What to Watch for When Buying a Used Combine Harvester?

Short answer: On a combine harvester, yield comes from the threshing (concave-cylinder) and cleaning (sieve-shaker) systems; wear and misadjustment leave your pocket as grain loss. The header, shaker, elevators and engine are assessed together. On a seasonally used machine, standstill corrosion and belt/bearing fatigue are a risk even at low hours.

This guide answers: How many hours should a combine have? · How are threshing/cleaning checked? · Which header is needed? · How is grain loss spotted?

Threshing and cleaning

Concave-cylinder wear and the sieve/shaker condition determine grain loss. Elevator chains and belts are checked; a misadjusted machine leaves the crop in the field.

Header and cutting

Wear on the knife, fingers and reel; header auger and feed smoothness are checked. Is the header suited to your crop type?

Engine, hydraulics and electronics

Engine cold start + smoke; hydrostatic drive and, if present, the yield/loss electronics (monitor) must work. On a machine working in dust, radiator/filter maintenance is important.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours should a combine have? Engine hours + header hours together; because it is used seasonally, the maintenance record matters more than hours.

Which header is needed? Wheat/corn/sunflower need different headers; confirm the header set compatible with the machine.

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Last updated: 07.07.2026 · Based on field practice and platform data; it does not replace a technical inspection.