Yes, you read that right, the farm machine that inspired the iconic song by The Wurzles in 1976 is nearly 200 years old. As you might have guessed the machine we know it has today, has changed a lot over time from when it was first conceived.
The combine harvester is one of the most important inventions to occur during the history of farming. The combine harvester as you know and recognise today is an important machine when it comes to harvest time and combines a total of three separate operations into one single machine and operation, reaping, threshing, and winnowing.
The original invention of the combine harvester and the subsequent evolution of it over time has gone on to transform farming by making the process of grain harvesting much faster, as well as also much much cheaper by making the whole process far less labour-intensive. At one point in time harvesting would have been a task that would have required every farmer to employ many dozens of workers over a significant number of days. However, these days you will find that it can now be completed by a single operator in a matter of hours, making it you could argue one of the defining innovations of modern agriculture.
Timeline
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 1834 | Hiram Moore patents the first practical combine harvester. |
| 1850s–1890s | Horse- and mule-drawn combines become common on large farms. |
| Late 1800s | Steam traction engines begin pulling combines. |
| Early 1900s | Tractor-drawn combines spread widely. |
| 1938 | Massey-Harris launches a successful self-propelled combine. |
| 1950s | Self-propelled combines become the industry standard. |
| 1980s–2000s | Electronic controls, GPS, and yield monitors are introduced. |
| Today | Autonomous features and precision farming technologies continue to improve efficiency. |
