When you’re choosing a harvest platform for your combine, where it has been designed and built makes a difference. The undulating terrain of central Queensland, the heavy crops of northern NSW and the wide-open acres of WA all demand something different from your front.
We know this because we’re farmers too, and we’ve been building platforms for Australian paddocks since 1998. Nobody knows Australian conditions better than Australian farmers, and it’s this experience and knowledge that we take into each platform we manufacture.
When you compare draper front brands on the market, you’ll find that Midwest is the only platform designed and built in Australia. For broadacre farmers, grain growers, agricultural contractors and farm managers, that distinction is worth understanding. It shapes everything, from how our platforms are engineered to the support you get when something needs attention during harvest.
Imported fronts aren’t designed specifically for Australian conditions
When you import a draper front, you’re also importing assumptions about terrain, crop types and CTFs. Not to mention the kind of support, or lack thereof, that you’ll have to rely on when something goes wrong in the middle of harvest.
Midwest was born when Queensland farmer Martin Schutt bought a combine with no front and knew that he could build a better harvest platform than the imported ones on offer. That was 1998. Our skilled tradesmen have been refining and developing that first platform every season since, and we’re still manufacturing everything right here in Dalby, QLD.
Almost three decades later, and we’re still supporting every platform we’ve ever built, with parts available going back to our earliest models. That’s what it looks like when a manufacturer is genuinely committed to the farmers running their gear.
Superior engineering improves performance
High strength, lightweight frame design
Over the years, we have noticed a trend in Australian broadacre. Operations are choosing less labour and running wider cutting widths on fewer machines, to cover more hectares per day. We understand this shift, and our team engineered the world’s first 60ft harvest platform to meet it.
But going wider creates an engineering challenge. The wider a platform gets, the heavier it becomes, and that puts more stress on your combine’s feeder house and float system. We solved this by building our platform frames differently. Our truss-style design uses a one-piece length of “superform” steel as the main backbone, with a structural strength per kilogram nearly twice that of standard 350 Grade high-strength steels. Our 60ft platform comes in at a weight of just 5,180kg. For a draper front of that size running on a class 10 or 11 combine all day, weight saving has a real impact on how your machine performs and how long it lasts
Superior ground contour following without electronics
When our customers talk about what they love about running a Midwest platform, ground following comes up more than almost anything else. Our patented Hoverpoint air-ride adaptor allows for smooth and automatic ground following without electronic sensors. Our float system works using gravity, responding in real time across uneven terrain and contoured country, and the difference it makes in the paddock is something our customers tell us about season after season.
Brad Mifsud from Clermont, QLD, runs a 42ft Durus platform on his JD9670 across sorghum, mung beans, wheat, chickpeas, and corn, said: “We can get down low and do a nice cutting job.”
Jock Livingstone, running our 60ft Legacy platforms in northern NSW, describes the ground following as “unreal, with a clean, even cut every time.”
Limited electronics for increased reliability
Electronics fail. In harvest conditions, they fail more often. Dust, vibration, heat, and moisture are hard on anything electrical. We’ve made a deliberate design choice to minimise electronic components in our platforms, because fewer potential points of failure means you can have peace of mind when you’re out in the paddock. It also means that any repairs you might have to do are a lot easier to do.
Our platforms perform because the mechanical design is right, not because a sensor is correcting for a design that isn’t. That’s a philosophy we’ve carried since day one.
Midwest harvest platforms suit all combine brands
The Durus range
Our Durus range covers sizes from 30ft to 60ft, and it’s the only range of grain harvest platforms on the market sized for all Controlled Traffic Farming systems from 9.1m through to 18.3m. We built it that way because we know how many Australian growers are running CTF, and we didn’t want the platform to be the limiting factor in their system.
The Durus suits Agco, Claas, Case IH, Gleaner, New Holland, Massey Ferguson and John Deere combines. It’s a multi-crop solution for cereals, beans and canola, and it’s been refined over decades of real harvesting feedback from growers across the country.
The Legacy range
A lot of farmers who’ve upgraded to a class 10 or 11 combine haven’t been able to fully capitalise on that investment because their platform was limiting throughput. We built the Legacy to feed the big appetites of these big combines. Our advanced knife also enables lower cutting heights than the Durus, which is a genuine advantage for low chickpea crops or durum wheat, where every millimetre of cutting height counts.
Practical considerations when choosing a harvest platform
Getting the size right for your CTF system
Our Durus range runs across 30ft, 36ft, 41ft, 42ft, 45ft, 50ft, 55ft and 60ft. The Legacy is available in sizes ranging from 41ft to 60ft. If you’re running CTF, we’ll work through the right cutting width for your track spacing with you directly.
Combine compatibility
We manufacture platforms to suit all major combine brands such as Claas, Case IH, New Holland, and John Deere. The Legacy model is specific to the John Deere X series. If you’re on another brand, our Durus range is most likely your fit, but give our team a call, and we will be able to help you choose the right platform for your operation.
Maintenance: We keep it simple on purpose
We designed our platforms to be easy to maintain in the paddock. During harvest, you need to be able to service your platform fast and get back to cutting. Our Customer Support page carries operator manuals, parts manuals going back to pre-2011 Crophawk models, and a comprehensive FAQ section covering everything from knife timing to draper belt tracking. Our Midwest Service app has helpful service videos that you can download and watch when you’re in the paddock, even when connectivity drops out. We also have our service team on call during harvest time, so when you need to speak to someone, you can.
Parts: We’ve got you covered
We keep parts available for our platforms going back more than 25 years. You can order online through parts.midwest.net.au or contact your nearest Midwest dealer. We also recommend having an Incident Kit on hand before harvest kicks off. It’s stocked with the belts, bearings and wear items you’re most likely to need, and having one in the shed means a breakdown doesn’t have to cost you a whole day.
Resale value
Our platforms hold the highest resale value in their class. When you’re ready to upgrade, that value carries forward. It’s one of the reasons growers who start with Midwest tend to keep buying Midwest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which combine harvesters are Midwest platforms compatible with?
We manufacture platforms to suit all major combine brands, including Agco, Claas, Case IH, Gleaner, New Holland, Massey Ferguson and John Deere. If you’re unsure, contact our team to confirm the right fit for your machine before you order.
What sizes do your harvest platforms come in?
Our Durus harvest platform frame sizes run across 25ft, 27ft, 30ft, 33ft, 36ft, 41ft, 42ft, 45ft, 50ft, 55ft and 60ft. The Legacy platform is available in sizes ranging from 41ft to 60ft. Together, they cover all CTF system spacings from 9.1m to 18.3m.
How does the ground following system work?
Our platforms use our patented Hoverpoint air-ride adaptor to get smooth and automatic ground following without electronic sensors. The system works using gravity, responding in real time across uneven and contoured terrain.
How reliable are Midwest platforms in tough harvest conditions?
We design our platforms with limited electronics by choice, because fewer components mean fewer potential points of failure. The robust, simple construction is what keeps our customers cutting when the conditions get tough.
Are parts available for older models?
Yes. We maintain parts availability for our platforms going back more than 25 years, including pre-2011 Crophawk models. You can order parts online at parts.midwest.net.au or through your local Midwest dealer.
Can I trade in my current platform?
Yes. We have a trade-in process to help farmers step into a newer model, and because our platforms hold strong resale value, your current front retains worth when it’s time to move on. You can also buy and sell second-hand Midwest platforms through our Facebook group.
How do I get a price?
Our online quote tool at midwest.net.au/online-quote lets you configure your platform and get an instant price estimate delivered to your inbox. Otherwise, please give our team a call directly on 07 4662 2137.