"It eliminated the need for a grain cart, tractor, and driver at harvest so I can head out to the field at any time by myself," says Steve Kaltenheuser, Ames, Iowa, about the electronic weigh scale he built into the body of his Case-IH 2188 combine.

The patent pending system was on display for the first time at the recent Farm Progress Show near Alleman, Iowa. According to Kaltenheuser, his weigh scale is much more accurate than any yield monitor.

Here's how it works: A total of 10 weigh bars attach to the combine's front axle and the spindles on the rear axle. They continuously record the weight of the machine so that as grain is harvested it can be tallied up.

"It's accurate to less than one half of one percent. I've built two units so far on two different combines, and they both work great," says Kaltenheuser. "I got the idea after I bought a new combine. I rent land and divide half the grain at harvest with my landlord. I already owned two combines as well as a 1,200-bu. grain cart on tracks equipped with a weigh scale. I needed another combine to get my beans harvested faster and would have needed another grain cart, too. My combine-mounted weigh scale eliminates the need for the grain cart, a 4-WD tractor to pull it, a driver, and also saves thousands per year in fuel costs.

"If I was using a grain cart I could unload on-the-go from the combine, whereas with my combine-mounted weigh scale I have to stop to unload into the truck at the end of the field. So it takes me about two days longer to harvest 1,500 acres than if I unloaded on-the-go into a grain cart. But it's worth it because I'm saving the cost of a cart, tractor, and a hired man to drive it. And I like the fact that I don't need a crew to start harvest."

When he came up with the weigh scale, he also added a 250-bu. extension (Dick's Welding, Windom, Minn.) on the combine's hopper to boost its total capacity to 570 bu. "Now I have enough capacity to make a complete round on a half-mile row and unload into a semi truck at the end of the field. I can use one combine to keep two semi trucks going full-time," says Kaltenheuser.

He says he'd like sell his patent to a manufacturer. He hopes to have the unit on the market this winter. It requires redesigning the rear spindles to accept the weigh bars.