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| steiner43511 - 3/13/2026 06:13 Look for a head with an AWS and dont worry about the gearbox.
Its true AWS doesn't use a gearbox but they're not entirely problem free either. Bearings, pulley's and belts still wear out. The parts are probably cheaper than a new gearbox but its time consuming to tear apart and rebuild with new parts.
As for the air bar/reel, there is no possible way I'd want to go back to using an auger head without an air bar. An auger head with an air bar still doesn't feed as smooth as a draper but it helps tremendously.
The cons of an air bar is the dust (leaves) it blows up off the ground, the extra maintenance cost and the power it consumes (that fan takes power).
The pros are better feeding on an auger head and if you're combining real short beans (that tend to fall of the front of the head) or beans with low pods (that get hit by the sickle) you will absolutely put more bushels in the grain tank.
We have a CIH 2020 with a AWS air bar. Our next head will be a draper, I'm torn between whether I should look for one with a air bar already on it or not. We usually have a 100 or so acres of beans that are pretty short/low podded every year and I'm not sure if I'll be happy without an air bar or not.
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soybean Header Air bar Pros,Cons ?
