Many contractors hesitate between the durability of grass knives and the cutting quality of maize knives, often resulting in unnecessary wear or a less uniform cut. Westerink Parts supplies both types of high-quality knives, ensuring your machine performs optimally in every crop and saves fuel through a razor-sharp result.
Watch Bas’s video about the differences in cutting quality and resistance to breakage between maize and grass knives.
Introduction:
The cutterhead is the heart of your forage harvester. Your choice of knives determines not only how the crop is cut, but also how well the machine withstands external influences. In this video, Bas Lindeboom explains the technical differences between the two types of knives and provides practical usage tips.
Grass knives:
A grass knife is thicker and more robust. This is intentional because grass fields are more likely to contain stones or other foreign material. The knife is designed to withstand impacts, with greater emphasis on resistance to breakage than on pure cutting quality. Grass knives provide reassurance in the often rougher conditions of grass harvesting.
Maize knives:
Conditions in maize are usually cleaner and the objective is a cleanly cut product. A maize knife is thinner than a grass knife, producing a superior cutting result. An additional advantage of the thinner knife is that it can be sharpened much faster, saving time and grinding stones.
Do you always need to change them?
Changing between maize and grass knives is sound advice rather than a strict requirement. If your fields are clean and free from foreign material, maize knives can also be used for grass. If you are concerned about damage from foreign objects in maize, you can use a grass knife instead.
Tip:
I personally prefer using maize knives during the grass harvest. I fit new maize knives at the start of the maize season and, once they are half worn, finish using them during the grass season. This gives you top quality while harvesting maize and a shorter, stronger knife with good cutting quality during grass harvesting. It is the most economical way to maintain top quality.
In brief:
What is the purpose of the component?
To chop the crop with optimal cutting quality and minimal resistance.
When should each type be used?
Choose grass knives to protect the forage harvester from foreign material in the crop. Choose maize knives for optimal quality and lower fuel consumption.
What is a good strategy?
Start the maize season with new maize knives and finish using them during the grass season.
Where are they available?
Westerink Parts keeps maize and grass knives for Claas, John Deere and New Holland in stock.
