Your job doesn’t end once you’ve had your new (or used) combine harvester shipped to the farm; you’ll also need to determine which type of header attachment is best for the job you’ve got in mind. If you choose the wrong header, you could experience unwanted hiccups during the harvesting season; you may even see a reduced grain quality and yield, which has a knock-on effect on your profits (and nobody wants that!).
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Headers are available in a myriad of shapes and sizes, often with specialized purposes. It can be easy to identify the right type of header if you look at how the original equipment manufacturer segments the products available for purchase, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also get confusing. Plus, with the right transport company, (like Tractor Transport) header transport services are easy! Below, we’ve taken the time to introduce you to the most commonly used combine headers and which crops they’re most suited to. As a quick introduction, these are the header types we’ll be discussing in a little more detail:
- Corn headers
- Draper headers
- Grain headers
- Auger headers
- Flex headers
- Pick-up headers
- Sunflower headers
Corn headers are primarily built to aid with the harvesting of row crops, including corn. Corn headers have cones that are designed to fit neatly between cornrows. Between these cones, the header has gathering chains that snap the stalks using knife rolls. The cut stalks fall to the ground while the crop heads are fed into the auger at the back of the header, which then transfers the corn into the combine’s feeder house.
Suitable for: Row crops where stalks aren’t needed, corn, and soybeans.
As the name suggests, this is a more specialized header. However, it’s commonly used in many U.S. states such as South Dakota and North Dakota, which produce millions of pounds of sunflower seeds each year. Although it does resemble a corn header, usually there are sunflower trays that are fitted to the cutter bar to keep heads and seeds in the front of the header, while a head snatcher component speeds up the harvest and optimizes seed collection.
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Suitable for: All sunflower varieties.
Harvest is more than just a season–it’s the result of months of planning and hard work. To get the most out of your harvest, you need efficient tools. That means matching the best combine header with your specific crops to ensure maximum yields. For Midwest staple crops like corn, wheat, and soybeans, the right combine header makes all the difference in minimizing loss and maintaining crop quality. Now, let’s break down the importance of header selection for your Midwestern harvest.
Corn: Row Crop Header
Farmers in the Midwest–especially Indiana and Ohio–are no strangers to corn harvesting. A corn head, or a row crop header, is designed specifically to strip ears from stalks and effectively manage residue.
Recommendations
- John Deere Corn Heads are designed to maximize yield and reduce transport time between fields. Browse all corn heads for desired residue control, profile, stalk deflectors, and more.
- Look for key features like row spacing compatibility, hydraulic deck plate adjustments for varying stalk sizes, and stalk roll options based on desired residue.
Soybeans: Flexible Draper or Auger Header
Soybeans grow close to the ground, and losses from missed pods can add up quickly. That means the ideal header should neatly hug the terrain for minimal crop loss.
Recommendations
- John Deere’s RDF HydraFlex drapers are designed to harvest crops as close to the ground as possible, minimizing unnecessary loss.
- For smaller operations and flatter fields, consider a flex cutting auger platform. Where terrain is simple, opting for a flex auger header can help to cut down on cost.
Wheat: Draper Header
Wheat can be a fragile crop, especially in high-yield operations. For straight cutting taller crops like wheat, a draper header is an excellent choice, ensuring even feeding to maintain throughput and reduce product loss.
Recommendations
- On flatter fields, opting for a rigid draper platform will result in a faster, more efficient harvest. On heavily varied terrain, a flexible draper platform will work slower but maximize yields.
- Leverage Active Header Height Control with your X Series or S Series Combine to minimize crop damage.
Tips for Combine Header Selection