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Header Attachments & Conversion Kits
Thursday, August 1, 2024
filed under: Harvest/Storage
Editor’s Note: Many sunflower producers utilize row-crop combine heads. Numerous others opt for a harvest attachment specifically designed for sunflower. Still others employ special conversion kits for fitting to their corn head.
These pages introduce several attachments and conversion kits available on today’s market. The information has been provided by the respective companies and then edited as necessary for use in The Sunflower.
Contact details are included for those growers who wish to further investigate a given company’s products.
Bish Enterprises
Bish Enterprises relies on more than 46 years of industry experience to create innovative yet inexpensive solutions that meet the challenges of traditional and nontraditional farming. We are famous worldwide for our Header Adapters and SuperCrop Heads, which are designed and fabricated in-house.
The SuperCrop head is a row-crop combine harvester attachment that performs like the old John Deere row-crop headers combined with the cutting technique found on today’s platform/draper headers. Points, or snouts, are located between each row to gather and guide material to a sickle bar cutting mechanism located at the back of the row unit. With the cutter bar at the back of the row unit, farmers are able to pick up down crops while still managing to cut at a minimum of 15 inches.
The first-of-its-kind SuperCrop head can harvest a variety of row crops, including sorghum, popcorn, hemp, sunflower and more. It limits seed shatter due to its proprietor cutting and feeding mechanism, green material being harvested as easily as dry conditions, has a full rigid auger that allows consistent feeding while reducing chances of loss, and its adjustable row-unit angle for easy cutting in normal or adverse conditions such as extreme dryness, broken stalks, variable height, etc.
Flexxifinger
Convert your conventional header to a sunflower harvesting header with Flexxifinger QD Industries Inc.’s sunflower pans and their patented Quick Detach (QD™) system.
Using the Flexxifinger Quick Detach (QD™) system it is possible to install and/or remove Flexxifinger sunflower pans in minutes.
Their reel attachment product, the Flexxifinger Advanced Feeding System™, uses curved panels to deliver a uniform crop flow, thus reducing losses further.
General Implement Distributors
SunStorm & SeedEater
Jamestown, N.D.-based General Implement Distributors (formerly West Country Products) markets the NARDI “SunStorm,” manufactured in Italy. This is the seventh year on the U.S. market, but it has been successfully used in Europe for well over a decade.
The SunStorm is a rowless head, handling all row spacings with ease. Mounting adapters allow its fitting on most late-model combines. The low-maintenance head decreases shatter loss and promotes a fast, efficient harvest. A slip clutch protects the single gearbox, and a lightweight, reinforced rigid frame provides stability. The reel auger turns very close to the dividers (pans) and works like a shovel. It is set to time perfectly with the sickle movement so as to be gentle with the ’flower heads. Reel distance from the feeder auger is designed to guarantee a smooth, continuous flow of crop.
Shield position can be changed manually or hydraulically for a more-aggressive harvesting, depending on the ’flower type. The dividers are designed for the best penetration among all row spacings, gently driving the ’flowers to the knives. Seeds that may eventually fall from the ’flowers are collected inside the dividers. A metal net covers the auger and to guarantee safety and minimal seed losses.
This revolutionary new-style head comes in three sizes, up to 47’, with affordable pricing. There’s a U.S.-based repair/parts source, and the SunStorm comes with a one-year warranty.
General Implement Distributors has distributed the “SeedEater” sunflower harvesting attachment since 2006. MIDMACH (formerly Midwestern Machine), its manufacturer, has been making the attachment since 1986. The product underwent an extensive makeover in 1994 to improve its fit, function and aesthetics.
Along with sunflower, the SeedEater also has been used successfully in milo.
The SeedEater is available with pan widths of nine or 12 inches. Overall attachment widths range from 18 feet to a newer split-unit 40-foot attachment.
“Key features of the SeedEater include a heavy-duty 16-gauge drum with specially designed fingers to move sunflower heads gently but positively to the auger,” according to General Implement Distributors. “It also has heavy-duty 14-gauge pans with strong design and extra-long dividers for more-positive row alignment.
“The SeedEater is easily mounted on your own combine header and can be easily removed, if desired, to use your platform on other crops,” the company adds. “The pans are mounted on a tube frame; the drum can be rolled off the reel arms onto the pans for off-season storage. The chain binders release on the back of the header, and you are ready to back away from the SeedEater.” This process can be done by one person in about half an hour.
Geringhoff
Geringhoff has been a trusted partner to farmers around the world since 1880. Our lineup of sunflower harvesting solutions are designed to maximize the capabilities of your combine and help you speed through even the toughest conditions, while gently harvesting sunflower heads and seeds.
— Geringhoff SunLite Sunflower Head —
Our SunLite sunflower head uses 7” wide tapered pans to gently capture crop, guiding it to the cutter bar while the integrated seed catcher prevents seeds from dropping to the ground. Its curved auger trough design results in an optimum crop flow, and the gentle handling of the crop greatly reduces losses. Using reliable mechanical drives for the auger and sickle, the SunLite requires less power than the competition.
SunLite sunflower head is available in 25’, 30’ and 40’ working widths.
— Geringhoff Sunflower Adaptor Kits —
Growers can transform our Elite Series corn heads into the ultimate sunflower harvesting system with Geringhoff sunflower kits. Choose between Passive or Active Sunflower Kits to meet the unique characteristics of your field and crop, and prevent crop loss with the optional Sunflower Adapter Screen.
