cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/32524920
I watched several videos on a Combine Harvester's inner workings and I still don't understand how this thing works.
this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2026
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Ok let's start with one. How does one even start to make a self-propelling machine that cuts wheat stalks at ground level?
Make a self propelled machine and a machine that cuts grass and smoosh them together.
I generally prefer the squish method, but absolutely recognize the smoosh method and its inherent effectiveness.
You end up with more problems than you solve with squish and smoosh. These are sophisticated machines that can all too easily interfere with each others operation. The snuggle method has been proven to improve operability, lower service calls and reduce complaints
Cuddle works best because the machine spirits are happy.
i do be lovin the smooshes
We did two things first:
First we made a (simple) machine that cuts wheat stalks at ground level (scythe).
Second we made a (complex) machine that is self-propelling.
I'm gonna guess there was an intermediate step where we put mechanical scythes on horses or something
Yep, e.g. the McCormick Reaper, which is unsurprisingly is mechanically very similar to the modern grain head on a combine.
Here's a video of an even older Johnson Reaper in action.
Of course, yes, there was. But it was extremely brief in the grand scheme of things.
https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/4269-timeline-of-ag-equipment-firsts
1830's the first mechanical (horse drawn) harvester comes out, and by the 1860's steam powered tractors were being introduced.
Well first there's the cutting technology. Scything is ancient. Industrial production of push mowers using cylinder blades were developed in the 1800s and the more modern gas powered rotary cutters came along in the 19th century with many other self-propelled and automated mechanisms. This started with coal and wood fired agricultural equipment used for processing, like threshing and winnowing. As internal combustion engines (gas powered) developed in the 20th century more equipment and processes could be incorporated on-site and in-field.
Stationary processing of grain. Then stationary automated processing of grain. Then add a cutting machine (from harvesting hay) and self-propelling and you've got your combine harvester.
The loading thing? A extruder on a swivel, old tech.
You look at a horse-drawn mowing machine like this and start thinking about how you could do something similar without the horse.
The first version is just a machine that mimics the human motion of doing that task. Its a mechanical reaper that is pulled by a horse:
https://okfronline.com/2024/02/inventions-of-agriculture-the-reaper/
Then someone figures out how to make a self contained engine and it becomes self propelled.
This is a process that occurred over centuries.
You take a self-propelling machine and put a hydraulic arm on its side that can be adjusted to be very close to the ground.
Mount a chainsaw at the end horizontally. Then experiment with blade lengths and different methods to keep it level over uneven ground.