Harvesters For Sale in United Kingdom

About Harvesters

The harvesting equipment available includes combine harvesters, forage harvesters, grain dryers, potato harvesters and self-propelled forage harvesters. Most of these machines represent a substantial investment, so it is worth investing the time and effort to do your research and get that purchasing decision right.

The combine harvester, as the name might suggest, is a complex machine that combines the jobs of reaping, threshing and winnowing. The basic set-up has not changed that much over the years, and the sequence remains the same. A header chops the crop, which is then fed into a threshing chamber. In this chamber the straw and chaff are separated from the grain, which is then sent to a shoe. Selecting the right combine harvester for your needs is a matter of sizing the machine\'s capacity against the demands of your acreage. You should also check that the technology and components being used are applicable to your crop. You need to look at the width of the headers and the throughput capacity of the machine. You should also look at the maintenance costs and check that all key components are in good condition. If you are looking at one of the more recent models of used combine harvesters, you should also give some thought to the instrumentation and telematics available. In the more modern machines, the combine can almost operate itself.

Forage Harvesters vs. SPFH

There are plenty of forage harvesters on the market that can simply be used as implements attached to the tractor, but for extensive silage-making needs, a self-propelled forage harvester can be a real time-saver. The self-propelled forage harvester mechanism consists of a drum cutter head fixed with knives. The knives cut the crop and blow the silage out of a funnel and into the trailer. Different crops require specific cutting knives, and the self-propelled harvester you choose should obviously be capable of accommodating implements to suit your crops.

These can be swapped out pretty quickly to change between crops. The machines vary greatly in size and capacity, and care should be taken to select a machine with the right characteristics for your farm. At the top of the range you will find machines with 11-metre cutting widths and throughputs of 400 tonnes an hour, but there are also far more modestly sized machines.

The world of harvesting equipment also includes specialised crop harvesters such as potato harvesters. These more niche machines are developed to take the pain out of harvesting these crops and can be a superb boon to productivity.

Inspect The Used Harvesting Equipment

Whatever type of harvesting equipment you are considering, it is vital to give the machine a thorough inspection and, if at all possible, a test run. If buying from a dealer, you should ask about any warranty, and you should also consider the purchase of a maintenance agreement, especially for the larger and more expensive pieces of kit such as combine harvesters and self-propelled harvesters.