Draper vs vario combine header

[dirty harry]

Hi there, just after opinions on draper type headers please? Such as mcdon, Convio etc?
What are maintance & running costs like?
Are they worth the £ premium over a vario type?
Do they increase combine efficiency vs vario?
cheers dh

 

[dirty harry]

....?

 

[Brisel]

I've never tried cutting osr with a draper but I have with variable knife units. The loss of seed under the edges of the belt and lack of auger would worry me the most but I haven't used a more modern draper. The last one I used was a triple belt Mac Don in Australia in 2000 for wheat, sorghum & sunflowers. The modern Convio & MacDons do seem to have oilseed rape cutting designed in better.

You'll have to wait for the more up to date guys like @Tom H and @ajd132 for a more informed comment

 

[Shutesy]

....?

Our new combine has John Deere's new HD flex header on it with belts and a top auger (mainly with crops such as OSR or beans in mind) so the equivalent of a Claas Convio. I'm pretty sure it will be a good 10% minimum more output compared to a standard type header whether vario or not. Even feeding with all the heads laying one way going into the combine must be an advantage as well as the flex of the header following the ground better. Not a clue on maintenance and running costs yet sorry but we felt it was worth the cost over a non-flex header type especially at the width we were buying (12m). The Deere header has 'grain-saver' belts with ridges (not sure how else to describe them) to prevent grain from rolling back out of the header.

 

[Norfolk Olly]

If it was a choice between air con or a mac don, I’d go for the the header. You’ll buy one thinking it will be great for cutting rape but then see the difference it makes cutting wheat also

 

[dirty harry]

So do you reckon a 35ft draper would be as good or better than a 40ft vario? Output/efficiency wise? Just trying to work out if the £ premium is worth it? Cheers dh

 

[Tom H]

I've never tried cutting osr with a draper but I have with variable knife units. The loss of seed under the edges of the belt and lack of auger would worry me the most but I haven't used a more modern draper. The last one I used was a triple belt Mac Don in Australia in 2000 for wheat, sorghum & sunflowers. The modern Convio & MacDons do seem to have oilseed rape cutting designed in better.

You'll have to wait for the more up to date guys like @Tom H and @ajd132 for a more informed comment

It was always the issue with the original draper type headers. Its now not a problem. far from it. Fantastic bits of kit, what ever the colour. The new generation drapers that are coming through now and have the next few years have a deeper belts too. So make feed in tall crops even better.

 

[Tom H]

So do you reckon a 35ft draper would be as good or better than a 40ft vario? Output/efficiency wise? Just trying to work out if the £ premium is worth it? Cheers dh

In a standing wheat crop on a nice afternoon the standard wider header will have more output. In the same situation but at ever end of the day they will be similar. At the very end of the day the draper will go for as long as you or combine want too. In anything laid the draper is without a doubt king. Very regularly it's happily going when a auger header can't. They are fantastic in all these random crops we grow. I would of thought ours saved thousands of pounds harvesting low podded beans last harvest. no issue with barley wanting to not feed when damp. the list goes on.