Your combine now behaves like a real machine. Push it too hard — and you'll pay the price.
Please do not re-upload or redistribute without permission.
In vanilla FS25, you can drive at full speed through any crop density with no consequences. Realistic Harvesting changes that.
Your combine now has a real engine load that responds to:
- Crop density and type (30+ crops with unique difficulty coefficients)
- Header width and engine horsepower
- Terrain slope
- Calibration settings (fan, rotor, sieves, feeder — unique per crop)
- Pickup Header / Swathing (detected automatically, 0.75x load multiplier)
- Machine type (grain combines, forage harvesters, root harvesters, cotton pickers)
Drive too fast → engine overloads → you lose grain. Simple.
You don't need to do anything special to start. The mod works automatically.
- Enter your combine and start harvesting normally.
- A HUD panel appears on screen with live data.
- Watch the Engine Load bar — keep it below 100%.
- If Load goes over 95%, crop losses begin. Slow down.
- The mod will automatically suggest a safe speed.
That's it for the basics. Everything else is optional depth.
The HUD appears automatically when you enter a combine. Right-click to enable cursor and drag it anywhere on screen.
| Indicator | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Engine Load % | How hard your combine is working. Stay below 95%. |
| T/h or L/h | Tons (or liters) per hour — your harvesting productivity. |
| Yield | Live t/ha or bu/ac. Fluctuates naturally with field density. |
| Speed / Rec. | Your speed vs. the recommended safe speed. |
| Loss | LOW / MED / HIGH — how much grain you're losing right now. |
Color code: Green = good, Yellow = caution, Red = losing grain.
Each metric can be individually shown or hidden. Switch between Metric (t/ha, km/h), Imperial (bu/ac, mph), and Bushel display units in ESC → Settings → Realistic Harvesting. HUD position is saved per-player.
Losses happen from two independent sources:
- Engine Load > 95% → losses begin
- The faster you push past the limit, the more grain you lose
- Slow down, use a narrower header, or choose a more powerful combine
High losses — combine going too fast
Optimal speed — minimal losses
If your combine's settings are incorrect for the current crop, you'll incur a calibration penalty on top of speed losses.
Each machine type now has unique controls — different parameters appear depending on whether you're driving a grain combine, forage harvester, root harvester, or cotton picker.
Preview Loss in the Calibration Menu shows the estimated penalty from your current settings — even when you're not harvesting!
1. Efficiency (Speed) — Rotor & Feeder House These components pull crop into the machine and thresh it. Poor configuration makes the engine struggle, cruise control forces slower driving. Perfect settings grant up to a +5.0% Speed Bonus.
2. Crop Loss (Wasted Grain) — Fan & Sieves These components separate grain from chaff. If the fan is too strong or sieves are badly adjusted, clean grain gets blown out the back. Perfect settings ensure 0% Added Crop Loss.
Overload Shield: Perfect Efficiency settings also grant a protective shield that absorbs minor crop density spikes — preventing accidental crop losses when you're driving near the limit.
Open: ESC → Settings → Realistic Harvesting
| Mode | Capacity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Arcade | 200% | Very forgiving — almost impossible to overload |
| Normal | 120% | Slight boost — default for casual play |
| Realistic | 100% | Real machine specs — requires skill |
| Mode | Penalty | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Arcade | 50% | Half the standard penalty |
| Normal | 100% | Standard |
| Realistic | 200% | Very strict — even minor overload = heavy losses |
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Speed Limiter (ON/OFF) | Automatically reduces speed when engine load is too high |
| Crop Loss System (ON/OFF) | Enables or disables grain loss simulation entirely |
| Independent Launch | Allows starting thresher without lowering the header first |
Multiplayer: Server settings (difficulty, speed limit, crop loss) are shared for all players and can only be changed by the admin. Client settings (HUD, units, position) are personal per-player. All settings persist across save games.
When buying or modifying a combine, you can choose an RHM Electronics tier in the shop configuration menu:
| Tier | Name | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Standard | Free | Basic engine load and speed limiting |
| 2 | Sensor Kit | $3,500 | Unlocks live Yield (t/ha) and Productivity (t/h) readouts on HUD |
| 3 | Yield & Loss Monitor | $8,500 | Full real-time Crop Loss indicator + color-coded warnings |
| 4 | Opti-Harvest AI | $15,000 | Autonomous calibration system — auto-detects crop and sets optimal parameters for 0% loss |
Tier 4 is the ultimate upgrade: plug-and-play zero-loss harvesting. Let the AI handle calibration while you focus on driving.
Press Right Shift + K while in a combine to open the Calibration Menu.
Well-calibrated — low loss, high efficiency
Poorly calibrated — high loss penalty
| AUTO | MANUAL | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Sets near-optimal values automatically | You adjust everything yourself |
| Accuracy | Good starting point, intentionally imperfect | Can be perfect — if you know what you're doing |
| Loss penalty | Small (AUTO isn't perfect) | Zero or better — if tuned correctly |
AUTO is convenient. MANUAL rewards the skilled operator with up to +2.5% efficiency bonus.
