The earliest versions of the combine harvester used horses or ox and mule teams to pull. It came into being in 1835 when Hiram Moore patented the first farm combine in the United States. Since then, this versatile machine has come a long way and today does many things. The machine can cut the harvest, gather it into the harvester, thresh the grains, and reject the waste from the back of the machine. It also stores the grain in a grain tank inside the harvester.
The Importance of Farming
Before the farm combine came into being, about 90% of the people worked on the fields growing and harvesting crops. Farming is vital for our survival, and though mechanization has taken away much of the strain, harvesting still is an important part of our farming operations. By 1839, the harvester could harvest 50 acres of crop using 20 horses.
Introduction of the Farm Combine
It wasn’t until 1911 that the Holt Manufacturing Company introduced the first self-propelled farm combine. In the 1920s, John Deere, along with Case Corporation, came through with a version that has a tractor to pull it. The harvester also had an engine onboard to power the mechanism. This machine got its name from the way it combined all the harvesting operations, which is cutting, gathering, threshing, and separating in one unit.
Used to Harvest Many Crops
Among the many crops that use this combined reaping, threshing, and winnowing operations of the farm combine are maize corn, barley, rye, oats, wheat, canola, sunflower, linseed, soybeans, and sorghum. The separated straw gets left on the field, which comprises the stem and leaves of the crop. They spread the straw on the field and they get chopped and then baled or plowed back into the field.
Advantages of the Modern Concave
A lot of gear goes into the combine harvester such as gears, conveyors, augers, blades, wheels, levels, and belts. Modern farm combine harvesters use the latest technology to give you splendid results such as these:
● Decrease the rotor loss – It is usual to have a rotor loss of 2-4 bushels for each acre harvested. The modern combine stops this loss through its optimized design. This can amount to savings of up to $23,400 for every thousand acres.
● Time-saving – The modern farmer using the latest combine concave can use the same concave for all crops. It means he does not have to stop and change his concave at the end of the harvest season. It helps him save time and effort.
● No grain damage – It is usual to expect some grain damage during the harvest. But the modern concave keeps the harvester full always. Because of this, there is no squashing of the grains against the metal framework. So, there is no grain damage.
There are many more useful things about the farm combine that benefit the farmer. Such as one may increase the ground speed by 1-2 mph and increase the amount of crop harvested. This labor-saving invention has revolutionized the farming industry. Using superior machines gives you the best results while harvesting. Make sure you have cleaned and repaired the machine in time for the harvest season.