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Slick New Way To Stop Grain Loss On Sidehills
"No one will ever know how many billions of dollars worth of grain have been needlessly lost out the back of combines on rolling ground," says Leland Harris, a Missouri inventor, who's come up with simple new grain saving deflectors that stop grain build-up along combine sidewalls and "virtually eliminate grain loss on
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Slick new way to stop grain loss on sidehills COMBINES Accessories 10-3-1 "No one will ever know how many billions of dollars worth of grain have been needlessly lost out the back of combines on rolling ground," says Leland Harris, a Missouri inventor, who's come up with simple new grain saving deflectors that stop grain build-up along combine sidewalls and "virtually eliminate grain loss on hillsides."
Harris worked with his son, James Richard Harris, to develop the low-cost grain saver.They farm 2,200 acres, all of it rolling ground near Miami, Me. "We couldn't justify the cost of a sidehill combine," says Leland.
The grain saver consists of two 48-in. long angled deflectors that mount on the sidewalls of the combine just above the cleaning seive.
Small metal paddles that mount along the top angle of the deflector acts as grain "flippers", throwing grain outward and back toward the front of the sieve. Air forced up and under the bottom of the deflector helps blow grain and chaff away from the sidewalls.
"The problem on sidehills is that crop material gravitates to the downhill side rather than spreading out over the shoe so grain goes out the back without being separated. Hydraulic leveling costs as much as $14,000," explains Harris.
He notes that grain can pile up against sidewalls in combines operated on level ground, too. "It's one of the main causes of combine grain loss. Return augers help but they don't solve the problem."
The stainless steel deflectors fit all makes and models except New Holland (they hope to adapt to those in the future) and install in 30 min. with a drill and pop rivet gun. No modification, other than a few holes in the sidewalls, is necessary and the deflectors can be moved from combine to combine. "They're built heavy and will outlast any combine," says Harris.
Deere & Co. plans to install the new deflectors on an experimental combine, according to Harris. "Company officials told me they may market the unit once the patent wins final approval. When we showed it to Deere engineers, their first reaction was, 'why didn't we think of that?' " says Harris.
Owners of sidehill combines are interested, too. Bill Schwerin, of Walla Walla, Wash., who manufactures "precision tuned concaves" which have been featured in past issues of FARM SHOW, plans to install the deflectors on his own hillside machine.
There are four different lengths of deflectors to fit different makes and models. Some models require special mounting brackets. The deflectors sell for $290, which includes UPS delivery. Harris is looking for dealers.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Leland H. Harris & Sons, Rt. 1, Miami, Mo. 65344 (ph 816 529-3408).
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