The main objective of this research is to maximize utilization capacity of the Japanese rice combine for harvesting other crops by developing and equipping a local manufactured steel track instead of the original rubber track. The key development considerations of the harvester traction device are intended to the poor mobility and castle age of rubber tracks during harvesting wheat crop on rough terrains soil conditions. The traction performances of the developed steel track were investigated and compared to the traction performances of the original rubber track versus four different harvesting forward speed of; 0.39,0.50,0.72,0.94 m/sec, and two motion states; namely straight line state and curve state. The evaluation and comparisons parameters included:- track rolling resistance, track slip ratio, dynamic traction ratio, the harvester tractive force, traction efficiency, actual field capacity, fuel and energy consumption and the harvester operational costs.
The results showed in general that the local manufactured steel track supply the greatest solution where there are tough soil terrains during wheat harvesting. The optimum proper developing parameters of the local steel track were contact length of 0.97 m, width of 0.30 m and weight of track of 0.89 kN. While optimum operation conditions as the combine harvester was equipped with the developed track were obtained at operating forward speed of 0.72 m/sec Whereas the following results were obtained:-highest traction efficiency of 83.1%, highest dynamic traction ratio of 78.1%, lowest rolling resistance of 1.99 kN, maximum pull force of 15.01 kN, traction force ranged from 13.5 to 20.1 kN at ranged slip ratio from 4.1 to 6.2%, average field capacity 0.89 fed/h, fuel consumption of 8.1 L/h. It was found that the total profit by wheat harvesting season increased 9% compared to the combine performance when equipped with the rubber track and the total cost (price) of manufacturing one steel track is about 1750 LE.