husker harvest impressions

[ptr77]

Originally Posted by John Smith

Direct cutting Rape (Canola) is a PIA with any draper. Secondly I doubt a flex draper would be high on the "must haves" if canola was you main crop...

Everyone wants 1 multipurpose header. If a farmer grows some low-lying crops or wants to in the future he doesn't want to have to buy another header. The majors and Macdon, Honeybee, etc... have already established the draper is the best way to feed the combine, once they figure out any loss issues the flexdraper should be the best header for any crop. Auger headers only advantage at this point is the fact that they have a sealed deck/pan.


ausfarmer

Agree to disagree, I have talked to guys who have cut delicate crops with their swather (fine seeds) and have seen an issue with it and sealed up parts of their headers. Now whether that amounted to any significant amount I don't know. I do know that no matter how acceptable or great it performs there is guaranteed to be some amount of losses at any opening on a header, its just common sense. It's all a matter of how much losses a guy is prepared to leave in a field. In most swathing application the crop has more moisture and is much less likely to shell out so you don't notice it. I'm saying in dry beans, rape, specialty crops etc... it will be more noticeable and could prove to be a problem.

[bud]

In Western Canada it is very common for farms to harvest peas or lentils that can be 2-3 inches tall and also straight cut canola or mustard. Canola is usually so ripe that there is a lot of seed shatter on the draper. New Deere FD drapers look to be poor for straight cutting canola.

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by ptr77

The four belt idea won't fly in many parts of Europe when they are harvesting Rape. Or in any delicate, light crops in my opinion. The only time I have ever seen the double belts is on swathers and that is in heavy material that hasn't dried much at all. The 4 belt idea looks terrible and there will definitely be losses (whether large or small) at that point. When dry beans shatter out of the pod they will fall through that gap. The amount of flex on the Deere cutterbar is impressive though.

The CNH flexhead looks really neat, that center knife drive could really change things in the future. I could imagine at some point New Holland putting 2 inside and 2 outside drives on the knives. That would solve any cutting issues.

Farmers in europe buy mainly auger headers,drapers are uncommon and thats why Deere sells mainly auger headers there.And regarding beans...dont you think Deere did try those headers in all kinds of beans,since cutting beans is the main purpose of a flex draper???

[ptr77]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Farmers in europe buy mainly auger headers,drapers are uncommon and thats why Deere sells mainly auger headers there.And regarding beans...dont you think Deere did try those headers in all kinds of beans,since cutting beans is the main purpose of a flex draper???

Auger headers feed much much poorer than draper headers, its natural that the evolution of combine headers will find a way for the more efficient header to be used in all applications, saving the customer money and making the manufacturer able to sell it in all markets. Or another theory will come about that feeds better than a draper with comparable losses at openings as a sealed auger header.

I think all companies do testing, I also think all companies are capable of making mistakes. If you trust JD testing so much, I guess that would mean they have never had a poor design?

The main purpose of a flexdraper to American farmers might be to cut Soybeans. I would say in Canada, Europe, and various other markets it would be different. Lentils, Peas, Canola, Pinto, Edible, and Soybeans all come to mind when I think of a flexdraper. Not too mention cereals as well. I have heard of guys using flexdrapers who don't cut low-lying crops because their land is so uneven and rolling they want a 40 or 45 ft flexheader not a 45 ft rigid head, which makes sense. Soybeans aren't the only thing cut in the world with flex headers...