Combine harvester is one of the most commonly used farm equipment used across the world. Usually referred as “combine”, it is a significant but complex machine that is designed to proficiently harvest large amount of grain out of the crops. A modern combine harvester is capable to harvest tons of grains from largest fields in a single day.
Combining the three essentials functions of harvesting like reaping, threshing and winnowing is the reason its known as combine. It is capable of harvesting different types of crops such as
Corn
Wheat
Flax
Sorghum
Barley
Rye
Canola
Sunflowers
Oats, etc.
Different types of headers are required in order to harvest each type of grain efficiently in a combine harvester.
Since many years now farmers are using self-propelled combines created in 20th century and remain in use today. Before buying a combine a farmer needs understand if this equipment is best for their farm or not, as it is very expensive like tractors. Know in this read about combine harvesters and if it is right for your farm and how you can get the most from your farm using a combine when it’s harvesting time!
How it Works?
A combine harvester is able to cut down tons of grains in minimum time and also reduces costs associated with harvesting which makes it an essential piece of farm equipment. While driven them through a field of crops, it mechanically performs all the harvesting steps. It cuts, threshes and cleans the grains by using various parts like rotating blades, wheels, sieves and elevators.
Then the grain is collected in a tank inside the machine which usually empties into a tractor trolly when filled up running along with, while the stalks and chaff exits though the pipe and falls back at the back of the machine into the field. The processes and components are quite complex of the machine, this is why farmers also need training to work with it.
Different headers are used for different crops attached to the front of a combine that cuts the crops with a broad cutting bar so that internal mechanism can begin such as threshing and cleaning the grain. Take a quick look on the breakdown of the complete process:
- The header gathers the crop while running through the field.
- The reel along the cutter bar, then pushes the crop towards the cutter
- The cutter snips it at its bottom
- Crops are moved towards the threshing drum to beat and shake grains
- The grains falls into the collecting tank falling through sieves
- The chaff and stalk falls back of the combine into the field
- Lastly, the collected grain is transferred up an elevator and send to unloaded into a tractor trailer.
A farmer should choose a combine machine very carefully, if only once he is assured about its usability on his farm, as its one of the most expensive agricultural machinery like a tractor, due to the complex and heavy engine. However for grain farmers that grow grains all through the year on large scale, this machine can be worth an investment.
