Harvest · August 2025 · 5 min read
Proper combine settings can make the difference between acceptable harvest losses and leaving bushels in the field. Taking time to adjust header, rotor, and cleaning settings for current field conditions maximizes the grain you bring home.
Set corn head gathering chains and snapping rolls to pull stalks aggressively without shelling ears before they reach the feeder house. Start rotor speed at the manufacturer recommendation for corn, typically 350–500 RPM for axial-flow combines, and adjust based on sample quality. Concave clearance should be wide enough to avoid excessive cracking but tight enough to thresh cleanly — begin wide and close gradually.
The chaffer and sieve work together to separate clean grain from cobs and husks. Open the chaffer first to handle the high volume of corn material, then adjust the sieve to control how much fine material reaches the clean grain tank. Fan speed should be high enough to blow out light trash without sending whole kernels out the back — increase gradually until you see kernels in the tailings return.
Check harvest losses by counting loose kernels on the ground behind the combine in a 10-square-foot area. Two kernels per square foot equals approximately one bushel per acre of loss. Walk behind the header to separate pre-harvest and header losses from threshing and cleaning losses, then adjust the specific system causing the greatest loss first.
🌽 Estimate your harvest numbers:
Try the Yield Calculator