Harvest 2019

I heard a story a few years ago about a farmer wanting to buy a either a new Claas or NH Combine. He bought the Claas because it was cheaper. But the reason it was cheaper was that Claas persuaded him that he didn’t need as big a Combine as NH did.

After harvest, the farmer complained to Claas that he struggled to get his harvest finished and was the last farmer still Combining in his area.

To which Claas replied that on various dates the driver had stopped for Lunch and Tea. And that on various dates, the Combine didn’t unload on the move!

Apparently, Claas know what each Combine is doing at any time and can even switch it off if the payments for it aren’t made.

That’s Telematics but you have to pay for that privilege. Last time I looked it was £1000/year. There’s a combine league table so people can have a ‘Cock off’ about outputs but it’s there for diagnosing issues like most of the manufacturers are doing now.
 

Pilatus

Member
Location
cotswolds
I heard a story a few years ago about a farmer wanting to buy a either a new Claas or NH Combine. He bought the Claas because it was cheaper. But the reason it was cheaper was that Claas persuaded him that he didn’t need as big a Combine as NH did.

After harvest, the farmer complained to Claas that he struggled to get his harvest finished and was the last farmer still Combining in his area.

To which Claas replied that on various dates the driver had stopped for Lunch and Tea. And that on various dates, the Combine didn’t unload on the move!

Apparently, Claas know what each Combine is doing at any time and can even switch it off if the payments for it aren’t made.
I suppose the operator getting off to spend a penny, would be classed as down time by Claas !!! For goodness sake despite the comforts of modern machinery the operators are HUMAN not b....y robots!:banghead:
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
I suppose the operator getting off to spend a penny, would be classed as down time by Claas !!! For goodness sake despite the comforts of modern machinery the operators are HUMAN not b....y robots!:banghead:
I absolutely agree.
But the driver is not allowed to get off to have a pee. He must do so from the top of the steps to save time.

And having to stop because the grain trailer hasn’t got back from tipping is a cardinal sin!
Even if you do use this time to lean the dust off the windows.
 

Zippy768

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dorset/Wilts
I heard a story a few years ago about a farmer wanting to buy a either a new Claas or NH Combine. He bought the Claas because it was cheaper. But the reason it was cheaper was that Claas persuaded him that he didn’t need as big a Combine as NH did.

After harvest, the farmer complained to Claas that he struggled to get his harvest finished and was the last farmer still Combining in his area.

To which Claas replied that on various dates the driver had stopped for Lunch and Tea. And that on various dates, the Combine didn’t unload on the move!

Apparently, Claas know what each Combine is doing at any time and can even switch it off if the payments for it aren’t made.

Claas are always turning my old Dominator off.
Already this harvest they have turned it off for broken elevator chains and a broken steering ram.
The yearly September bill is always paid on time as well :scratchhead:
 

Pilatus

Member
Location
cotswolds
I absolutely agree.
But the driver is not allowed to get off to have a pee. He must do so from the top of the steps to save time.

And having to stop because the grain trailer hasn’t got back from tipping is a cardinal sin!
Even if you do use this time to lean the dust off the windows.
Or grease the rotor bearings,which Claas service engineers recommend greasing twice a day, despite what operator manual says.
 

tw15

Member
Location
DORSET
That’s Telematics but you have to pay for that privilege. Last time I looked it was £1000/year. There’s a combine league table so people can have a ‘Cock off’ about outputs but it’s there for diagnosing issues like most of the manufacturers are doing now.

Do they compare the green strips aswell .
 

WRXppp

Member
Location
North Yorks
I suppose the operator getting off to spend a penny, would be classed as down time by Claas !!! For goodness sake despite the comforts of modern machinery the operators are HUMAN not b....y robots!:banghead:
When I drove a combine I used to get off every 2 hours just for a quick walk round just to make sure everything is as it should be, trailer lads where to busy on phones etc to have a quick look for losses, plus you could make a tweak get more performance hence make up the stood still time anyway, or was I just old fashioned!
 

bankrupt

Member
Location
EX17/20
trailer lads where to busy on phones etc to have a quick look for losses,

Yes, even the best combine trailer lads now seem to have been spoilt by the contract forager trailer syndrome.

With grain, the trailer lad is responsible for making a good load - on the forage haul it's always the forager driver.

With grain, an occasional good look down close behind the machine can be highly beneficial - behind the forager it's not.

With grain, every load has a big individual value, and possibly a different treatment required ahead of storage - not so often with forage.


So, whilst queuing up behind one's mates to take off the next load of grass what better use of dead time than to concentrate upon one's 'phone?


And - hey presto - only a month or so later, and we're all on to a difficult grain harvest with no spare time and no dead time, but those bad habits always seem to die extremely hard.

:angelic::angelic:
 
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Renaultman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Darlington
Bit of rain last night, early this morning but this wind has done a great job. Mascani oats 16,% on the headlands just waiting for my trailer man to fill the drier with another load of 20% wheat :(
15660515461071152729523853535444.jpg
 

bankrupt

Member
Location
EX17/20
Bit of rain last night, early this morning but this wind has done a great job. Mascani oats 16,%

Slight difference here, Renaultman, seems to be that whereas your Mascani are all still vertical, ours are mostly horizontal - and 28%.

:D:D

Not good news at all for all our remaining 10% or so uncut Mascani in terms of milling quality.

And what this weather's actually doing to next door's global milling wheat global farm platform one can only speculate.

 
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bankrupt

Member
Location
EX17/20
Don't look over ripe in the trams so perhaps
only just ripe.

Ours looked very similar 15 days ago, since when it's blown a gale three or four times and rained every day.

Should have cut it all then, dried it twice and, if necessary, said goodbye to the straw.
 
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Pilatus

Member
Location
cotswolds
Are stripper headers any good in a year like this?
I believe @Clive has run one in the past,but had high losses in wheat.
I have used one in the past in extremely brackled barley and also standing barley and I would say it almost doubled the capacity of the combine with acceptable losses.
Not a cheap option but perhaps one for those D/D amongst you , with disc Direct drills to briefly think about.
Why the stripper headers have such high wheat losses in the uk always baffles me.
If you can almost double the output of your combine for the cost of a stripper header, and you except the losses and can cope with the standing straw must have some merit in it.
Know doubt I am missing something,as there are very few about on uk farms
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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