Crop quality is a big deal in pricing pulse and canola crops. Getting high-value, high-volume crops cut and profitably binned has recently prompted major advances in flex header technology.
In the past two decades, growers have come to depend on flex headers to cut low and gather more grain, especially in canola and pulse crops. There’s a growing understanding that an early fast harvest means less risk and more money in the bank account.
In the past two years, all header manufacturers have introduced new flex technology in the quest to efficiently gather every possible kernel.
Geringhoff
Lucas Hoff, Geringhoff representative for Western Canada, said combines are larger and more powerful than ever, so it makes sense to operate them at maximum efficiency.
“It doesn’t make sense to invest in such a combine unless you have headers to keep it working at optimal efficiency. A half-empty threshing system just wastes your money, especially in high-value crops like pulses.”
Geringhoff makes no bones about it. Its target clientele are growers who want a premium header, said Hoff during an interview at the Ag in Motion outdoor farm show held in July near Saskatoon.
“For example, we’re the only header manufacturer with a two-year warranty. We’ve always had that. We wouldn’t have a long warranty period unless we knew our headers last longer,” said Hoff, adding that it all hinges on having a really flexible cutterbar.
Hoff said the flexible cutterbar on both TruFlex and TruFlex Razor employ ground-detecting sensors across the full width of the header. He said this is the secret to near-ground-level cutting.
Short drivelines reduce weight and enhance mechanical efficiency, as does the dual-drive unit in the middle for better contour following. The flexible cutterbar is available on the 30-foot Flex plus the 35-foot and 40-foot TruFlex Razors. Only the TruFlex Razor is available in Western Canada. This 45-foot unit is designed for prairie conditions, whereas the other models are sold mainly in Eastern Canada.
The lightweight flip-over reel is designed for an unobstructed view of the middle of the cutterbar for better control and visibility at the middle of the head.
The integrated air system was engineered for gentle treatment of sensitive crops that require special harvesters featuring the appropriate technology to minimize losses caused by seeds and pods that have escaped the reel. The system blows air, causing a large percentage of escaped seeds and pods to be blown to the draper belt and fed to the threshing system. The integrated air system is available on the TruFlex and TruFlex Razor.
“Farmers growing beans and pulses and other short crops buy the TruFlex Razor because it has far more flexibility than the competitors. Our 45-foot header has more than three feet of flex.
“Geringhoff in Europe paints a big percentage of our headers green for John Deere combines. In the U.S., a majority get red paint to match up with Case combines. On the Canadian Prairies it’s a mix. But of course, we can paint any colour a customer wants.”
MacDon
MacDon field representative Russ Henderson said that with the company’s new FD2 flex header, farmers can cut back to just four combines from five and even six.
“If you’re looking at nearly $1 million for a combine, with (the) FD2 technology (it) lets you cut your overhead by $1 million or $2 million. Plus, you cut your manpower requirements. That’s become more of a factor every year. There are numerous reasons farmers are upgrading to the FD2,” he said in a recent phone interview.
- 20 percent more capacity
- 30 percent greater ground speed
- 25 percent more cutting surface
- 70 percent more flex
The 50-inch-deep deck with 50-inch-deep drapers delivers 20 percent more material to the feeder house, compared to the previous 42-inch draper. This deep deck is available in 30- to 50-foot configurations.
“The extra capacity of the big draper is aimed at the growing number of guys straight-cutting canola. It’s so bushy that it wants more room to move across the header. That’s also why we have the cross auger. Just to move that bulky bushy crop. Almost 100 percent of farmers in Western Canada tick the auger option.
“Most of the new ground speed comes from our cutting system. The sickle section is 25 percent longer than before so there’s more cutting area. And we can speed up that section a bit. It took one of our veteran engineers eight years R and D to arrive at the optimum geometry for the sickle-to-guard angle for nice clean cutting while using the least amount of energy. That allows us to go faster.
“In tough conditions, you think you can’t go any faster. It gets all ragged and there’s dog whiskers sticking up everywhere. With the new geometry of the cutting components and bigger sickle section, we’ve had guys running 30 percent faster ground speed with their FD2.”
Henderson said the active float system is independent of the combine’s auto header height control. The mechanical system supports up to 97 percent of the weight, allowing the FD2 to float over ground fluctuations. Instant float response lets FD2 cut close to the ground without pushing dirt.
“With the FD1 we used to have five inches movement in both up and down. Now we have 8.5 inches both up and down for 17 inches total.
“We have an adjustable linkage on the wings that connects to the centre section of the header. Weight of the wings pushes against the centre section, so it’s like a counter balance, working against each other, much like a teeter totter. Our website video shows a guy standing at the end of a wing, gently moving it up and down through the entire range of motion, with only his fingertips. That’s how the header just dances across the field.”
The ContourMax innovation was invented by a Saskatchewan farmer and bought by MacDon. It’s a simple hydraulic system controlled by four strategically placed contour wheels supporting five percent of the header weight. Before they bought the design, MacDon headers had only two stabilizer wheels supporting the header at two points. The header wouldn’t stay level across the whole length.
