German combine header maker Geringhoff has produced its first 20-row folding corn (maize grain) version that when unfolded spans a total width of almost 16.0m.
This year marks the 140th anniversary of the family-owned company, and what better way to kick off the celebrations than make the monster header, which was built at the Ahlen factory in Germany as a one-off special for a South African customer.
The company has delivered a header of a similar width before for South Africa, where crops are grown on a range of different row spacings from 50cm to 100cm, but then rigid and with fewer row units. It has supplied a number of 13-15m (12-15 row units) headers, but this is the first time it has supplied a folding 20-row header.
Adding extra row units is not as easy as it sounds and the additional weight on the outer edges of the wings meant that the complete header, which sees two folding five-row units fold over the top of the rigid central 10-row frame for transport, was re-engineered from scratch.
The plan is to fit the 7.3t custom-made header to a John Deere S790. Geringhoff does not rule out making another 20-row version in the future, but we will probably not see it in Europe or North America. In Europe the standard row width is 70-80cm and eight-row headers are the most common. Most North American farms work with 50cm or 75cm row widths which are harvested using 12-16 row headers.
Corn headers must surely be reaching the limits in terms of the lift capacity of all currently available flagship combines. The burning question now is should the company ever be asked to make an even wider version then is it possible?
“We always believe it can’t get bigger, but farmers around the world are still finding ways to produce more efficiently,” says Geringhoff product manager Hendrik Schneider. “In developing the 20-row version we have shown that we are ready to respond to specific customer needs and are prepared for what is ahead of us.”
