Editor’s Note: Many sunflower producers utilize row-crop combine heads. Numerous others opt for a harvest attachment that has been 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
With over 46 years of experience, Bish Enterprises continues to lead agricultural innovation.
Headquartered in Giltner, Neb., Bish Enterprises designs, engineers, and manufactures all products in-house, including their header adapters and the versatile SuperCrop® Series.
The SuperCrop head is ideal for harvesting sunflower, sorghum, popcorn, hemp and more, offering exceptional adaptability across multiple specialty crops. This specialized row-crop combine attachment merges the precise row-by-row harvesting of classic John Deere headers with the cutting-edge efficiency of platform and draper heads. Each row features individual snouts that guide the sunflower heads to a sickle bar cutter located at the rear of the row unit, enabling a clean, low cut — down to 15 inches if needed. This rear-positioned cutter excels at harvesting lodged or downed sunflower crops without damaging seeds.
Crucially for sunflower producers, Bish Enterprises’ dual-brush design in the SuperCrop head virtually eliminates seed loss during harvest, ensuring that more sunflower seeds are captured rather than lost on the field.
The SuperCrop head is engineered to maintain consistent performance across various crop conditions, whether harvesting dry or green material.
— For More Information —
(402) 849-2674
www.bishenterprise.com/
Flexxifinger
Convert your conventional header to a sunflower harvesting header with Flexxifinger® QD Industries Inc.’s sunflower harvest pans and their patented Quick Detach (QD™) system.
Using the Flexxifinger QD system, it is possible to install and/or remove Flexxifinger sunflower pans in minutes.
Our reel attachment product, the Flexxifinger Advanced Feeding System™, uses curved panels to deliver a uniform crop flow, thus reducing losses further.
— For More Information —
(306) 642-4555
www.flexxifinger.com/
General Implement Distributors
SunStorm & SeedEater
Jamestown, N.D.-based General Implement Distributors markets the NARDI “SunStorm,” manufactured in Italy. This is the 10th 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 to guarantee safety and minimal seed losses. Optional brushes can be installed between the pans, further eliminating seed loss during harvest.
This revolutionary new-style head comes in three sizes, up to 50’, with affordable pricing. There’s a U.S.-based repair/parts source, and the SunStorm comes with a two-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. “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.
— For More Information —
(866) 974-2182 or (701) 251-2182
www.generalimp.com/ www.midmach.com
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-inch-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-foot 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 crop feed to cutting.
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.
— For More Information —
(701) 852-1876 or (320) 252-4633
www.geringhoff.com/
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 attachments are used on John Deere, Case IH and New Holland heads. Golden Plains has a model for the JD 40/90 Series headers, 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.
— For More Information —
(800) 255-8280
www.goldenplains.com/sunstar/
Hamilton Systems / Fantini
Fantini has been a foremost combine header manufacturer since 1968, specializing in corn and sunflower headers. The Fantini headers are designed to fit all makes and models of combines, offering a wide variety of options.
The Fantini sunflower/sorghum headers are designed to harvest the crop correctly with minimum losses. The Fantini sunflower header is simple, reliable and requires minimum maintenance. Stalks are held by unique rubber blocks on the gathering chains and are immediately cut by rotating disc knives to prevent shaking and seed loss. The knives are a self-sharpening, counter-rotating disk cutting system. The specially designed collection pans slope rearwards and help reduce header losses to virtually zero. (The gathering chains and rubber blocks can last up to 10,000 acres.)
As the header incline is adjustable, the collecting pans can be set to slope rearwards at almost any cutting height. The points (snouts) also are adjustable, ensuring maximum pickup of downed ’flowers. The auger is designed to ensure the most efficient transfer of harvested material to the combine with minimum damage and loss, facilitating maximum harvest efficiency whatever the harvesting conditions. Headers come with auto height and row sense and optional stalk stompers.
Fantini sunflower and corn headers are available from four to 18 rows and come in various widths. Our headers come with an unmatched industry leading four-year warranty on row unit transmissions and drivelines.
Fantini company and factory is owned and operated by Hamilton Systems, Inc.
— For More Information —
(800) 454-3875
www.fantini-na.com
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.
— For More Information —
(800) 797-1883 or (701) 797-2700
www.sheyennemfg.com/