So which year do you chose for combine capacity?

[Pilatus]

2018 was very dry,2019 very wet(down south”). So if you are thinking of changing your combine for 2020 , would you
stay with combine capacity you have or go for a larger combine/combines new or second hand.

 

[David.]

It is getting that you need a big enough combine to cut it all in a week, everything always ripe together lately.
Used to seem be far more time when I was a kid, and 12ft was a big binder then..

 

[Adeptandy]

As big as I can afford, but I'd max out at 25 foot header, 30 foot + seems far to much to look at imho on my patch of dirt

 

[Drillman]

When was the last time you heard a farmer say I think I will buy a smaller(insert machine name) next time?

 

[pdagriservices]

2012!! Then you will have no problem with capacity in any other year!

 

[nick...]

Allways buy the biggest you can afford
Nick...

 

[PSQ]

If your buying used, then 'go large with all the extras' as it will be nearly the same price as the smallest model in the same range with basic spec. Looked at a Tucano 430 (no chopper) at auction, bought a similar houred 480 with all the options ticked for not too much more.

If new, then it's a very different proposition.

 

[curlietailz]

think 24’ header is big enough to be able to cut effectively. It’s tricky to see both ends on a much bigger header
But then we only have 800 acre to cut so it’s horses for courses

I think 4x4 or tracks and a massive grain bit may be more essential than a big header

 

[Pilatus]

I guess the big problem of moving up to a larger combine is coping with the extra output ie more grain trailerage, more wet grainstorage etc etc, which all has to be financed

 

[Steevo]

think 24’ header is big enough to be able to cut effectively. It’s tricky to see both ends on a much bigger header
But then we only have 800 acre to cut so it’s horses for courses

I think 4x4 or tracks and a massive grain bit may be more essential than a big header

A small machine can only take the crop in as fast as it can handle it, regardless of header size.....at least a big machine can go faster with a smaller header to keep the hungry machine full.

In wet years a big header is probably not much fun with flat crops.....though I guess the payoff is you may have more capacity to get it done before it goes flat.

Our 6 walker is much slower harvesting a big Skyfall crop than non-awned wheat as it bunches in front of the auger. It's only got a 20' header, but a bigger header wouldn't speed things up at all as it can't get up the throat of the combine any quicker.

That said, a vario header would make all the difference and stop this bunching.

 

[fudge]

We grow two wheats followed by a break crop. We can cut the wheat in seven full days I am comfortable with that. In our costal climate a hybrid combine works really well in a range of conditions.

 

[teslacoils]

Smaller combine. Bigger drier. I can cut 120ac in a day. ....but in the last ten days I've only had one cutting day as the grain just won't dry. Half decent drying facilities and I'd have cut three times as much with a considerably smaller machine.

 

[Steevo]

Smaller combine. Bigger drier. I can cut 120ac in a day. ....but in the last ten days I've only had one cutting day as the grain just won't dry. Half decent drying facilities and I'd have cut three times as much with a considerably smaller machine.

Not just bigger drier....but simple/non-labour intensive drying system.

For me it's not the (fuel) cost of drying that makes it awkward, but the effort needed doing it all in 15t batches with a manual drier. If I had a system with on floor drying, or an auto drier with large tipping pit and direct discharge into the the grainstore so when the trailer is tipped it handles most of the rest itself that would revolutionise things.

 

[Brisel]

I budget for 2 weeks of rain during harvest and have bought a combine with that in mind. If I were buying second hand I'd by an even bigger one to allow for more breakdown time.

 

[Steevo]

I budget for 2 weeks of rain during harvest and have bought a combine with that in mind. If I were buying second hand I'd by an even bigger one to allow for more breakdown time.

How many days of dry weather do you budget for?

I'm just curious how your wet/dry ratio compares.

Much also depends on spread of crops - historically winter barley harvest has been reasonable, with wheat more of a struggle, and September harvested crops easier too.

 

[Brisel]

How many days of dry weather do you budget for?

I'm just curious how your wet/dry ratio compares.

Much also depends on spread of crops - historically winter barley harvest has been reasonable, with wheat more of a struggle, and September harvested crops easier too.

Since I don't grow winter barley, I aim to finish harvest in 6 weeks starting 21st July. Add in 2 weeks of wet weather and that drops the output by a third. To cut 2200 acres in 6 weeks then needs a combine capable of well over 3300 acres to allow for moves between fields etc. That means a daily work rate of over a hundred acres without moves between fields, breakdowns etc. So far I have 10 days of recorded rainfall but you can nearly double that by the time you've allowed for time to dry out enough afterwards.

 

[fudge]

Since I don't grow winter barley, I aim to finish harvest in 6 weeks starting 21st July. Add in 2 weeks of wet weather and that drops the output by a third. To cut 2200 acres in 6 weeks then needs a combine capable of well over 3300 acres to allow for moves between fields etc. That means a daily work rate of over a hundred acres without moves between fields, breakdowns etc. So far I have 10 days of recorded rainfall but you can nearly double that by the time you've allowed for time to dry out enough afterwards.

Do you have a budget figure for average moisture content and therefore drying costs? As others have said the two figures go hand in hand with combine capacity. Having drying floors available means we can dry rape relatively quickly and hopefully the same applies to a few beans but I would not have the ability to dry our entire wheat harvest so a proportion of that (at least 1/3) has to be harvested dry.

 

[Steevo]

Since I don't grow winter barley, I aim to finish harvest in 6 weeks starting 21st July. Add in 2 weeks of wet weather and that drops the output by a third. To cut 2200 acres in 6 weeks then needs a combine capable of well over 3300 acres to allow for moves between fields etc. That means a daily work rate of over a hundred acres without moves between fields, breakdowns etc. So far I have 10 days of recorded rainfall but you can nearly double that by the time you've allowed for time to dry out enough afterwards.

Thanks. So you aim to be cutting two days out of three during that six week period?

 

[Brisel]

Averaged across the harvest period, that’s what I usually get. Not big rainfall amounts this close to the south coast, but more frequent than inland. 53mm rain since 18th July plus whatever has come down today in 10 days of measurable rain in a month, so over 1/3 of days harvesting lost already.

That’s still better off than most north of the Wash...!

 

[Daniel]

Got 15 acres of wheat and 30ac canary seed left to cut out of 350 ac, had to dry about 15% of the wheat, Tucano 430. Seems about right, the wheat left is shedding pretty badly now and another windy weekend forecast.