Kinze Unveils New Grain Cart at FPS

WILLIAMSBURG, Iowa (DTN) -- The company that pioneered the grain cart concept 50 years ago unveiled a new model at the 2021 Farm Progress Show, along with other upgrades to its grain cart lineup.

Kinze Manufacturing of Williamsburg, Iowa, announced on Aug. 31 that the Harvest Commander 1121 grain cart will be available in 2022. For those attending the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, from Aug. 31-Sept. 2, the new cart is located at the company's exhibit booth No. 904.

The dual-auger, single-axel Harvest Commander 1121 pays homage to Kinze's past, with the iconic "Kinze Man" decal on the back but has modern features desired by operators such as on-demand horizontal auger drive and four bottom dump doors for easy and quick crop changeover. The 1121 can hold up to 1,100 bushels, which the company claims is the most desired capacity among farmers. Unloading time is about two minutes.

The Harvest Commander 1121 is a throwback to Kinze's 1050 model (1,000-bushel capacity), which was discontinued in 2012 as the trend for larger-capacity grain carts grew with the size of farms. Justin Render, Kinze product specialist, said market research indicated dealers and farmers wanted the company to bring back a similar, yet modern, take on the 1050 model, which is still highly sought after in the used market.

"It's a 1050 in a new way," Render exclaimed. "It's a cart for a certain segment of our customer base that doesn't want anything else. It fits their operation and price point."

Eric Broadbent, Kinze senior director of sales, added, "We're really excited to have this cart back. We just didn't have something to fill this space -- a cart with just enough capacity to fill a semi."

A base price for the Harvest Commander 1121 wasn't available at publication time.

Here are features and options available on the new grain cart:

-- The ability to upgrade from floater tires (standard equipment) to optional long-life Camso tracks with interchangeable stub axels.

-- Auger spout grain control.

-- A low-profile design with short sides for operating on rolling terrain.

-- Upgraded LED lighting, including illuminating the grain tank.

-- Color-coded hydraulic hoses for ease of use.

-- A centralized, easily accessible grease bank at the front of the cart.

Kinze founder Jon Kinzenbaw's 400 Grain Cart introduced in 1971 was the first major innovation of the then-startup company. It was the first grain cart to use large-diameter PTO-driven dual augers, which could empty the 435-bushel capacity cart in three minutes. Being able to transfer grain quickly from a loaded combine to waiting trucks or wagons to be whisked away from the field was a harvest timesaver that resonated with farmers.

The Harvest Commander 1121, Render said, is destined to make a similar difference for customers. "Jon pioneered the grain cart market 50 years go. We brought that (concept) back with enhancements," he continued.

The following are changes to Kinze grain carts for 2022:

-- Improved cleanout, auger spout unload control and a grease bank for all corner dual-auger models: 1321, 1421, 1521 and 1721.

-- New model numbers for dual-auger grain carts: 1121, 1321, 1421, 1521 and 1721. The first two digits represent hundreds of bushels, the third digit indicates single or dual auger, and the final number is the model generation.

-- The Harvest Commander name will return for all grain carts.

-- All models will feature enhanced graphics, including the "Kinze Man" character on the back of carts.

For more information: www.kinze.com.

Matthew Wilde can be reached at matt.wilde@dtn.com

Follow him on Twitter @progressivwilde

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