larger filter(similar to an engine air cleaner) mounted above the RH drive tire behind the RH access door. Cab noise was reduced due to the addition of an attenuator to the hydro circuit. It acted as a muffler to reduce the noise created by hydraulic oil bypassing the foot-n-inch valve under the cab when the hydrostat lever was advanced quickly in road gear. A new park brake warning system consisted of a pressure switch mounted in the park brake circuit, which warned the operator of pressure drops in the park brake circuit by turning on the park brake light on the "A" post. A new feeder jackshaft was introduced as well. A new cast iron pulley on the jackshaft replaced the pressed-steel triple groove pulley used previously. The new pulley fit the shaft by way of a splined-fit instead of using a keyway used previously. Also, heavier bearings were used on the new shaft. The feeder hinge plate at the rear end of the feeder house was made of thicker material for longer life. Upper stops on the Field Tracker were stronger and a lower pivot support was added for better reliability and better sealing to minimize grain loss. A big change occurred in the mounting of the final drives. New heavier, larger flanges allowed the final drives to be mounted to the combine with 13 bolts, nearly double the 7-bolt design used previously. This offered greater reliability when these combines were used with heavier headers and higher loads placed on the axle assembly. The final drive driveshaft lock collars were changed from a design that used a bolt in the middle to lock the coupler to the shafts to a design that used a 2-piece locking collar and snap ring to hold the coupler in place on the shafts. The center section of the rear axle on non-Power Guide Axle units had material added in the pivot pin area and the axle material thickness was increased from 5/16" materila to 3/8" material for added strength. A plate was added to the rotor drive coupling to retain the bushings in the coupler better. In some crops where the rotor turned real slow(most notably in sunflowers and edible beans), the rotor would move ahead slightly, pulling the bushings out of the hub, which in turn broke the bolts in the drive coupler. Hoses replaced the 3 steel tubes used previously between the hydro pump and motor. The area around the rotor front cover had seals added to it to eliminate dust and dirt buildup in this area. The LH lower access panels now had a detent added to them to hold them in place when they were open in windy conditions or on unlevel ground. There were also several improvements in the unloader system. The shear bolts for the unloader were changed to a grade 2 strength for better protection of the unloader system. The coupling between the 2 halves of the unloader was changed for better reliability as well. Previously, a hex shaft had been welded to the auger half closest to the turret that fit into a female hex fitting in the other auger half. The new design had a female hex fitting on both halves of the auger with a floating hex shaft connecting the 2 augers together. This eliminated the possibility of the welded shaft breaking, severely damaging parts of the unloader system. Also, a gusset was added on the outer flighting of the unloader auger to eliminate the end of the auger flighting from folding over from grain buildup at the downspout. Rivets on the turret assembly were changed from 1/4" to 5/16" to reduce the possibility of pulling out through the sheet metal. Also, 8 more rivets were added to this area. The grain tank sensor could be adjusted up or down through a 6" range to let the customer adjust the point at which the "grain tank full" light turned on. Poly skid shoes were added as a factory-installed option on the 1020 flex head. The 2144 engine received a fuel cooler as it now had to meet emissions requirements for 1997. It remained rated at 174 HP. CaseIH also celebrated 20 years of the Axial-Flow by installing a decal on the cab door touting "20 years of Rotary Technology".

CaseIH Dealer 20th Anniversary 2188 Model 

Unfortunately, along the way through 2100 series production many different problems were discovered on early model (mostly 1995 and early 1996 machines) combines. CaseIH instituted a series of upgrade programs to rectify several problems. Transmissions were overhauled to install LocTite adhesive to differential ring gear bolts that were coming loose on early 2100 series combines. Structural supports were added to the separator frame, front axle, and cab support posts after it was determined that the original cab support structure was inadequate. A check valve was added to reduce brake operating pressure and aggressiveness in the brake system after complaints were received that the brakes worked "too good". The speed of the unloader swing cylinder was slowed down as it was felt that the auger returned to its saddle too fast, leading to auger tube/saddle damage. Feeder lift cylinders were replaced with a newer design, and a thermal relief valve was added to the header lift circuit to bleed off excessive hydraulic pressure in hot ambient temperatures. Older model combines were updated to 1997-model cab air filter systems, and grain tank supports were installed due to grain tank sagging. All 1995 and 1996-model 2100 series equipped with factory duals were also updated to the 13-bolt final drive mounting setup. While the 2100 series were touted as a "modernized" Axial-Flow, there were still many new things to offer on the Axial-Flow combine. So many, that another series of combines would be offered, the 2300 series.....

The 2100 Series Harvesting the "Fruited" plains

Follow the Axial-Flow Combine Story through 2300 series on Part VIII 

Article by Jim Schroer 

Page Arrangement by Jason Hasert

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