ContourMax supports the header with four wheels, allowing the operator to run in full flex mode off the ground. This results in uniform stubble across the entire field at whatever height the operator wants, from one inch up to 18 inches.
“When the contour wheels move up a little bit, the sensors tell the combine to lift the feeder house just a little bit. They also tell the combine when to tilt, to account for the lateral tilt mode. The combine still carries 95 percent of the header weight.”
Claas
The ConVio Flex came on the scene three years ago to answer the needs of pulse growers who wanted their cutterbar to follow the field contour, said Greg Frenvel in a phone interview from his office in Kansas.
Available in widths up to 45 feet, ConVio uses a flexible knife bar, cutter table and side belts, allowing the cutterbar to follow contours, said Frenvel. He said the design promotes a close harvest on low-podding stalk crops such as soybeans, with minimal losses.
Canola options include feed augers at left and right with a diameter of 425 millimetres in the upper area of the cutterbar rear wall and canola knives that are changeable without tools.
To minimize losses, the central trough is closed underneath by rubber lips. The raised rear wall prevents bouncing grain losses.
A number of automatic functions are integrated in the CEBIS terminal, including automatic belt speed, which matches belt speed to ground speed of the combine. A belt slippage and stopped belt warning allows the driver to intervene early.
There are two modes of the reverse function to eliminate problems quickly on the go. A button on the control lever reverses the centre and side belts while the machine is moving. A toggle switch on the armrest reverses the reel, the centre belt and feeder housing.
ConvioFlex has four auto contour modes. In cereal mode, the cutterbar table and knife bar are rigid. In isolated areas of laid crop, the operator switches from rigid to flexible at the touch of a button on the go. In flex mode, the knife bar follows the ground contours on skids, with a total flex range of 225 mm (90 mm upward and 135 mm downward).
In auto contour flex mode, the cutterbar uses sensor data to continuously determine the best position for an optimal crop flow and ground contour following, as well as the lowest cutting height. This results in extremely low front attachment losses in low-growing crops.
The innovative reel has automatic torque control that uses an adjustable cam track for uniform crop flow under all conditions. The flip-over design prevents the crop from wrapping on the reel. In laid crops, the reel lifts the crop before it is cut.
In cereals, this results in a significant reduction in front attachment losses. The reel is driven hydraulically, with an automatic torque control that prevents the tines from digging into the ground.
Honey Bee
The AirFlex draper was introduced in 2015 and has improved with upgrades since then, said general manager Jamie Pegg in a phone interview.
Rather than bringing out new models every few years, Honey Bee headers are in a state of continuous evolution.
The company’s new draper tensioning system is designed to provide smooth, consistent operation. Although AirFlex is the main product sold in Western Canada, Honey Bee also offers the SDX flex draper in Eastern Canada, but it doesn’t have the same cutter height control in the rigid mode.
In flex mode, both headers are the same and they closely shave the ground, ideal for soybeans, peas and lentils. Centrally driven knives provide increased durability, enabling a lighter streamlined crop divider.
The AirFlex air suspension is light, fast-reacting and infinitely adjustable. The optimized header height system keeps the header at the perfect height in all terrains. Reversible mechanical drive lets the operator unplug the combine directly from the cab. The drapers, knife drive and feed auger run in reverse.
Pegg said farmer demand has driven the move to flex-draper headers, and the new tensioning system is Honey Bee’s response to that demand. A draper gives the crop an easier ride with less loss than an auger. Still, Honey Bee offers an optional cross auger in place of the standard panels at the back.
“We try to provide exactly what farmers want. So, we offer the cross auger because there are light crops like lentils or mustard that require an auger to get the product into the feeder house,” said Pegg, adding that most farms have a rotation without such light crops. Another new option is gauge wheels, which some producers prefer over the height sensors.
Looking from a side view at any combine with the header installed, it’s hard to fathom how 6,000 or 8,000 pounds can hang, leveraged out in front of the machine, and still function properly. Honey Bee literature stated that its headers are lighter and put less stress on the combine.
“One major weight-saving factor is mechanical drive. We eliminate all those heavy hydraulic hoses and motors. The other thing we do is move as much machinery as possible to the back of the header, close to the combine, so it’s not bouncing around way out in front.
“Our air system is controlled by height sensors that let the cutter float right next to the ground. Lower weight makes the header more responsive to the ground contour. More weight would make the control system less responsive. We have the lowest cut of any company in the flex business.
“We’re unique compared to other manufacturers. Our cutterbar stays on the ground. We don’t have wings that go up and down. If you’re comparing apples and oranges, our published header weight includes all the adaptors and associated hardware. Some companies publish the weight of a stripped-down header. That makes it difficult for farmers to make accurate comparisons. We publish the weight the combine actually takes.”
John Deere
Deere’s new 50-foot HDF HydraFlex head incorporates enhancements from its previous flex headers, according to factory representative Jonathon Hanney in Saskatoon. He said an important time-saving feature is the header control module.
