Combines in USA/canada

[snipe]

I seen a few of the videos of harvesting in Montana and Canada, cutting a variety of crops, regularly yielding 10 to 20 bushel at best, the farmers say a bumper yield would be 40 to 50 bushels. Cutting with a 45ft header at 6kph would be around 20ac/hour or between 5 and 25t/ hour. Why are they buying combine that are capable of 60 to 80 tons/hr. Seems a lot of expense for such light crops. Is it simply they need such big machines to lift a wide header?..
@Deerefarmer @Flatlander

 

[bravheart]

I seen a few of the videos of harvesting in Montana and Canada, cutting a variety of crops, regularly yielding 10 to 20 bushel at best, the farmers say a bumper yield would be 40 to 50 bushels. Cutting with a 45ft header at 6kph would be around 20ac/hour or between 5 and 25t/ hour. Why are they buying combine that are capable of 60 to 80 tons/hr. Seems a lot of expense for such light crops. Is it simply they need such big machines to lift a wide header?..
@Deerefarmer @Flatlander

Thought a lot it was cut by contract gangs that moved through the country, perhaps they need the capacity somewhere.

 

[snipe]

these are farmers own machines.

 

[le bon paysan]

I watch both Fast Ag and Welkers. Both have ' big' combines I should think to cover the acreage. North America has suffered droughts for the last couple of years, but with rain at the right time I would think the yields would be higher.
South Sask Kid had rain most of the year and has cut rye at 121 bushels to the acre. 37 bushels is approx the volume of a ton.

 

[TelesnaAg]

I agree, however, with front sizes, weight is required.

Also hp up those loose dirt hills robs alot from separator.

Using 790s when 770s would do is a valid question, pretty sure rated for 45 footer.

There may be better depreciation rates? Better availability?

Having the bunper crop covered with capacity may be a factor, hard to get additional combines that year??

Ant...

 

[Suffolk Serf]

As said, might be availability.
Used from the custom harvesters.
Also don’t forget that there are vast amounts of grain maize (“corn”) grown in the mid-west that can yield massively- up to 15t/ha.

 

[Deerefarmer]

Short answer is custom harvesting operations are working from a jobs completed/ acres covered standpoint. While some of the yields they encounter would work just fine through a smaller machine it would be a holdup in higher yielding crops/seasons.

 

[snipe]

But like Mike Mitchell and Welker farms, no custom cutting, no maize. crops in a good year of 50bushel and hardly any residue with a good dry climate. These machines are struggling to do 30t/hr

 

[TelesnaAg]

But like Mike Mitchell and Welker farms, no custom cutting, no maize. crops in a good year of 50bushel and hardly any residue with a good dry climate. These machines are struggling to do 30t/hr

Hills with full tank of grain unloading on the go takes alot of hp.

Ant...

 

[snipe]

Yes but these machines can do all that putting 80t an hour through them at 20% chopping 2t/ac of straw.

 

[Against_the_grain]

Also don’t forget that there are vast amounts of grain maize (“corn”) grown in the mid-west that can yield massively- up to 15t/ha.

15t/Acre

 

[Against_the_grain]

I also cannot understand it. A big 6 walker machine with a 40ft header on would be far cheaper to own and operate imo for a lot of those guys on cereals with lower yields (mike mitchell etc...)

 

[76masseyman]

I also cannot understand it. A big 6 walker machine with a 40ft header on would be far cheaper to own and operate imo for a lot of those guys on cereals with lower yields (mike mitchell etc...)

But probably far less interest to their YouTube audiences, then less ‘likes’ then less revenue !

 

[David.]

Welker we're running an AF10 last week. It was cutting happily at 9mph with 50ft Flex Draper.
Just about same output as their two 8230s combined.
Large amount of acres, spend on expectation of average yields, and hope for better.
He was cutting wheat at 18-24 bushes, until he got to a low spot or a runway, where the increased moisture availability had the yield meter straight up to 40bu.
They were rained off cutting, stood in the workshop looking at the wet bouncing off the yard, and commented that if that rain had fallen during the growth phase, it would probably have been worth $100k.
A different world and philosophy.

 

[Magnus Oyke]

15t/Acre

580 bu/acre? Half that, maybe

 

[Flatlander]

15t/Acre

580 bu/acre? Half that, maybe

david hula has corn yield over that but for most 300 bushels is a good crop.

 

[Flatlander]

There are lots of variations in yields across western Canada. Places in dry land sk 30 bushels is a decent year. My area of Manitoba 30 is a crop failure 50 below average 60 the norm. The straw ti grain ratio in my area is different to dryer regions. My lexion 595 cutting 40ft last night was maxed out on power at 3.2mph. Wheat wAs yielding mid 80s. Lots of hard threshing wheats grown in Canada. I’d certainly buy more hp next time if only to not be maxed out all the time. Also when very dry conditions separating grain from short straw and chaff takes seive area and slows you down then add on chopping pretty much all the straw. My neighbour have just bought two x9deeres with 50ft heads. They are struggling to hit 3.5mph. These replaced three lexion760s and apparently not cutting the acres they were led to believe.

 

[Exfarmer]

580 bu/acre? Half that, maybe

the world record is 623 bushels , one farmer has consistently achieved over 600 bushels which is 15 tons
he irrigates and uses 5 underweight of Nitrogen / acre. not sure if this is N, Ammonia or possibly ammonium nitrate.
The average yield in all 6883 entries across the states for this years record challenge averaged 269 bushels which is 6.7 tons

 

[Magnus Oyke]

the world record is 623 bushels , one farmer has consistently achieved over 600 bushels which is 15 tons
he irrigates and uses 5 underweight of Nitrogen / acre. not sure if this is N, Ammonia or possibly ammonium nitrate.
The average yield in all 6883 entries across the states for this years record challenge averaged 269 bushels which is 6.7 tons

When ~I worked in the US, admittedly nearly 30 years ago, 200bu was a good crop off irrigated land

 

[Exfarmer]

When ~I worked in the US, admittedly nearly 30 years ago, 200bu was a good crop off irrigated land

Sadly I have never visited this part of the world , something I must do