A timely, efficient grain harvest represents the season’s only payday for investments in management, expensive inputs, and hours of personal and hired labor. 

Every binned kernel counts to the bottom line, which leads farm equipment makers to build larger and more efficient harvesters and provide other upgrades to reduce grain loss in the field.

This year’s new harvest capacity enhancing gear includes a bevy of combine introductions, some new threshing components from aftermarket suppliers, a large new folding flexible header and a pair of productivity improving autonomous digital systems for grain carts. The following examples were curated by editors at No-Till Farmer.

New Combines Bring Efficiency

CASE IH/NEW HOLLAND. CNH set the ag media abuzz at the National Farm Machinery Show in 2024 with the introduction of the Case IH AF-11 and New Holland CR-11 Class 10+ combines as its entries into the top tier of harvest capacity.

Both machines have similar spec sheets leading off with power from a 6-cylinder, Tier4 Final, 15.9L FPT Cursor engine rated at 775 horsepower maximum, fed by a 396-gallon fuel tank. The machines feature 567-bushel grain tanks and an unloading rate of up to 6 bushels per second.

The CNH twins feature dual threshing rotors with 3 concaves each powered with a hydraulic reversable CVT drive and can handle a 61-foot small grain header and up to an 18-row corn head. Residue management includes a standard 3-paddle disc spreader capable of 45-feet distribution with in-cab spread width controls. Optional IntelliSpread on the…