Draper-style small grain harvesting platforms cost 30% to 40% more than auger-style platforms. Does the performance of draper platforms justify the higher price?
“Our testing shows a 30% improvement in productivity with our draper platforms [as compared to augers],” says Jason Strobbe, MacDon North American sales manager. “Everybody looks at reduced grain loss from drapers, but increased ground speed, improved feeding, being able to harvest longer hours in a day and other factors contribute to the better ROI.”
One of the most noticeable differences when running a draper platform is fewer soybeans rattle off cab windows on hot, dry days. For years “reel shatter” has been mistakenly blamed for that expensive, annoying rattle.
That loss is often a result of the interaction between the reel and the auger, explains Matt Badding, John Deere tactical marketing manager. He cites the proximity of the rear of the reel that’s rotating upward to the front of the auger that’s turning downward. “You generally run the reel on auger platforms down and back, close to the auger. With drapers you run the reel farther forward and higher, and the grain falls onto the belts without any tumbling or churning, so there tends to be less grain loss,” he adds.
Reduced grain loss with draper platforms can be a big advantage.
“The money you gain from reduced grain loss can eventually pay for the extra cost of a draper,” says Brent Kvasnicka, senior marketing product specialist for combines at AGCO North America. “If you’re losing an extra bushel per acre with an auger platform and have 1,000 acres of beans, at $10 per bushel that’s $10,000 you’re saving on top of the less obvious benefits of a draper.”
Along with his AGCO duties, Kvasnicka makes the wheat run from Texas to Canada each year with three of his family’s five Gleaner combines.
“Our combines perform better under a wider range of conditions with the draper platforms,” he says. “We still use auger platforms for some crops, so we get a good comparison between the two styles. An auger platform that’s adjusted and operated properly can match the grain loss of a draper, but drapers have benefits beyond reducing grain loss.
“Where the drapers really shine is under adverse conditions—short crops, tangled crops, early in the morning and late at night,” Kvasnicka says. “They let us start an hour or two sooner in the mornings, and run an hour or two later at night.”
Draper platforms also offer intangible benefits. The width of the belts places the cutterbar farther forward, providing the operator a better view of the cutterbar’s performance. The upward tilt of the belts toward the rear of the platform tends to keep rocks and debris toward the front of the header and more visible to operators.
Kelly Kravig, Case IH harvest marketing manager, says there’s more to the ROI from a draper platform than merely reduced grain loss.
“You can often run 1/2 mph to 2 mph faster with a draper,” he says. “Which means you get done faster, maybe pay for less hired labor and put fewer hours on the combine.”
For tips to optimize performance of draper-style grain platforms, visit Draper Platform Learning Curve.
