Give Feedback
You must enter a search term to perform a search.
June 13, 2022

How Does a Corn Combine Harvester Work?

After a long summer, it’s time to harvest your corn! You might be searching for used combines for sale to get the most out of your harvesting for less, considering a new machine can be expensive. But what your combine harvester actually does under the hood might not be so clear. How does it take the corn plant and process it into kernels? The combine harvester’s design allows for easy processing of corn, so you don’t have to manually shuck and kernel corn.

At Machinery Pete, we know it can be difficult to find a combine that works within your budget. Our used marketplace gives you the ability to find trustworthy sellers and great prices. So what is a corn combine harvester and how does it work?


What Is a Combine Harvester for Corn?

A combine harvester is a machine used to increase the production of the collection of a variety of grains by cutting and separating them. Because this machine combines reaping, thrashing, gathering, and winnowing, harvesting crops is a less tedious process than when the collection was done by hand. To make this process even easier, farmers can swap out headers to accommodate different crops. This is true for all types of combine harvesters and gives you the ability to collect several grains year-over-year.


What Does a Corn Combine Harvester Do?

For corn specifically, the combine’s purpose is to separate the husks, kernels, and cob to prepare for making different food products like cereals, cornflour, and sweeteners. The processing of corn from stalk to kernel is all completed within the combine harvester. 


  1. A row divider picks up corn stalks as a combine drives through the field.
  2. The stalk is then pushed through a tiny space, where the corn cob and most of the husks are removed.
  3. Once the ears of corn are separated from the stalks, the stalks are discarded through the rear of the combine.
  4. After the corn is husked, the kernels are separated from the cob. When corn enters the combine, it is fed into a cylinder which spins the corn cobs and loosens the kernels.
  5. The kernels are sifted through a sieve to remove any other undesirable pieces of the cob.
  6. The remnants are then discarded back to the ground. Because of this process, the soil is replenished with plant matter, which keeps it rich in nutrients.

Once this process is complete, farmers should have corn kernels prepared for storing and distribution. 


What Is the Difference Between a Harvester and a Combine Harvester?

Because combine harvesters work differently than forage harvesters, understanding the differences will be even more important for farmers looking to collect their crops in an efficient way. Forage harvesters allow farmers to harvest their crops and create silage which is used to feed livestock. It  chops up the crop into small pieces rather than process the corn like a combine.

As we discussed above, a combine harvester is a tractor machine that harvests crops by reaping, thrashing, gathering, and winnowing. This process is automated through the combine and allows you to collect faster and more efficiently. Considering several factors, like header size, a combine can harvest between 18.1 and 21.8 acres an hour. That means you’re not only harvesting the crops during this amount of time but also shucking and separating the corn all in one machine.

Of course it’s important to note the cost of purchasing a combine harvester. With all of these abilities for grain collection, combines can get rather expensive. When comparing used and new equipment, we've observed that the average combine may cost anywhere from $6,000 to $450,000 for used and $330,000 to 500,000 for new, according to patterns we've noticed in our Machinery Pete marketplace. Combines are a large investment, but considering the capabilities, they are a worthwhile for farmers to purchase.

However, because a combine has a lot of moving parts, there is potential for expensive repairs. In fact, it could cost an average of $2,000 to $3,000 to replace combine harvester components and pay for labor. It’s also important to note that repair costs are directly tied to hours of use, acres harvested, and the age of the combine. Results of the study “indicated that the greatest single factor affecting hourly tractor repair costs was the annual use” calculated on a cost per hour basis. The parts of a combine harvester don’t last forever, so it’s important to take cost into consideration.


Used Combines from Machinery Pete

At Machinery Pete, we have been offering the best deals on used combines since we were founded in 1989. Our website launched in 2015 and is one of the fastest-growing combine marketplaces in the United States. MachineryPete.com was built with the online equipment shopper in mind. Our vast selection of machinery will help you find the right combine for your needs at a price that is affordable. Find your perfect combine harvester on our website today to get the best deals.