Anyone who has harvested wheat knows the feeling. You pull up to the truck, check the grain tank, and the sample just isn’t as clean as you’d like. Often, a dirty sample is a sign the combine is working harder than it needs to.
When wheat isn’t fully threshed the first time through the rotor, unthreshed heads move into the cleaning system and create more tailings. That material gets recirculated back through the combine, which slows capacity and can increase grain loss.
The key to a cleaner sample is improving threshing and separation so the grain comes out earlier and the machine can keep moving material smoothly.
Start with Better Threshing
A big part of getting a cleaner wheat sample is making sure the grain is threshed properly on its first pass through the rotor.
Razors Edge Concaves are designed to do exactly that.
Their variable bar spacing design tightens where the crop first hits the rotor and opens up farther along the rotor path. This helps thresh grain more aggressively at the start while still allowing smooth material flow through the combine.
In the field, that can lead to:
- Better threshing early in the rotor
- Less unthreshed material reaching the cleaning system
- Reduced tailings load
- More consistent material flow through the combine
Another advantage is the notched bar design, which promotes grain-on-grain threshing. This helps separate kernels efficiently while minimizing grain damage.
Razors Edge concaves are also designed to handle multiple crops without needing cover plates or concave swaps, making them a practical setup for wheat, canola, soybeans, and corn.
Measure What Your Combine Is Losing
Even when the grain tank sample looks good, it’s hard to know how much grain the combine is leaving behind.
Looking at the ground behind the machine or kicking through chaff usually doesn’t give you the full picture.
That’s why many farmers use the ScherGain Drop Pan Solution System to measure real grain loss.
The system is straightforward: drop the pan under the combine, collect the sample, clean it, and measure it using the calibrated gauge and chart. Within minutes, you can see exactly how many bushels per acre are being lost.
Even small losses add up. Losing just half a bushel per acre over 1,000 acres means 500 bushels left in the field.
Clean Sample, Higher Capacity
When threshing is efficient and tailings are reduced, the entire combine runs smoother. Material moves through the machine instead of circulating back through it.
That means cleaner wheat samples, lower grain loss, and better harvesting capacity.
By understanding and addressing crop loss, you can significantly improve your bottom line without increasing your planted acreage or input costs. It’s not just about growing the crop; it’s about ensuring as much of it as possible makes it into the bin. Talk to one of our sales representatives about the ScherGain Solution System at 1-855-612-7006.