“All new headers coming out of the factory have a header control module on the head itself, not on the combine,” said Hanney.
“In the past, if you needed to switch headers between combines, you had to run a calibration to ensure proper height control. This new module keeps all calibrations stored on the header. So, if you’re switching combines, you just drop one header, pick it up with the other combine and go cutting again. It totally eliminates wasting time on calibrations.
“The centre canvas section is independent of the two wings. Hinge points allow a really tight fit between reel and cutterbar. Wing travel is two feet up and two feet down, plus there’s one foot up and one foot down at the feeder house. We have a two-speed gearbox that runs our centre canvas, and that’s separate from the drive of our feeder house run.”
Hanney said the cutterbar has one sickle section with two knives spanning four inches. If it hits a stone and breaks a section, the other knife will continue cutting. It won’t leave strips down the field because of a rock. He said it gives farmers two opportunities to make sure they are cutting everything.
Height adjustment is automatic and integrated into the operator station. The operator hits resume, takes his hand off the controls and the header runs itself. That includes contouring, real speed, canvas speed, plus up and down height control.
Fendt DynaFlex 9350
When Agco introduced its Ideal combine, it wanted the all-new Fendt to have an all-new flex head.
“As a result, we developed the DynaFlex 9350 here in North America. The Ideal combine is also compatible with some third-party headers like Geringhoff,” said Agco public relations manager Bob Blakely in a phone interview. He added that the new DynaFlex line is compatible with all other Agco combines.
Because operators switch headers and combines during harvest, Agco engineers introduced AutoDock. It takes five seconds to automatically couple all mechanical, electrical and hydraulic connections. A single hydraulic cylinder in the middle of the elevator frame mechanically locks the attachment. At the same time, two couplings push out to connect the p.t.o. drives. AutoDock connects the multi-coupler separately to the attachment and the machine. An RFID code detects the attachment and retrieves the last settings used for that unit. AutoDock allows operators to connect and disconnect the header without leaving the cab.
TerraControl provides control over the widest attachments, automatically guiding the header at the desired inclination to the ground. It also handles resetting, ground pressure, various pre-selectable cutting heights, lifting when reversing, reel speed, positioning and headland management.
The Schumacher cutterbar runs at 1,220 cuts per minute. Crop is carried on the PowerFlow belts to the SuperFlow auger, which measures 76 centimetres in diameter and occupies the entire width of the feed. Operators can also choose from a variable speed and different power settings. With a variable table drive, the two-stage crop elevator is always attached. Speeds between 250 r.p.m. and 525 r.p.m. allow for adjustment without tools.
Gleaner DynaFlex 9300
The 9300 Series DynaFlex features a redesigned hydraulic system to maximize flotation and cut quality. Both sides have their own accumulator that absorbs movement and increases response performance. Flotation pressure is adjustable from the cab.
Cutterbar angle is optimized to get the best cut at the lowest height and features independent dampened tilt arms every 30 inches throughout the length of the head. It has eight inches of range of flexibility for rolling conditions.
A drag rod sensor uses a drag rod on each end of the head, triggering the automatic height and tilt system to operate when the head is carried above the ground.
The Headsight drag rod sensor is a trusted source for ground sensing. The device includes four sensors positioned just behind the cutterbar. Two sensors are positioned at each end and two sensors are located on either side of the header centre point. Four sensors give the best ability to sense the contour of the ground when the header is carried off the ground.
The hydraulic header pitch uses hydraulic cylinders so the operator can change the pitch of the header to match ground conditions. Cylinders on either side of the header interface change the pitch relation between header and the ground. When the surface is hard, the operator can pitch the header forward to keep the end skid shoes flatter on the ground and extend the life of the skids. When the surface is soft, the operator can pitch the header back to prevent pushing dirt with the cutterbar. The operator uses two buttons located on the MFA to change the pitch of the header.
The variable-speed drive allows the operator to adjust the gathering belt speed on the go, promoting smooth, even and efficient feeding in various conditions. The side draper canvases are 41 inches deep and move at a variable speed between 384 and 602 feet per minute and a fixed speed of 557 feet per minute. A v-guide is built into the header to provide consistent tracking and alignment.
The stainless-steel belt guard on the front provides long wear life and smooth transition from the cutterbar to the drapers. The inner belt roller has a scraper installed to prevent material buildup.
The finger drum auger is recommended for crops with large volumes of material that must be compressed before entering the feeder. Retractable fingers grab the crop, convey it to the feeder, and then retract to prevent wrapping. The finger drum is good for canola or cereal grains cut at the ground.
Stabilizer wheels improve the responsiveness of the automatic header height control, and ground contouring, while helping protect the feeder house. The movement of each stabilizer arm is dampened using a torsion spring at the pivot. The operator can set the stabilizer wheels in one of four different positions: Storage, Transport, Low-cut, High-cut. The operator can also store the wheels on the header.
