[thewanderer]

Hi there,

in follow up of the 7010 / 8010 thread I was wondering why so many people like to drive so fast with their combine. Here in Germany we usually go 3 mph in small grains. Less if it is tough going. Now in NA people like to go at least 5 mph. Not even talking about the crazy ozzies. They are going even faster.

Ok, if the crop is light go fast, but how about buying a bigger header? I always feel like it easier on the combine to drive slow. Plus the header follows the ground nicer.

Any certain reasons for driving fast?
The feeling to get something done? In the end it shouldn't matter if you go fast with a small header or go slow with a large one. Right?

Hope you can come up with a good answer.

Thanks

The Wanderer

 

[doorknob]

Sorry, I cant seem to come up with a good answer. I can only say that you are very right when you say the machine works better at slower speeds. I would love to go 2mph and take twice as wide of cut, but the technology is'nt here yet for me to do it. So till then I'm stuck with over 4mph.

On the other hand, the newer discbine/swathers are going well over 12 mph, and as such have started to put suspension on the rear axle and the cab. Probably be seeing this in the combine soon too. Still, slower speeds, wider cuts would suit me fine. But then I dont run autosteer either.

 

[rother]

We cannot get a bigger header, the terraces will not allow it. Therefore, in the flat we are stuck with a small header and going fast.

 

[wamag]

I think that looking at economics of running these machines is in order here. The more acres you can do in a day lowers your operating cost per acre on the combine. Takes about $185/hr to run a combine here in the PNW. If I can do 15 acres an hour = $12.33/ac. If I slow up and only do 10 ac/hr = $18.5/ac. Now this is simplified keeping all other factors the same. But you get the point. Over 1000 acres thats $6100.

 

[thewanderer]

Hi wamag,

not sure, but I think there is some misunderstanding here.

I still want to do the 15 ac an hour. But with a bigger header and driving slower. Ie. go 20% slower but get a 20% bigger header.

It sure doesn't make any sense to cut back on output of a combine. That's absolutely right. No time to fool around

The Wanderer

 

[wamag]

Ok got it. Might save a little on the diesel bill going slower with a bigger header. Most important is the thrashing capacity of the combine, they can only "eat" so much either way. But it will probably be easier on the operator at slower speeds.
Our 2388 can go up to 7mph before it has problems in 50bu/ac wheat and a 30ft header. When things go wrong they do it in a hurry.

 

[ausfarmer]

We are already up to 45 feet here and still motoring in a lot of crops. That is a reason the really big machines are not over popular in a lot of Australia, as it is very hard to justify the extra cost. The conditions here for harvest tend to be a lot drier than Europe, our wheat comes off at a moisture range of 12 to 12.5% and can drop to a lot less if harvest is delayed. We don't often take huge amounts of straw into the machine unless it is irrigation or a good crop ( rare in the last few years) We kept a 30 foot head for a R72 because of the irrigation work/rowcrop spacing.

 

[magnum]

in wheat alot of it would depend on if your clipping the heads or cutting on the ground

 

[casefarmer]

Some guys are buying into the big promotion of getting one combine to do the work of two..and for that to happen they have to go really fast with there once combine

Sorry but i had to say that.

We never really went to fast with our 2388's and our 1020 heads usually 4 or 4.2 we thought things were working well..now with the drapers i was cutting 36ft of 50 bushel beans at like 5.5 or 6 just to see if it would do it..

It all worked fine and nothing out the back and the hopper was really clean so...i guess why not cut at 5.5

heck your going to have to gut the machine and rebuild it after 1500 hours (just picked a number)

 

[iahawks]

Last year with our 2388 with curved aggressive bats on the spreader combining beans with our 30' head, it would knock pods out on the uncombined beans. So this year went back to the striaght bats which is plenty fine for a 30' head.

 

[steve1616]

I think the answer is pretty easy. If your dealing with a flex platform, usually the the cost to upgrade to a bigger platform (to a certain extent) isn't too much money and can be justified. I am talking more from 25ft platforms to 36 foot. After that I hear there can be a pretty good jump from some manufactures. If you move from an eight row corn head to a twelve row corn head, there is a huge price increase. I am sure everyone would love to own a bigger head and go slower if they were made of money. Most farmers have debt to even keep going. If you buy an eight row corn head for approximately $42000.00 and can buy a twelve row corn head for $67000.00; the difference of $25,000.00 is not only that much higher in the first place, but also adds up quickly in interest. Some farmers don't like to pay the bank instead of themselves. If you have one big machine and have to have the bigger heads than things are different because crop timeliness and crop loss from going too fast can add up quickly also.

It is obvious that I have just barely touched on the many factors that go in to buying a smaller or bigger head. There are so many factors for each different operation that you could write a 40 page report on which would have the best payback for any different set of circumstances. I am merely pointing out that the biggest, and most obvious answer is economics. There comes a point where you have to decide for your own particular operation whether you gain more efficiency spending your extra money on a twelve row head, whether you can gain more bang for the buck somewhere else on the farm, or whether the extra money makes more sense being pocketed or being put toward other debt that you might have. This will make you money very quickly if you apply it towards a higher interest rate.

All of this being said, I love the bigger heads and going slower if I can afford it and it makes economical sense to be affording it.

 

[beh]

I think all the points here are worth noting, however the one big point (at least in my area) that i think is missing is residue management...36 ft swath, it is all a redekop chopper and chaff spreader can do (or maybe a little more) to chop and spread some thing close to the combines width, a 30ft is really ideal.

in no till country on the high plains that is really the most limiting factor on head size, followed by terraces and transportation.

Transport gets to be a big deal for custom cutters for staying within overall length laws.

Getting used to driving fast (5-7.5) was the hardest part for us, other than that it really keeps you more alert....

just my .02