When Deere & Co. came out with its "plastic" cornhead last year, many farmers thought it was a good idea but you could only get the advantages of the slippery snouts if you bought a new header.

Now an aftermarket manufacturer has introduced bolt-on poly shields to fit any Deere, Case-IH, or New Holland cornhead. "They're lighter in weight and less expensive than metal gathering shields, and they have a slippery surface that allows the crop to slide up over the plastic better than on steel snouts, especially if corn stalks are wet or damp," says Ralph Bolinger, of CFS distributors. "The white color really shows up at night."

Bolinger says models for Massey-Ferguson and Allis-Chalmers combines will be available in the future, as well as 20-in. wide models. Only 30-in. models are available at this time.