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Post by rod on Sept 4, 2021 16:20:19 GMT -6
Canola has jumped in value for harvest'21 ...... & here in OZ there's likely to be average to above average yields (so long as the weather plays fair in spring) … & there's going to be a higher focus upon machine losses at harvest time. All fair enough!
However, machine total ownership & operational costs have also increased …. as everyone knows!
So let's look at these numbers & see what impact a much higher canola price has on the overall costs.
Remember, HarvestCalc app includes the machine costs & the (grain) loss costs to arrive at a cost per tonne ... or hectare. It's about maximising the efficiency of your machine whilst accounting for the losses.
Appreciate peoples thoughts & comments.
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Post by meskie on Sept 4, 2021 22:56:16 GMT -6
Very interesting
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Post by SWMan on Sept 5, 2021 12:17:07 GMT -6
The real trick is to do enough pan testing to know at what point your machine goes off the cliff on losses. My experience has been that this is different on different machines in different conditions. Personally I know that if I try to throw a dry canola swath at my Claas it will become an ordinary combine pretty quick, if I can straight cut unsprayed canola where the green straw doesn't break up and flood the sieves I can run power limit most of the time and throw nearly nothing out. Proper machine feeding is also pretty important. Throwing any amount of grain out the back makes very little sense compared to slowing down in recent years if driving faster gives higher losses. This year that will be even more critical. As I understand it Rod you are a custom harvester? How does a custom operator get paid to slow down, because they shoulder the cost while it benefits the farmer. Maybe some guys understand that, but in my experience many farmers don't even understand what they are forking out the back of their combines...  |
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Post by rod on Sept 5, 2021 16:01:57 GMT -6
The real trick is to do enough pan testing to know at what point your machine goes off the cliff on losses. My experience has been that this is different on different machines in different conditions. Personally I know that if I try to throw a dry canola swath at my Claas it will become an ordinary combine pretty quick, if I can straight cut unsprayed canola where the green straw doesn't break up and flood the sieves I can run power limit most of the time and throw nearly nothing out. Proper machine feeding is also pretty important. Throwing any amount of grain out the back makes very little sense compared to slowing down in recent years if driving faster gives higher losses. This year that will be even more critical. As I understand it Rod you are a custom harvester? How does a custom operator get paid to slow down, because they shoulder the cost while it benefits the farmer. Maybe some guys understand that, but in my experience many farmers don't even understand what they are forking out the back of their combines...  Absolutely true. Definitely have to do a range of speeds (loss) tests to see where “your” machine is performing in “this” crop, under “these” conditions. Every crop is different & every machine is different. Even the same colour machines are different. Your point about a Class having trouble in dry crop/weather conditions is hardly surprising as they are designed for tough European crop conditions. Just the same as a green or red machine, primarily designed for NA corn/bean crop/conditions ….. has in tough cereal conditions or light yield (drought) cereal conditions. The test examples show in HarvestCalc are primarily to show that crop price DOES have an effect on the total costs/loss when harvesting …… BUT …. not as much as I thought. Because machines are (now) so expensive to own & operate - no matter who owns them - you simply must gain the maximum performance out of them WHILE ACCOUNTING for the losses. Yes, my main business is custom cutting …… & I farm as well. I don’t charge by area for harvesting. There is far too many variables when doing so that the grower or me, have no control over. All these variables have an effect on the machines capability & overall efficiency. My costs ….. & it’s the same for growers …. when it comes to machines, is by the hour. When it comes time to trade & buy new, salespeople don’t give a rats arse how many acres or hectares the machine has done. It’s hours. All mine & everyone else’s costs are by the hour …… whether they like it, acknowledge it or not ….. it’s by the hour. I charge by engine hour in the paddock. Clock on …. clock off …. in & out of the paddock. We can discuss this until the cows fly south for summer ….. it’s the fairest way …… I run the machine to the maximum capacity & the maximum capacity the paddock & crop conditions permit. I’ve never know a dealership tech to charge by “the wrench hour”! I’ve never heard of a lawyer charging by “the pen hour”! Yes, you are right. Many do not know the losses from their machine(s) & many do not know how to properly account for these losses. Same goes for the full O&O costs of their machines. It always amused me when I first started harvesting for others, the grower would scratch around on the ground behind the machine in canola windrows ….. & say “that’s too much loss” ……. even more amusing when they did this at night time! That’s why I had the HarvestCalc app developed so I can fully determine what “too much” is in real numbers. |
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