For decades, if farmers wanted to use a stripper header instead of a conventional header on their combine, they bought one from Shelbourne Reynolds. In recent years, new manufacturers including K-Hart Industries and Applequist Manufacturing have entered the market giving farmers more options to choose from.

“Originally, stripper headers were purchased to be used as either disaster recovery tools or to increase combine capacity,” said Daniel Morris, general manager of Shelbourne Reynolds. “Stripper headers have consistently been able to harvest crops damaged by rain, wind, or hail better than conventional headers. By running mostly grain through the combine and not much other material, combine ground speeds can be increased and sometimes two combines with conventional headers could be turned into one combine with a stripper header.”

Interest in stripper headers is on the rise, according to the manufacturers AEI spoke with in part, because of the agronomic problems they help farmers manage or solve. In addition, the specialized headers allow farmers to harvest at faster speeds and under reduced engine load, saving fuel and reducing wear and tear on their combine, while extending their harvest windows so more get harvested per day.

Adam Reid, vice president of sales, marketing & product support at K-Hart Industries, says more farmers are looking at ways to conserve moisture and manage residues, particularly in dry areas.

“Standing stubble helps catch snow and provides some protection from wind for seed emergence in the spring. There are also practical benefits at harvest; farmers can often travel faster because less material is going through the combine, reducing fuel and saving time. The combination of those agronomic and harvest benefits is why more farmers are taking a closer look at stripper headers now.”

Stripper headers tend to be in demand in dryland areas with a heavy rotation of cereals, said Reid, particularly where moisture preservation is a priority, that includes the Prairie provinces in Canada and the Great Plains in the U.S. 

You can find extended coverage on the stripper header market in the October issue of Ag Equipment Intelligence. 

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