Why buy an after-market header?

Honeybee and MacDon must have a decent market for their combine headers because the companies are still in business. So what is that makes these headers so special? John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Lexion and the AGCO brands all make straight-cut headers to go with their combines, so why not stick with a header that matches the combine?

From what I know so far, Honeybee and MacDon draper headers are exceptional on pulse crops and provide great flow for cereals. These sound like good reasons to me. These headers are expensive, but farmers who grow pulses seem to think they're a worthwhile investment. I'm working on an article for the August edition of Grainews on after-market combine headers and I'd like to talk to a few owners. If you want to share your opinions, e-mail me at jay@fbcpublishing.com. Give your phone number and I'll call you for a chat.