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Go with the Flow
Richard Laybourn and his father John farm 145ha near Pontefract in West
Yorkshire. Since 2015, they’ve harvested all their combinable crops with a 2007
30th anniversary edition Case IH 2388 Axial-Flow. FMJ caught up with it at work
WORDS AND IMAGES DAVID LALEY
T he Laybourn family’s TechSpecs John and Richard’s 2388 was built during 2007 at CNH
association with Case IH’s Case IH 2388 Global’s Grand Island facilities in Nebraska. This was the year
Axial-Flow single rotor that Case IH celebrated the 30th anniversary of their single
separation system began in Axial-Flow rotor Axial-Flow separation system introduced in 1977 with
the mid-1990s, when brothers the launch of the 135hp and 170hp International 1440 and
John and Robert Laybourn moved away Engine 8.3-lit six- 1460. As a result, every Axial-Flow that left Grand Island in
from running New Holland straw walker cylinder turbocharged 2007 featured a revised livery including a ‘30 Years Rotary
combines. They purchased a 215hp Case Leadership’ decal to commemorate the achievement.
IH 2166 in a bid to harvest their crops Case CDC
faster and more efficiently. Max HP 325hp Original models
Fuel tank capacity
Back then, John and Robert farmed 385ha together The original 1440 and 1460 were powered by nomally
with their sons, Richard and Robert, and had been 680-lit aspirated and turbocharged versions of International’s
running International and latterly Case IH tractors Transmission 3 speed renowned DT-436 engine, and came equipped with 61cm
since the late 1950s. The 2166 impressed the diameter rotors matched to 5.08cu.m and 6.30cu.m capacity
Laybourns immensely with its output, so it was no hydrostatic grain tanks. The 1440 and 1460 were also some of the first
surprise to see it make way for a more powerful 240hp Header 7.32m Case IH combines to be fitted with an integral cab featuring a
2366 before this was replaced by a 2388 in 2008. three-speed transmission, digital read outs for the engine,
2030 rotor, and fan along with an advanced grain loss monitor.
In 2012, John and Robert went their separate ways Rotor diameter 76.2cm
and for the next two harvests they shared a larger In 1978, the range was expanded with the introduction of
366hp 7088 Axial-Flow that was equipped with a Rotor length 2.79m the top-of-the-range 190hp 1480 whilst the entry level 112hp
7.32m header and a 10,500-litre grain tank. In 2015, Cleaning area 5.1sq.m 1420 arrived in 1980 – the same time as International began
John and his son Richard decided to purchase their Cross Flow fan speed marketing the Axial-Flow range in the UK.
own combine.
450 to 1250rpm Case IH’s flagship 2388 combine came along in 1998 and
Naturally, an Axial-Flow was at the top of their Grain tank capacity enjoyed a successful 10-year production run. When first
shopping list but that didn’t stop John looking at a introduced, it was powered by an 8.3 lit six-cylinder
John Deere CTS before they sourced their current 7,400-lit turbocharged Case CDC engine that produced 280hp. This
Case IH 2388 – a 30th anniversary edition model built Unloading rate was delivered to the ground through a three-speed
in 2007 from a farm in County Durham through the hydrostatic transmission.
dealer, Paxton’s. 85 lit/sec
Wheelbase 3.41m
“Although my dad quite liked the specification of Height to cab 4.02m
the John Deere CTS, I convinced him we were better
off purchasing an Axial-Flow because of our Width 3.76m
experience running them for nearly 20 years,†Weight without header
explains Richard.
11,400kg
“In that time, we’d never encountered any major Tyres Front BKT
reliability issues with them whilst they were also Agri-Max 800/65R32
simple to setup, operate, economical to maintain and Rear Goodyear
500/70R24
Year of manufacture
2007
Engine hours 2,500
Drum hours, 2,010
their efficiency was second to none.â€
The immaculate 2388 they acquired was registered
and retailed by Paxton’s in 2008, just prior to the Above right: The 2388
introduction of Case IH’s new three-model 88 series that is fitted with a 5.5m
included the 294hp 5088, 335hp 6088 and 366hp 7088. The
6088 was the 2388’s natural successor and all three of these long unloading auger
mid-range combines remained in production until 2014 that was introduced on
when they were replaced with the more powerful 140 series.
the 30th anniversary
“I was pleased we’d found one the later versions of the 2300 combine range in
2388 because they’re equipped with plenty of creature
2007.
Right: Richard’s 2388 is
equipped with a 7.32m
Case IH 2030 header
comforts without being overly complicated,†says Richard. that he says performs
“It had also been exceptionally well cared for and exceptionally well in
maintained inside and out by its previous owner.†the barley and wheat
he grows.
64 WWW.FARMMACHINERYJOURNAL.CO.UK OCTOBER 2024
