Combine concaves have always had a tough life, but with faster forward speeds and higher throughputs they’re now having to work harder than ever. But Ken Graham Engineering at Stradbally, Co Laois, Ireland reckons its concave could help.

It’s not a new design. The firm has been making them since 2003 and has sold some 400 units – almost all of them within Ireland. But it has now decided to market the concave in the UK.

What’s different from the standard concave that’s fitted to your combine? “Most concaves are designed for all markets, but this is a high-output model especially for the UK market,” says the firm’s David Graham.

“The crosswires are spaced 28mm apart compared to 15mm in most standard concaves. Also the wire is thicker – 28mm compared to 15mm – and is slightly deeper set in the concave.

“So the heads are threshed slightly quicker and the straw goes through faster. The straw isn’t made any worse for baling either and it should also reduce fuel consumption.”

Most farmers would be able to fit it themselves, he says, or else get an independent fitter to help them. There are versions to fit all current combine models and most recent models too.

The company says it’s selling the concave direct at £550-950.