Agricultural Machinery Course: Classic Combine Harvesters
300-hour online course in agricultural machinery: classic combine harvesters. 6 modules covering ISO 4254-7 (combine harvester safety), ISO 8210 (combine harvester test methods) and CLAAS TELEMATICS. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Describe the cutting, threshing, separation and cleaning systems of the combine harvester.
Adjust the machine according to the crop and its condition.
Measure losses and assess the quality of the harvested grain.
Organise harvest operations and logistics during the campaign.
Apply a maintenance plan before, during and after the harvest campaign.
Calculate harvesting costs per hectare and per tonne.
Propose performance improvements based on a real harvesting case.
Who it's for
- Combine harvester operator looking to specialise in Agricultural machinery: classic combine harvesters.
- Combine harvester service technician looking to specialise in Agricultural machinery: classic combine harvesters.
- Harvest campaign manager looking to specialise in Agricultural machinery: classic combine harvesters.
- Harvesting services manager looking to specialise in Agricultural machinery: classic combine harvesters.
- Agricultural mechanisation technician looking to specialise in Agricultural machinery: classic combine harvesters.
- Cereal farm manager looking to specialise in Agricultural machinery: classic combine harvesters.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter cereal farming.
What you'll work with
- ISO 4254-7 (combine harvester safety)
- ISO 8210 (combine harvester test methods)
- ISO 6689-1 (combine harvesters: definitions and characteristics)
- ISO 5700 (tractor protective structures)
- Regulation (EU) 167/2013 (type-approval of agricultural vehicles)
- Royal Decree 1215/1997 (work equipment)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 (emissions from non-road mobile machinery engines)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Material flow through the machine1.2Cutting header: bar, reel and auger1.3Feeder and accelerator1.4Threshing: cylinder and concave1.5Separation by straw walkers and rotors1.6Cleaning: sieves, screens and fan1.7Grain tank, unloading tube and augers1.8Chopper, spreader and straw management1.9Cab, controls and operator information1.10Workshop: tracing the material flow and adjustment points
2.1Cylinder speed and concave clearance2.2Fan speed and sieve opening2.3Reel height and speed2.4Cutting height and ground tracking2.5Settings for wheat, barley, maize and sunflower2.6Green, damp or lodged crop2.7Diagnosis from the grain: breakage and presence of impurities2.8Diagnosis from the straw and the tailings2.9Progressive adjustment and test method2.10Practice: adjusting the machine using samples
3.1Types of loss: header, threshing, separation and cleaning3.2Measuring field losses with a tray3.3Quantification in kilograms and per hectare3.4Economic threshold for losses3.5Grain breakage and its commercial effect3.6Grain moisture and deciding the harvest timing3.7Loss and yield sensors3.8Yield maps and their calibration3.9Harvest records and traceability3.10Practice: measuring losses and correcting them
4.1Field organisation and direction of work4.2Forward speed and working capacity4.3On-the-move unloading and coordination with the trailer4.4Grain logistics to the store4.5Night work and working in dew4.6Slopes and safety on hillsides4.7Harvest fire risk and preventive measures4.8Daily cleaning of the machine4.9Shift changes and fatigue management4.10Practice: harvest plan for a field
5.1Preparation before the campaign5.2Belts, chains and drives5.3Knives, fingers and header components5.4Bearings, lubrication and critical points5.5Filters, cooling and engine cleaning5.6Typical campaign breakdowns and their prevention5.7Critical spare parts and stock5.8Storage between campaigns5.9Recording hours and interventions5.10Practice: campaign maintenance plan
6.1Hourly cost and cost per hectare6.2Working capacity and machine sizing6.3Owning the harvest versus contracting the service6.4Break-even point between owning and contracting6.5Depreciation, residual value and replacement6.6Effect of losses on the economic result6.7Harvest campaign indicators6.8Common errors in machine adjustment6.9Technological evolution of combine harvesters6.10Final project: harvest plan and budget for a campaign
How you'll learn
Fully 100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is CLAAS TELEMATICS, John Deere Operations Center, QGIS, Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real loss-measurement procedures with trays, adjustment of cylinder, concave and cleaning, and campaign yield monitoring. Assessment is continuous across each module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Describe the cutting, threshing, separation and cleaning systems of the combine harvester.
Adjust the machine according to the crop and its condition.
Measure losses and assess the quality of the harvested grain.
Organise harvest operations and logistics during the campaign.
Apply a maintenance plan before, during and after the harvest campaign.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No previous qualification is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical standards documentation.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
The course works with CLAAS TELEMATICS, John Deere Operations Center, QGIS and Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
An SEIUM diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area can be credited towards the advanced programme. Please check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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