Farmers know better than anyone the pressures of working with razor-thin margins. Rising input costs, fluctuating commodity prices and increasing demands on time and labor are real challenges that make every decision critical.
To help address these issues, Bish Enterprises, Giltner, Nebraska, is introducing its innovative dual-bed pickup header, which is designed to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs during harvest. The header is pictured above.
The dual-bed header is the only product in the United States market featuring two independent pickup beds. It allows farmers to harvest two windrows at once, reducing time in the field, fuel consumption and equipment wear. This breakthrough technology helps farmers maximize productivity while minimizing costs, all while maintaining the quality of their crops.
“Our goal is to help farmers make every pass through the field count,” said Bish Enterprises CEO Andrew Bish. “We understand that resources are stretched thin, and we designed the dual-bed pickup header to offer a simple yet effective solution that enhances and improves without complicating the process.”
The header is compatible with a variety of crops, including grass seed, legumes, pulses, oilseeds and cereals, making it versatile for farmers managing mixed rotations or larger acreages. For no-till or conservation tillage systems, it also reduces unnecessary soil compaction while maximizing harvest efficiency.
Initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Farmers report that harvesting two windrows per pass is yielding smoother operations and significant savings in time and fuel.
In testing done on a field size of 800 acres, farmers using the pickup header saved between 790 and 1,053 gallons of fuel compared to a traditional single-bed header. When fuel and maintenance costs were factored in, total operational savings ranged from $33,580 to $42,140.
“Watching the header take in two windrows at once was impressive. It worked clean and efficiently, and it definitely caught my attention; it’s a smart way to save time and cut down on resources in the field,” said Daryl Hunnicutt, a farmer from Giltner, Nebraska.
Bish Enterprises is now accepting pre-orders for the next production run, with shipments scheduled to begin ahead of the 2025 harvest season.
For more information, call 402-849-2674 or visit bishenterprise.com/pickup-heads.
