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3 combines cutting same field. Most efficient

10K views 46 replies 20 participants last post by  luuk 
#1 ·
We have 3 machines what’s most efficient way to cut for grain cart driver. And to even throw a wrench in it all three different size headers. 35’ 40’ 45’. Are we best off to switch the 35’to a 40’?
 
#2 ·
Without changing anything…
Cut one pass with the narrowest header crossways to and in the middle of the long passes. Greatly reduces cart chasing.
Split the lengthwise passes and have the 40’ and 45’ work away from each other.
The 35’ starts on an edge or splits it’s own pass a comfortable distance from where the two units are working.
If ever full at crossways split (any of them) but wrong way for unload, U turn.

Seems I’m not going to live long enough to see my unload both sides combine.

All this at no cost as efficiency improvement steps!
 
#9 ·
Have a very reliable 9770, and 9870, and a new to us s780. The 9770 and 9870 aren’t worth nothing trade in value where as they are worth it to us getting ac done. Have the manpower to run em. Goal is eventually run 2 with 45’ heads but not in the budget this year.
 
#12 ·
If you have the extra help buy another grain cart. Doesnt have to be huge for the one machine. 875 bushels will help plus its like having a back up if one goes down! Really handy if you end up doing high bushel barley or oats. You can always start the 35 footer on the far end of quarter with the one cart. Dont go around and around. It will be very rough seeding up and down if its harvested wet and screws up your ditches.
 
#13 ·
The different header widths would drive me mental.
We’re on RTK and all the lines are already in the displays so any combine can grab any line and they always line up on every field.
We run 6 machines on 2 carts and do a lot of round and rounds cutting off 60-80 acre pieces. So much easier on the carts. With the perfect lines and cutting blocks they always line up perfect and no wasted passes as well.
The aerial sprayer we use snapped this passing over head. Wasn’t rehearsed or setup that’s just how we roll! 😂


Cloud Sky Atmosphere Ecoregion Light
 
#18 ·
Cutting from inside out is by far the most efficient. Almost 100% harvest efficiency as you never turn empty. Easy for the grain cart as unload augers are always available and cart can cross the inside of the field to get to the other side, never any crop in the way. When the inside out hits a headland, then break into small chunks and go round the outside of the small pieces left. I have very irregular fields and it works great.

Only 2 real problems working from the inside out. First no GPS steering. All hand done, so header width is not important. Second it is hard to keep awake when driving combine as it is 1 long boring day. Kind of like cutting a 20 mile long field.
 
#20 ·
What if your field looks more like this:

Brown Textile Organism Wood Art


Not mine, just the first nasty example I found on google earth. But how do you manage multiple combines on something like this? How does the cart ever get from A to B in time? Is auto steer of any use at all? And how do they seed with anything bigger than a 12' press drill?

With apologies to whoever farms this piece if they happen to see it posted here.
 
#21 ·
What if your field looks more like this:

View attachment 164125

Not mine, just the first nasty example I found on google earth. But how do you manage multiple combines on something like this? How does the cart ever get from A to B in time? Is auto steer of any use at all? And how do they seed with anything bigger than a 12' press drill?

With apologies to whoever farms this piece if they happen to see it posted here.
I think you just shave your head pre harvest season and save the hair pulling and loss due to stress. In that situation I think the budget would have to fit just 2 combines.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I don't know. The first picture I found east of Donalda Alberta. The second I think was west of Yorkton.

Price per arable acre, or tilled acre? They would be much much different numbers.
 
#30 · (Edited)
I fall somewhere inbetween. Some jerk superimposed a square grid on top of our diagonal topography, so nearly every field is a diamond or triangle, but very few obstacles in between, I have managed to get rid of any obstacles there were.
Very jealous of those with flat square uninterupted fields, and with the shortage of any land available locally, I'd probably settle for one of these nasty looking obstacle courses right about now.
How about this one, would need to pack a lunch just to do the first round.
Ecoregion Vertebrate Organism Mammal Grass

Or this, might be record number of obstacles:
Textile Organism Font Pattern Design
 
#34 ·
At my busiest time we running cart we had 3 neighbors class 8 combines and then a class 9, and kept them all moving with an 875 cart. I would recommend cutting perpendicular to the main headland the trucks come on, with the trucks meeting the cart on headland where the combines are if possible on a dry year. Cart unloads all the combines as close to handland as possible to minimize driving time or having to go all the way around the pass. Unload them there even if they arent full. If you cant always get them at the headland the cart should never wait for someone to get full because they wont get to the next one on time, just unload whoever is next in order regardless of how full they are. I would also recommend bin extensions
 
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