(Fan Speed · Rotor Speed · Upper Sieve · Lower Sieve · Concave Clearance)
Organized into sections:
- SEPARATION (Rotor, Concave) — affects throughput efficiency
- CLEANING (Fan, Upper Sieve, Lower Sieve) — affects grain loss
- PERFORMANCE (Concave Clearance) — affects overall speed
| Crop | Fan Speed (RPM) | Rotor Speed (RPM) | Upper Sieve (mm) | Lower Sieve (mm) | Concave Clearance (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat / Barley | 940–1070 | 870–970 | 15–18 | 10–13 | 4–8 |
| Oat | 940–1070 | 820–930 | 18–21 | 12–15 | 5–9 |
| Corn (Maize) | 1070–1180 | 470–560 | 21–24 | 15–18 | 25–35 |
| Soybean / Pea / Legumes | 910–1040 | 640–750 | 15–18 | 10–13 | 15–21 |
| Canola (Rapeseed) | 880–980 | 600–700 | 14–16 | 9–11 | 18–22 |
| Sunflower | 870–990 | 440–530 | 19–23 | 14–17 | 25–35 |
| Rice | 960–1080 | 910–1020 | 19–23 | 16–19 | 4–8 |
| Sorghum | 940–1070 | 720–830 | 15–18 | 11–14 | 4–8 |
| Lentil | 960–1080 | 520–610 | 18–21 | 12–15 | 15–21 |
| Chickpea | 1080–1230 | 520–610 | 21–24 | 14–16 | 15–21 |
(Blower Speed · Chopping Drum · Feed Rolls)
| Crop | Blower Speed (RPM) | Chopping Drum (RPM) | Feed Rolls (RPM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass / Dry Grass | 1150–1290 | 1110–1150 | 380–460 |
| Corn Silage (CHAFF) | 1220–1360 | 1140–1180 | 440–520 |
(Fan Speed · Cleaning Rollers · Elevator Web)
| Crop | Fan Speed (optimal) | Cleaning Rollers (optimal) | Elevator Web (optimal) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potato | 610 RPM | 200 RPM | 310 RPM | Gentle roller to prevent bruises |
| Sugarbeet | 640 RPM | 240 RPM | 300 RPM | Harder than potato, faster cleaning |
| Beetroot | 630 RPM | 220 RPM | 300 RPM | Between potato and sugarbeet |
| Onion | 850 RPM ⬆️ | 210 RPM | 270 RPM | Strong airflow to separate skins/leaves |
| Carrot / Parsnip | 580 RPM | 190 RPM | 330 RPM ⬆️ | Very gentle, fast feeder to lift weight |
| Spinach | 520 RPM ⬇️ | 160 RPM ⬇️ | 280 RPM | Minimal air — leaves fly and tear easily |
| Green Bean | 670 RPM | 200 RPM | 290 RPM | Moderate; pods crack easily |
Tolerance zone: ±5–8% from the optimal value shown above.
(Fan Speed · Picker Speed · Feeder Speed)
| Parameter | Optimal | Zero Loss Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Fan Speed (RPM) | 3250 | 3100–3400 |
| Picker Speed (RPM) | 210 | 200–220 |
| Feeder House (RPM) | 190 | 170–210 |
Engine load is calculated based on engine horsepower and crop difficulty:
| Machine Type | Base Coefficient | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Grain Combines | 0.035 kg/s per HP | 500 HP → 17.5 kg/s base throughput |
| Forage Harvesters | 0.051 kg/s per HP | 950 HP → ~400 t/hr corn silage |
| Root/Vegetable Harvesters | 0.060–0.080 kg/s per HP | Higher capacity for heavy root crops |
| Cotton Pickers | 0.015 kg/s per HP | Lower capacity — cotton is light |
Each crop has a unique difficulty coefficient (e.g., Wheat = 0.814, Cotton = 4.782, Spinach = 2.880) that modifies how much load the crop puts on the engine. Heavier/denser crops fill the machine faster.
NEXAT modular harvesters are fully supported — the mod searches the vehicle hierarchy to find the correct engine power.
Q: My combine is slowing down by itself. Is that normal? Yes. The mod automatically limits speed when engine load is too high. This prevents grain loss. You can override it by pressing accelerator harder, but losses will increase.
Q: I just installed the mod and my settings are all at 50%. Is that bad? That's normal — the mod starts at 50% by default until it detects which crop you're harvesting. Once you start harvesting, AUTO mode automatically adjusts settings to near-optimal values for that crop. It's not always perfect though, so there may still be small losses. For zero loss, tune manually using the reference table above.
Q: Does AUTO mode fully optimize for me? No. AUTO is intentionally imperfect. A skilled manual operator can outperform AUTO.
Q: I lost a lot of grain. How do I prevent it? Two main causes: (1) driving too fast — watch the Load bar, (2) wrong calibration — open RShift+K and check your settings for the current crop.
Q: Does this work in Multiplayer? Yes. Speed limiting syncs across all players. Each player has their own HUD settings. Server-side settings (difficulty, crop loss) are managed by the admin.
Q: What are RHM Packages? These are electronic upgrade tiers you select when buying/modifying a combine. They unlock additional HUD metrics and features, from basic monitoring to full AI-assisted zero-loss harvesting.
Q: How do I open the Calibration Menu? Press Right Shift + K while seated in a combine.
- Download from kingmod.net
- Place
FS25_RealisticHarvesting.zipinto yourmodsfolder- Usually:
Documents/My Games/FarmingSimulator2025/mods/
- Usually:
- Activate in the in-game Modhub
Created by: exekx
- Bugs: GitHub Issues
- Download: kingmod.net
Made with ❤️ for the FS25 Community