It is estimated local growers are saving thousands of dollars in maintenance and downtime by running Aussie built Midwest platforms at harvest
If you’ve spent any time around serious grain operations in the last decade, you’ll have come across a Midwest platform.
And if you’ve talked to the growers running them, you’ll have noticed something unique, they very rarely use another brand once they’ve made the switch.
That kind of loyalty doesn’t come from clever marketing or false promises.
It comes from equipment that performs season after season and is backed by a company that picks up the phone.
Midwest Fabrication has been building harvest platforms in Dalby Queensland for over 28 years.
And in that time, the family-owned business has grown from a small operation in The Gums region of the Western Downs to be the only company in Australia designing and manufacturing draper platforms.
A team of skilled tradespeople work on-site, manufacturing every harvest platform and trailer in-house. It’s this local manufacturing base that gives every Midwest customer something no imported brand can match, a direct line to the people who built their machine.
There’s nobody else at this level
Every other platform available on the Australian market is built overseas and is supported through layers of distribution that put distance between the grower and the manufacturer.
Midwest customers have direct access to the manufacturing team in Dalby QLD, the people who designed it, built it and know it inside out.
This access means every platform can be configured specifically for the individual operation.
Midwest’s manufacturing team consider country type, crop variety and combine brand when setting up a farm operation with a new platform, with conversations that happen directly with the farmer/operator, not through a corporate channel.
On average, a new Midwest platform can be built and delivered within 1 to 3 months; sooner if it’s already in factory stock.
This is a substantial difference when compared to the eight-month lead times imported brands are currently running.
When harvest windows are tight, their quick turnarounds are a practical advantage that goes well beyond brand preference.
Engineering behind the platform
The backbone of every Midwest platform is a single length of superform steel running through a truss-style frame.
This one design decision delivers structural strength-per-kilogram nearly twice that of standard 350 Grade high-strength steels; the widest 18.3m (60ft) platform weighs only 5,180kg.
With less weight for the combine to drive, the power demand is reduced, as is fuel cost and the speed increases.
Every Midwest build prioritises keeping electronics to a minimum.
Their patented hoverpoint air-ride float system follows ground contours using gravity with no sensors or electronic components involved.
In rolling or uneven country, the response is immediate and automatic, keeping the cutterbar where it needs to be regardless of what the paddock throws at it.
Farmers across the nation advocate for this Aussie company, “The ground following is bloody unreal, it’s clean cut and even,” confirms Jock Livingstone a NSW farmer working a 2000-hectare operation.
“The fact is fewer electrical components and weight from your platform means fewer potential points of failure during harvest, lower fuel consumption and reduced running costs across the season,” Jock adds.
The full ownership value picture
Midwest platforms carry the highest resale value in their class, and the cost advantages don’t stop there.
Fewer wearing parts and a simpler design mean ongoing maintenance costs are consistently lower than imported alternatives.
When parts do need replacing, customers can visit their local dealer or the Midwest parts website, making it straightforward to find and order genuine components without waiting on overseas supply.
For growers who want to stay on top of servicing themselves, the Midwest Service app includes service videos produced by the team covering critical fixes and maintenance procedures.
Importantly, those videos can be downloaded before heading out, so they’re accessible even without mobile coverage in the paddock.
For Queensland growers wanting the peace of mind of a professional service, Midwest offers an After Season Service for $2,999+GST, covering everything from hex bearing and seal replacement to knife adjustment, roller realignment and oil filter replacement.
It’s a straightforward way to make sure the platform is ready to go before the next season starts. No matter which way you look at it, running a Midwest draper platform will cost you less than an imported one, year after year.
Range built for every Aussie operation
Whatever you’re running and however you farm, there’s a Midwest built for it.
The Durus range spans from 9.1m through to 18.3m (30 to 60ft) and is the only platform range on the market purposely sized for Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF).
For growers running John Deere X9 combines, the Legacy range covers model widths from 12.5 to 18.3m (41 to 60ft) and are purpose-built to feed the big appetite of class 10 and 11 machines,
The Midwest Legacy range is able to unlock the full capacity of a combine that many imported fronts simply can’t keep up with.
Both ranges of Midwest platforms are designed by Australians, for Australian conditions, and built by hand in Dalby Queensland.
Every size, every spec, every conversation happens direct with the people who built it. That’s not something you’ll get from any overseas brand, and it’s not something Midwest takes lightly.
As CEO Amy Schutt adds, “Farming is in our blood and at Midwest, we want to help Aussie farmers feed our nation and make harvest memorable for the right reasons. Your success is our business.”
If you’re ready to harvest more for less, talk to the team at Midwest.
Scan the QR code here, or call direct on 07 4662 2137 or see the full range at midwest.net.au to find the perfect fit for your operation.
Email the sales team on this link or request an instant quote using this link.
