A combine harvester for a farmer - what it should be

For a modern farmer, the right choicegrain harvester is one of the most important aspects of farming. Investments in a new combine harvester for farming with a set ofharvesters and attachments amount to at least one hundred thousand dollars. According to experts' calculations, in order for a farmer to purchase a new combine harvester to be economically justified, he must work at least 200-250 hectares for harvesting early cereals, and approximately the same amount forharvesting corn, sunflower, soybeans, etc. And in order for this unit to bring profit, it needs to be loaded with work much more.

Different equipment manufacturers offer grain harvesters of a wide range of power, productivity, design of the threshing-separating device and other parameters. This explains the significant number of models of the proposed equipment. How can a farmer orient himself in such a variety and choose exactly what he needs? What are the main criteria and characteristics that should be paid attention to when choosing a combine harvester?

On the one hand, high productivity of the combine harvester is required so that harvesting takes place at the optimal time, which is a guarantee of minimal crop losses due to shedding. On the other hand, an important role is played by the cost of operation and all costs related to this, in particular, the cost of spent fuel and lubricants, depreciation, deductions for maintenance, repairs, etc. So it would be wrong to choose a combine based on only one of these indicators.

When evaluating a combine harvester, special attention should be paid to its main technological indicators: nominal capacity (kg/s) of its thresher and nominal productivity (ha/h). Without them, it is difficult to objectively assess the technological capabilities of combines and indicators of technical level.

Threshing system: different designs, different capabilities and productivity

The grain harvester must be evaluated starting from the main one - the threshing system. The most important thing when choosing the type of harvester with a threshing-separating device is the correct assessment of the yield level in the fields and the selection of crops in the crop rotation. The vast majority of models of grain harvesters have a thresher of the classic type. The main part of such a thresher is adrum-deck threshing-separating device (MSP) and a keyboard or combined (rotor-key, keyboard with various activators-accelerators) straw separator. The advantages of this threshing system are reliability, simplicity of construction and ease of maintenance, and the main disadvantage is relatively low productivity. Combine harvesters with a classic MSP are best suited for harvestingwheat,rye,barley etc.

Unlike harvesting machines with a classic MSP, combines with aaxial-rotor scheme threshing and separation process of coarse pile occurs with a rotor rotating in a cylindrical tray, which replaces the drum and straw shaker. The front part of the rotor threshes the bread mass, and the rear part separates the grain, i.e. it performs an effective selection of grain from the chopped coarse pile. To move the mass along the axis, slats or blades are installed on the rotor, and screw guides are installed on the deck.

The rotary threshing system allows you to significantly increase productivity, reduce grinding and microdamage of grain, and therefore improve its sowing quality. Rotary harvesters are best suited for harvesting corn, soybeans, peas, etc. The disadvantage of this system is increased energy consumption, and as a result, increased fuel consumption during harvesting. It should also be taken into account that the efficiency indicators of rotary harvesters are significantly reduced when harvesting weedy and overmoistened breads.

Reliability of the harvester is the guarantee of a timely harvested crop without losses

It is very important for a farmer that the grown crop is harvested on time and without unnecessary losses. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the reliability of the combine harvester. For this, preference should be given to combines from a manufacturer that offers units with a good reputation and high-quality service support. It is better to choose well-known brands that have a wide dealer network, which means no problems with service andspare parts. The distance to the dealer is also of great importance, so that if a service engineer or a spare part is needed, you do not have to wait for a long time. Some dealers offer 24-hour service during the harvest period, and this can also be an argument in favor of a particular brand.

A reaper is important for productivity and...unfortunately not universal for all occasions. But there are options..

When choosing a combine, you need to pay attention to its completenessharvesters, attachments, etc.

A simple but very important rule: the productivity of the combine should never be greater than the productivity of the harvester. There is nothing worse than an underloaded harvester. Underloading the threshing-separating system leads to a decrease in the quality of threshing and the appearance of significant losses.

This especially applies to rotary harvesters. As additional equipment for combine harvesters, which are supplied with them, there are harvesters of various types, pick-up platforms for separate harvesting, corn harvesters of different widths of grip,adaptations for harvesters for harvesting rapeseed, sunflower, soybeans and other crops.

As for the harvesters themselves, their role in the efficiency of the combine is sufficient important, and it is worth dwelling on them in more detail. The combine harvester determines the ability of the unit to receive and process the formed flow of bread mass. The main determining parameter on which the performance of this task depends is the harvesting width.

