About HFR
Specialist Header Front Repairers Since 2011
500+ fronts repaired across all major brands — MacDon, John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Claas and Honey Bee — with contractors and growers across SA, VIC, NSW and QLD trusting our workshop to get their machines back in the paddock.
The Business
Built on decades of grain-farming knowledge.
Header Front Repairs is a specialist structural repair and refurbishment workshop based in Swan Hill, Victoria. We assess, straighten and rebuild harvester header fronts for contractors and growers across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland — every major brand, every type of front, handled in-house.
What sets us apart isn't just the repair work — it's what sits behind it. The Ward family has farmed grain outside Swan Hill since 1893. That's 133 years of continuous grain production across four generations: watching fronts wear, understanding what breaks and why, knowing the cost of a machine down mid-harvest at a level most repairers simply don't have. When we assess a damaged front, we're doing it with the instincts of grain farmers — not just a workshop. That depth of knowledge is hard to replicate, and it shows in how we work.
Today the fourth generation of the family is involved in the business, carrying that accumulated knowledge forward into every job — structural straightening, full refurbishment, insurance-claim assessment. Five hundred fronts and counting.
Our Roots
A grain-farming family since 1893.
The two timelines run in parallel — a farming family and a repair business, both still active today.
- 1893
Ward family begins farming outside Swan Hill — grain farming to this day
- 1953
John Ward's first harvest — 3rd generation on the land
- 4th gen
4th generation now actively involved in the business
- 2011
Header Front Repairs founded from the Swan Hill workshop
- 500+
Header fronts repaired to date — all major brands
- Today
Still farming. Still repairing. Both going strong.
A Hugh V. McKay Sunshine harvester — still on the Ward family farm, Bulga Road, Swan Hill. The Ward family has farmed this country since 1893.
Standards
Why contractors trust HFR.
Structural repair done right
We straighten, refurbish and rebuild header fronts to full structural spec — frame, knife, reel and drapers. Not patch jobs. Complete repairs that last the life of the machine.
Insurance-claim expertise
We assess, document and quote to your insurer's requirements, and can work directly with your assessor when one is appointed — so you're not chasing paperwork in the middle of a season.
All-brand capability
MacDon, John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Claas, Honey Bee — every major brand and every front type handled in our Swan Hill workshop.
Multi-state coverage
Based in Swan Hill, we serve contractors and growers across SA, VIC, NSW and QLD. Pickup and delivery arranged to keep your machine moving.
As featured in
What contractors say
"You'd never pick where they'd cut it — it looks like a brand new MacDon front. We went from a 40ft to a 42ft front, it runs beautifully and our clients are over the moon."
Get started
Ready to get your front assessed?
Upload a few photos and details — we'll call with an initial estimate within 48 hours. No cost, no obligation. Final price confirmed after inspection.
Or call us direct: 0483 964 118