Harvesting machines are self-propelled or towed machines designed for the mechanical harvesting of agricultural crops. The choice of the appropriate machine depends on the crop, the size of the area and the processing method.
The main types include combine harvesters for cereals, rapeseed and pulses (with cutting mechanism, threshing mechanism and cleaning system), forage harvesters for maize and grass silage, beet harvesters (top-cutting, root-lifting and bunker machines) for sugar beet, potato harvesters, maize pickers as attachments for combine harvesters, and specialist harvesters for grapes, tobacco, beans and vegetables.
Common manufacturers include CLAAS, John Deere, New Holland, Case IH, Fendt (combine harvesters and forage harvesters), Grimme (potato harvesting), Holmer and Ropa (beet harvesting), Krone (BiG X forage harvesters) and Pottinger.
Harvesting machinery is used on arable farms, by contractors, in machinery rings, on large-scale farms with their own harvesting equipment, as well as by seed producers and research stations.