IT PAYS TO KEEP YOUR DRAGO ALL DRAGO.

We’re not in the corn head business to sell parts.

There’s certain irony that the No. 1 reason growers choose a Drago corn head is to harvest maximum yield, while the leading reason producers choose a full-line brand corn head is parts availability.

Drago parts are engineered to be more durable and wear longer, so fewer replacement parts are needed, and less maintenance time is required. Exceptional performance and reliability are difficult concepts to communicate to those who have little brand experience outside their full-line OEM.

DRAGO KNIVES LAST 3X LONGER.

Drago blade with laser-applied tungsten edge.

Off-brand blade 1 with adhesive-applied tungsten edge.

Off-brand blade 2 with adhesive-applied tungsten edge.

By comparison, Drago knives feature a higher-quality steel with a thicker, consistent coating of laser-applied tungsten, called EnduraClad, outlast and outperform cheaper off-brand brands multiple times over.

On-farm trials showed Drago blades lasted three times longer than off-brand blades and are significantly more economical in the long run.

Metallurgical tests on off-brand knife roller knives reveal inferior metals and slipshod manufacturing. What is labeled as a “tungsten carbide hard-faced” replacement knife is actually low-grade steel with a minimal, spotty application of tungsten stuck on with adhesives. The tests showed the off-brand blades actually carried more adhesive than tungsten.

Metallurgical comparisons show the laser-applied tungsten carbide edge on Drago blades has more material, more evenly applied, compared to the adhesive-applied tungsten edge on off-brand blades. As a result, Drago knives last three times longer than off-brand blades.

OFF-BRAND CHAINS NOT ONLY WEAR FASTER, THEY WEAR SPROCKETS.

Drago gathering chains feature harder pins and more hardened chrome compared to off-brand replacements. This sprocket has managed 20,000 acres with the same Drago gathering chain.

This sprocket ran 14,000 acres with a Drago gathering chain, 7,000 acres with an off-brand replacement, followed by 3,000 acres with yet another off-brand replacement. Wear between sprocket teeth is noticeably heavy due to off-brand pins seizing or working intermittently.

Drago gathering chains are built specifically for Drago corn heads. That means you get the highest-quality materials — built to precise tolerances — for optimum performance and durability. And that makes a big difference.

With their softer pins and inconsistent amounts of hardened chrome, other gathering chain pins and rollers can create more friction and run hotter, reducing the life of the chain and costing you nearly $90/row.¹

Additionally, the added friction wears through the sprockets they run on, too, costing you $280/row just in sprockets!²

^{1 Chain savings calculation based upon parts and labor expenses to replace one set of Drago chains ($260/row) or two sets of off-brand chains ($160.00/row), plus labor costs/row at $28.75 for a quarter hour. Prices subject to change.}

^{2 Calculated based on the cost of two Drago upper drive sprockets at $140 each. Prices subject to change.}

WHAT DO OFF-BRAND BLADES REALLY COST?

On-farm trials demonstrate Drago brand knife roller blades — with their higher-quality steel and laser-applied tungsten carbide edge — last three times longer than off-brand replacement options. Along with the initial cost of buying multiple blades, is the cost of labor to replace them. Considering total labor and materials, the real cost of choosing off-brand blades is significantly higher than Drago brand blades.

FIGURE 1: SAVINGS ADVANTAGE OF DRAGO KNIFE ROLLER BLADES VS. OFF-BRAND REPLACE

KNIFE BRAND	COST OF BLADES PER REPLACEMENT CYCLE*	COST OF LABOR PER REPLACEMENT CYCLE*	REPLACEMENT CYCLES OVER SAME PERIOD***	REPLACEMENT COST OVER SAME PERIOD
DRAGO	$424.00 / ROW UNIT	$86.25 / ROW UNIT	1	$510.25
OFF-BRAND	$295.60 / ROW UNIT	$86.25 / ROW UNIT	3	$1,145.55
DRAGO SAVINGS / ROW UNIT: $635.30

^{*Prices subject to change.

**Labor cost estimated .75 hour @ $115/ hr./row unit.

***On-farm trial showed Drago blades last three times longer than off-brand blades. Individual results may vary.}

FIGURE 2: SAVINGS ADVANTAGE OF DRAGO KNIFE ROLLER BLADES VS. OFF-BRAND REPLACEMENTS / CORN HEAD

ROW UNITS	4	6	8	10	12	16	18
DRAGO COST ADVANTAGE	$2,541	$3,812	$5,082	$6,353	$7,624	$10,165	$11,435

^{*On-farm trial showed Drago blades last three times longer than off-brand blades. Individual results may vary. Savings include replacement blades and labor costs. See Figure 1.}

OFF-BRAND BLADES MAY LOOK THE SAME BUT PERFORM DIFFERENTLY.

These images compare a Drago knife roller blade with EnduraClad to an off-brand replacement blade from row units that have run through 500 acres.

The off-brand replacement blade (lower image) has worn through its useful life, while the Drago blade has hundreds of acres of harvest life left — thousands of acres on the corn head overall. Drago blades deliver more acres, fewer replacements and a lower overall cost.

DRAGO PARTS QUALITY EXCEEDS INDUSTRY COMPETITION.

Drago quality isn’t just higher than the leading off-brand parts, it’s higher than similar OEM brand parts, too. Along with higher-quality steel, metallurgical tests revealed that the tungsten coating on our blades is denser and more consistently applied than those of either John Deere or Case IH.

Tests showed that the coating on Drago blades is 50% more consistent than the next closest competitor. An even and consistent tungsten coating is important because it reduces areas of “weak spots” that are subject to faster wear. In other words, the durability of a blade is only as good as its weakest point.

Any brand can talk about the quality they build into their corn heads — Drago can prove it.

CONFIDENCE IN AVAILABLE PARTS AND KNOWLEDGEABLE SERVICE.
WE GUARANTEE IT.

Drago corn heads are built to last, but when service is needed, having a complete and available supply of parts at Dragotec USA is a priority.

Your authorized Drago dealer carries a full inventory of Certified Drago Parts to meet your service and maintenance needs. We are so confident of Drago parts supply, in fact, that while harvesting, if any part essential to continued operation is not available from any of our North American distribution centers — including your local authorized Drago dealer, regional parts hubs or our North American headquarters — the replacement part and shipping are free.

We call it the “We’ve Got Your Back” parts guarantee. And as amazing as our parts guarantee may be, no one has ever used it.

Your authorized Drago dealer is fully trained and knowledgeable for servicing Drago corn heads. For more information, contact your local Drago dealer — click the box below to find a dealer near you.

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