Built to Last: Maya Corn Heads Without Planned Obsolescence

Maya's U.S. story began when co-owner Justin Bruch discovered the corn head while farming in Ukraine and brought one back to Iowa. Rick Nelson eventually tried the head on his own family farm, became impressed with its construction and harvesting performance, and bought into the business around 2014. More than a decade later, Rick says the basic row-unit design has remained largely unchanged because the fundamentals were already right.

One of the biggest differences is the longer row unit. Maya can run the head flatter—around a 15- to 17-degree angle—and use longer snapping rolls operating around 500–550 RPM. Rick explains that the larger working area allows the plant to be pulled through the deck plates more slowly, which can reduce butt shelling compared with a shorter row unit that has to operate faster. Maya also manufactures most of its gearboxes and row-unit components in-house, which Rick credits for the head's durability and quality control.

Maintenance is another major selling point. Maya calls it an “annual maintenance head.” Beyond routine attention to components such as the combine drive-shaft U-joints and folding hinge points, Rick says a properly serviced head can generally run through the season without daily row-unit greasing. Its chopping option is designed for lower maintenance as well, with angled chopping action intended to reduce horsepower requirements while distributing residue evenly across the field.

Corey also shares his experience harvesting completely flattened corn after the 2020 Iowa derecho. Instead of installing a traditional corn reel, Maya's down-corn units replace selected snouts with units containing an additional gathering chain that runs up the center of the snoot. Farmers can install them only on the rows necessary, retain the ability to fold the head, and remove or resell the units afterward. Rick emphasizes that Maya isn't simply a down-corn head—the system is an added layer of “cheap insurance” when wind, disease, or other conditions put a standing crop on the ground.

Ultimately, Rick encourages farmers to evaluate total cost of ownership, not just purchase price. Maya offers a three-year unlimited-acre warranty, and Rick says he knows of multiple 16-row heads with more than 30,000 acres that have yet to replace a gearbox, row unit, or knife roller. His explanation of the philosophy behind the head is straightforward: it's built without planned obsolescence—“built how it used to be” and how he believes equipment should be built.

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