DGJ, every year we harvest rye-grass which is damp crop. The bars have not been an adventages there. In rye-grass there is lot more rumbleing from the rotor house since we installed the 9 bars last year. About horsepower comsumption, yes in damp crop they need more power, but in ordinary crop there is no difference. Straw quality - well, I don't see any difference, perhaps your will be able to see a difference if you let two combines work side by side, one with bars and one without IJIJ Straw behind the machine looks often strange to me, I have harvest wheat on one field where there were almost nothing behind me, next I move to another field and there are lot of straw. It depends on sort and often how much rain it has got prior to harvest. beacon