Combines What is acceptable header loss from a Hugger IJ

conditions vary year to year. This year due to spring floods, summer drought, and fall floods we have had the worst field losses in history in corn. All brands. Butt shelling was bad because if the header was not run a max the damp stalks wouldn't go through. Corn reel companies made a killing this year in the mid south. Corn fields look like broadcast corn due to warm weather. You can tell where the Gleaners run as there are no super green ribbons of corn marking every pass in the field . At least we spread ours out . We still do have less loss as a whole though. The hugger heads with a corn reel did a very good job in terrible conditions. As to your question in specifics my Dr. Brother used to run corn harvest loss tests at field days in W Ky. few years back. They found the majority of the losses in all brands were from the corn head over 90% of the time. (everyone was going slow knowing there was a 'test') The grain ledge on the Gleaner corn head stripper plates were the consensus as to reason we came out on top in lowest loss. Of course having a variable speed corn head didn't hurt as well.

We are seeing higher losses at the head in corn this year too - over here in WI - also a Hugger. So it's probably just the year like tbran mentioned. It's kind of disgruntling (is that even a wordIJ!) since we've got rotor losses down to next to nil since Hyperizing our R52 this summer. If we would've had a "normal" year, our losses would have been the lowest we've ever seen. One other thing, I've noticed lower head losses the dryer the stalks get. Take care- Tom langan

I have the auto reel speed hooked up to the corn head and I believe from past experience this reduces head loss when changng forward motion or stopping in a row. Surprisingly, the kit was very inexpensive from parts. With snow in the forecast, I am not spending much time doing kernel counts. leaving a crop in the field during a snowstorm is worse than anything a combine can do. Tom in MN

Sounds to me you did every thing you can do. We had same problem here in S.E. MI. Our corn came off at 16% moisture, never shelled corn this low, we are use to 19% and up. Randy

Yes Mr. langan, disgruntling is a word.

In those situations we try to pick "dirty" hoping the husks keep a few kernals from splattering around. Also, maybe all the trash brushes some kernals into machine. Probably just makes us feel better because with all the trash coming in we can no longer see kernals get away