For combines that are intended for farms, a sufficient harvester harvesting width should be 4-5 meters.

An important characteristic of a harvester is the intensity of the knife movement (cycles per minute) of its cutting apparatus. It affects the ability to cut the stems of the crop with high intensity. For low-performance combines, this parameter is within 1100 - 1220 cycles/min. This intensity of cutting ensures optimal loading of the thresher, and does not limit the working speed of the unit.

And it is also very important about the correct choice of harvesters, because it guarantees a large part of successful harvesting operations.

Even before purchasing a harvester, it is important to decide on the crops that are, or in the future may appear in the crop rotation of the farm.

As a rule, in the basic configuration, the combine harvester is prepared to work with crops of the grain group, and is equipped with a grain header. But in the crop rotation of the farm, a small share of the area can be allocated to soybeans. But the farmer does not pay attention to this and plans to harvest all the crops with one harvester, believing that in this way he saves on the purchase of what he thinks is an extra machine. This approach is a gross mistake, and here's why.

On a grain harvester, the minimum cutting height will be at least 20 cm, while all the most productive soybeans are located at a height of 15 - 10 cm. As a result, up to 15% of the crop will be lost. In this case, the right decision would be to purchase a universal harvester with a flexible knife drive, and you can pay for it with soybeans in 1-2 seasons. In addition, such a reaper will be needed when collecting fallen bread.

The right decision would be to purchase a universal header with a flexible knife drive

When assembling a combine, it is worth paying attention touniversal headers of the "vario" type with variable feed table length from the cabin. Such harvesters, as a rule, can be easily converted for harvesting various crops, including rapeseed (vertical side knives are installed), and the cutting height of the stems can be easily changed.

Controllability and stability of movement

It is important to pay attention to the kinematic characteristics of the combine - controllability andstability of movement, as well as the ability to work in difficult terrain conditions. The harvester must perform high-quality harvesting both on flat straight areas and on a field that has a slope or a complex geometric configuration.

Are electronics always a panacea?

Modern harvesters have automatic adjustment of various parameters directly from the cab, so they can be adapted to a certain crop quite quickly. There are a large number of sensors that monitor the quality of threshing and losses. But you should not choose a combine harvester model that is excessively "stuffed" with electronic control and management systems for the harvesting process. First, it complicates the harvester and also makes it more expensive. And secondly, during work, it is still necessary to take samples from the bunker from time to time and verify with your own eyes the quality of grain cleaning and the absence of damage to it, because usually these characteristics of threshing are monitored with the help of a video camera, which will not always show the real state of affairs. It is also necessary to control the losses - evaluate the spilled grain after the harvester and behind the combine.

What do we do with the straw?

When a farmer plans to buy a combine, he must first of all clearly understand what to do with the non-grain part of the crop. When it comes to straw, there are two options: chop it and spread it evenly over the field surface, or stack it in a bale for further picking up with balers. Combines with both options are usually chosen, so the combine must have a system for crushing and distributing plant residues that can work in different modes.

Harvester engine power

An important point in choosing a grain harvester is the evaluation of engine power. For combines with a classic threshing-separating device with a capacity of 5 kg/s, a power of 140-160 hp is sufficient. If it is a rotary harvester with the same throughput characteristics, then the engine should be slightly stronger, 150-180 hp.

Running system of the harvester

Evaluating the running system, it is necessary to first of all understand what load will be transferred to the soil from the own weight of the harvester with a harvester and a filled hopper. To prevent excessive soil compaction, the choice ofharvester tires should be based on load capacity, controllability, stability of movement and durability.

In conclusion..

To summarize a kind of conclusion, when choosing a combine harvester, a farmer should focus less on the popularity of the brand, and pay more attention to the price of the machine and give preference to those dealers who provide better service and guarantee the timely supply of spare parts.

It is better to give preference to those dealers who provide the best service and guarantee the timely delivery of spare parts

When choosing a type of combine harvester, you should take into account the natural and climatic conditions, the set of cultivated crops, their yield, the amount of work, the size and configuration of the fields, the relief of the area, etc. Other factors, although important, are not key in the choice. It will also not be out of place to visit the nearest geographically located fellow farmers and inquire about which combines are working in their fields.

The image of the combine is used as the title photoFendt IDEAL