Dave and Kenny Reitzel and their families have been farming in Edon Ohio their entire lives.
While combining in one of his fields, Kenny Reitzel came up with an idea to equip his older grain head with an attachment that would help him harvest grain more effectively.
During harvest, sometimes the plants and grain pile below the auger of the grain head, before being swept away, causing large amounts of material to enter the feederhouse at once, or slugging. This is where the Grain Grabber2 comes in. The Grain Grabber2 is a pyramid-shaped plastic finger attachment mounted between the flighting of the auger and aids with the pulling and moving of plants and grain to the center of the grain head floor where steel fingers draw the grain and plants into the combine. With better feeding, farmers can also run their reel higher and reduce shattering.
“Some major manufacturers sell new grain heads with similar technology,” Reitzel said, but his invention to update an old grain head costs a fraction of the price. Costs of updating an older head with a full-fingered auger can reach $3,500 making the Grain Grabber2 an attractive alternative.
For pennies on the dollar, an older grain head can have full-finger technology. Grain Grabbers have proven themselves to be a good tool for updating older heads’ performance. With self-tapping bolts, Grain Grabbers are simple to mount. Farmers can maximize their harvest time and run longer at night without slugging as Grain Grabbers keep the grain moving steadily along the auger. Farmers can keep their “color” as the Grain Grabber2 come in green, red, black, and white.
Each Grain Grabber comes with its own hardware. Grabbers are sold individually or as a kit. The kit includes Grain Grabbers, self-tapping bolts, drill bit, and mounting instructions. Each Grain Grabber2 cost $30 each, with the widest grain head needing 10. A 25-foot grain head needs eight and the 20-foot grain head needs six.
“Everybody who looks at them wonders ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’,” Kenny Reitzel said.
Dave and Kenny Reitzel own and operate a 