Passive Sunflower Kit
• Adapters for the Passive Sunflower Kit feature a hardened-edge cutting knife that is mounted between the deck plates. These knives separate the sunflower head from the stalk. This design reduces disturbance of the head during harvest and substantially reduces shatter. Clamped between the deck plates, the adapter retains any seeds that may accumulate and transfers them back to the auger trough.
• Passive Sunflower Kit includes chain extenders bolted onto the lugs to ensure a consistent feed of crop to the cutting edge.
Active Sunflower Kit
• The Active Sunflower Kit adapters feature a single rotating disc system driven by the gathering chain and a deck plate cover for enhanced seed retention. Recommended for higher sunflower acreage farmers, the Active Sunflower Kit provides a more aggressive cut while reducing wear and maintenance.
• Active Sunflower Kit includes chain extenders that are bolted onto the lugs to ensure a consistent feed of crop to the cutting edge.
Sunflower Adapter Screen
• Add the optional Sunflower Adapter Screen to help redirect sunflower seeds into the trough. Back and side extensions mount to the head to prevent crop loss and help maximize yield retention. These are especially helpful in down or lodged crops where a low cut is necessary.
Golden Plains Ag Tech
Golden Plains, based in Colby, Kan., has been marketing the “SunStar” sunflower harvesting system for more than a quarter century, serving customers in North America and South America along with additional countries.
SunStar corn head attachments are used on John Deere, Case IH and New Holland heads. Golden Plains has a model for the JD 600 Series and 700C corn heads, the Case 2200, 2400 and 3200/3400 Series, and the New Holland 96C, 98C, 98D, 966 and 974 heads.
SunStar is designed to take advantage of the unique physical characteristics of the sunflower stalk. For that reason, sunflower is the only crop that can be harvested while the SunStar attachments are installed. However, the attachments are installed and removed quite easily, so the grower can quickly switch from ’flowers to corn, or vice versa, if needed.
“With SunStar conversions installed on the producer’s corn head, he can move quickly through his standing ’flowers with a very small loss,” says Golden Plains Ag Tech. “He will be able to lift lodged stalks and move the heads into the combine with minimum loss.” Sunflower heads enter the cross auger “with the heads unbroken and six to 12 inches of stalk still attached to the head.”
SunStar has no moving parts and requires no physical modification for attachment to the corn head. “There is only one simple adjustment which is usually made once per season,” according to Golden Plains.
Hamilton Systems, Inc.
Fantini
Fantini has been manufacturing combine headers since 1968, specializing in corn and sunflower heads. Every farmer knows costly breakdowns and resulting delays can hurt your bottom line. Technologically sophisticated, yet simple, the Fantini heads perform and excel where others cannot. High-efficiency, low maintenance PTO-driven gearboxes eliminate slippage and power loss to provide outstanding performance even in the toughest conditions.
The sunflower/sorghum heads harvest the crop with minimum losses and require minimum maintenance. Held by unique rubber blocks on the gathering chains, the stalks are immediately cut by rotating disc knives to prevent shaking and seed loss. The knives are a self-sharpening, counter-rotating disc cutting system. The points (snouts) are adjustable, ensuring maximum pickup of downed ’flowers. The sunflower heads have a wavy belt option available on the row unit gathering system for harvesting sorghum. The side crop augers on the corn heads are known for picking up downed corn in the worst conditions.
Built for longer working life, higher acreages and lower cost of ownership, these headers come with an unmatched industry-leading four-year warranty, and are available from two to 18 rows with 20- to 38-inch spacing. Heads are available with auto height and row sense and optional stalk stompers. The Fantini company/factory is owned and operated by Hamilton Systems, Inc., Drayton, N.D.
Lucke Manufacturing
The original Lucke sunflower harvesting attachment dates to 1966. Lucke presently offers nine- and 12-inch pan width options with its non-reel system.
Other options include liftrods for lodged plants and roller tips that are particularly useful in solid-seeded fields.
We now have sunflower systems for Case IH 35’ headers and 40’ headers and also flex headers.
Sheyenne Sunmaster
The Sunmaster harvest header by Sheyenne Tooling & Manufacturing has been produced in the United States — at Cooperstown, N.D. — since 1995. The Sunmaster is the premier header for all conditions of sunflower: lodged, broken, diseased. Tough harvest conditions can damage sunflower fields to the point where everything looks lost. But the Sunmaster’s unique dividers gently lift and align the plant back into its according row. The rear placement of the knives to the gathering chain cuts the stalk or head, ensuring minimal head loss.
The Sunmaster has gone through extensive cosmetic and engineering changes. The ACT (Active Clutch Technology) was introduced in 2015 to meet the demands of customers who demanded more clutch strength. The update provided 30% more strength and a flawless transition from varying field conditions. Later, the Sunmaster was given an aggressive auger to help feed more product into the combine. The aggressive teeth allow for faster harvest speeds through standing ’flowers.
Sheyenne backs all Sunmaster headers with sales support and service. The company offers in-field training with all customers to help ensure their questions are answered on site.
Sheyenne is in development of an all-crop Sunmaster capable of running in sunflower, corn and milo. Keep checking the Sheyenne Facebook page, Instagram and website for progress updates.