A combine head that’s not right at harvest is a very expensive week. Ames Hydraulics does combine head repair in central Iowa on corn heads, bean heads, and draper heads — John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Massey, Geringhoff, Drago, and whatever else is on the farm. Gearboxes, row-unit chains, snouts, augers, hydraulics, and the frame steel underneath it all. Free pickup within 60 miles of Ames.
What Actually Fails on a Combine Head
Most combine head repair we see falls into a few categories. Row-unit gearboxes wear or leak; snouts get bent from ground contact; augers get worn or plugged; feed drums lose their flighting; drapers wear or tear; and the mainframe of the head cracks from years of load and rough field conditions. We handle all of it — the hydraulic side (motors, cylinders, lines), the mechanical side (gearboxes, chains, sprockets, bearings), and the welded steel side (frames, snouts, mounting brackets).
What We Repair
- Row-unit gearboxes — corn head chopping and gathering boxes
- Snouts and dividers straightened, welded, or replaced
- Cross augers and feed augers — flighting welded up or replaced
- Draper belts, rollers, and tension systems
- Sickle sections, guards, and hold-downs
- Hydraulic reel-lift and float cylinders
- Cracked mainframes and mounting hardware
- Header hydraulics — reel drive motors, tilt cylinders, and lines
Corn Heads, Bean Heads, Drapers
Corn heads have their own failure profile — stalk rolls, gathering chains, and row-unit gearboxes get most of the wear. Bean and draper heads are about the cutterbar, the drapers, and the feed drum. Whichever kind of combine head repair you need, bring us the head off-season or in a short window between fields and we’ll get it back to you ready to run. In-season emergency work is what we do too, but planning ahead saves everyone.
Preseason Combine Head Repair — the Smart Move
The best combine head repair is the one you do in July or August, not the one you do at 6PM on the second day of harvest with beans falling on the ground. Bring the head in during summer, we’ll pull it apart, replace worn gearboxes, chains, sprockets, and bearings, weld up cracked snouts, and hand it back ready to run. Preseason pricing is honest and the turnaround is fast because our schedule is lighter.
Free Pickup Within 60 Miles
Heads are awkward to haul. If yours is off the combine and you can’t easily get it to Ames, we’ll come get it — free within 60 miles. Text a photo of the head and the issue to 515-292-2599 and we’ll tell you the same day what your combine head repair needs and roughly what it will cost.
Get the Head Ready for Harvest
See our full hydraulic repair, welding & fabrication, and trailer repair services. Call or text 515-292-2599 or bring the head to 210 Freel Dr in Ames. Open Monday through Friday, 7AM to 5PM.
What Preseason Combine Head Repair Actually Includes
A proper preseason combine head repair is a run-through of everything that could fail: pulling gearboxes to check oil and inspect gears, checking every chain and sprocket for wear, replacing worn stalk rolls or gathering chains on corn heads, cutterbar sections and hold-downs on bean heads, and giving the whole hydraulic and structural side a walk-through. Anything worn gets replaced now, not in October at 8PM. The paperwork we hand back tells you exactly what got done.
Custom Bracket and Attachment Work
Iowa combine operators are constantly modifying heads — adding row-crop attachments, replacing OEM stalk rolls with different profiles, or fabricating brackets for attachments the OEM never dreamed up. That kind of custom fabrication is welded steel work with an eye on head balance, and it’s the sort of thing we do routinely. Bring the idea in; we’ll tell you whether it’s practical and what it will cost.
Corn Head Repair, Bean Head Repair, and Draper Repair
Iowa is corn and beans, and both need very different work. Combine head repair on a corn head is mostly row-unit gearboxes, stalk rolls, gathering chains, and the deck plates that meter each row into the head. A bean or draper combine head repair is about the cutterbar sections, hold-downs, drapers, and the feed drum that moves crop across the width of the head. Same shop, same welder and machinist, but the specific parts differ. Bring the head and the model tag and we’ll walk it with you.
How Much Does Combine Head Repair Cost?
Costs depend heavily on how much of the head needs work. A single row-unit gearbox rebuild on a corn head typically runs a few hundred dollars in parts plus labor. Full replacement of stalk rolls across a 12-row head is $2,000-$5,000. Bean head cutterbar-section replacement is priced per section — usually $30-$60 each installed. Full combine head repair that includes gearbox rebuilds, welded frame repair, and hydraulic reel-drive service on a big head can run $3,000-$8,000 for a serious preseason overhaul. We quote every job up front, in writing, before we start.
How Long Does It Take?
Turn time depends on parts. Row-unit gearbox rebuilds are typically 3-5 days once kits arrive. Cutterbar sections are same-day or next-day work if we have your section pattern on the shelf. Full preseason overhauls take 1-2 weeks depending on how much steel and hydraulic work is involved. Schedule preseason work in summer or early fall, not in October — parts are quicker and our schedule is less packed.
Every Combine Head Brand
John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Massey Ferguson, Geringhoff, Drago, Capello, Fantini, and every other brand that’s rolled through central Iowa — we do combine head repair on all of them. The parts sources vary but the fundamental work — gearboxes, chains, sprockets, sickle sections, welded frame steel — is consistent across brands. Older heads with obsolete OEM parts are one of our specialties because our machine shop can make what dealers can’t source.
What to Bring When You Drop the Head Off
- The head, pulled off the combine
- The model number tag (usually on the frame near the center)
- A description of what’s not working (or what you want inspected)
- Any hydraulic quick-couplers and electrical harnesses that came off with the head
- Your operation’s timeline — when do you need it back
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best time of year to do combine head repair?
July through September for preseason work. Parts are on the shelf, our schedule is lighter, and the head is off the combine anyway. If you wait until October and find a problem during harvest, everyone in Iowa is trying to get repairs done at the same time and lead times stretch out. Preseason is cheaper and faster.
Can you fix an older combine head when the dealer says parts are obsolete?
Usually yes. Our machine shop can fabricate replacement parts — bushings, shafts, gearbox internals, and welded steel structural components — when OEM parts have gone out of production. If the head’s fundamentally sound, we can usually keep it running for another 5-10 seasons at a fraction of a new-head cost.
Do you rebuild corn head gearboxes?
Yes. Row-unit gearboxes on John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, and other corn heads all wear at gears, seals, and bearings. We tear them down, replace worn internals with fresh kits, and pressure-test before they go back on the head. Rebuilt gearboxes hold as long as new when the housings are within spec.
What if my head is bent or a snout is damaged?
Bent snouts and damaged deck plates get straightened, welded, or replaced. We do the welded steel structural repair in-house because we’re a welding shop first. A bent snout that pushes stalks off-center is exactly the kind of job that fits our floor.
Do you offer pickup?
Yes, free pickup within 60 miles of Ames. Heads are awkward to haul on a trailer; if you can’t easily bring it to us, text a photo to 515-292-2599 and we’ll come get it.
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Written by Josiah Ragsdale
Owner, Ames Hydraulics — Ames, Iowa
Josiah owns and operates Ames Hydraulics. He has worked on hydraulic and heavy equipment since he was 18, and every hydraulic cylinder his shop rebuilds is pressure tested before it ships back to the customer. More about Josiah →
Got something broken? Call or text 515-292-2599