Full explanation
Practical significance of hopper capacity: (1) for continuous harvest without stops you need 1 hopper = 2–3 minutes to fill; at 6 t/ha wheat yield and 8 km/h speed, 9 m header — the combine fills a 10,500 L hopper in 12–14 minutes, enough for one grain cart; (2) for tandem combine + cart operation, you need an efficient cycle. Unload speed is critical: slow 80 L/s → full 10,500 L hopper empties in 131 sec; fast 150 L/s → 70 sec. Large class 9 combines (JD X9, Lexion 8900) carry 14,500–17,000 L + unload at 180–210 L/s. Trade-off: larger hopper = higher mass → higher engine power needed → higher fuel consumption. Optimum: size hopper to field area.