In today’s time and age, farmers may still look forward to weather forecasts, but their success is no longer a game of chances. Technology has, in large part, enabled them to outwit elements and factors that previously resulted in lower yields such as pests. Thanks to modern harvesting equipment, such as grain carts, the harvesting process no longer has to take ages. Below we take a look at how this particular cart has changed the world of farming.
Grain Harvesting Three Decades Ago
About three decades ago, the harvesting process was pretty daunting and time-consuming. It required three pieces of equipment, the combine hopper, the gravity wagon, and a tractor to pull the wagon.
The farmer would first drive the combine to the field to pick corn, once it was full, he/she would then drive back to the end of the field and unload grain on the awaiting wagon, and then drive the combine hopper back to the field again to continue harvesting. While this was far more efficient than manually harvesting grain, it meant a lot of time wasted driving to and from the gravity flow wagon. It also slowed down the harvesting process, and was also quite costly.
Then Came the Grain Carts
Wondering what changed? Grain carts came into the picture! They’ve transformed the entire harvesting process significantly. These carts have large floatation tires, which means they can be pulled anywhere in the field without getting stuck. These carts are game-changers in that the farmer can unload the corn into them, while the combine continues to pick more grain.
To do this, the person driving the tractor pulling the cart will pull up next to the combine, drive at the same speed and once they’re on the same speed level, the driver operating the combine hopper will press a button to begin unloading the corn into the cart. They will then continue driving at the same speed until the cart is full.
This usually takes about two minutes, after which, the person driving the cart will drive to the awaiting semi and unload. All this while, the combine hopper is still picking the corn which means no time wasted. Thanks to this, these carts are said to enhance the efficiency of a combine hopper by a whopping 25% and, consequently, increase the production capacity. A higher harvesting capacity means more grain reaches the market on time, and in turn, more profits.
Planning to invest in one? Here are some factors to know before you do
The Size You Need
The larger the combine hopper, the bigger the cart size you need. Therefore, before you set your eyes on any specific cart, consider the size of your combine hopper to determine the right cart size for your needs. Also not to forget that if you opt for a large cart, then you’ll need a powerful tractor.
Future Plans
If you’re looking to expand your operations, then you’ll need a large cart. This is because the larger the harvesting field, the more the grain you’ll need to harvest, and a small cart just won’t cut it. Therefore, if you’re planning to expand in the future, it would be wiser to get a big cart from the word go.
