The harvester seemed complete.
One man drove the team, and the machine cut the grain, bound it in sheaves, and deposited them upon the ground.
Presently, however, complaints were heard of the wire tie.

When the wheat was threshed, bits of wire got into the straw, and were swallowed by the cattle; or else the bits of metal got among the wheat itself and gave out sparks in grinding, setting some mills on fire.

Two inventors, almost simultaneously, produced the remedy.

Marquis L.Gorham, working for McCormick, and John F.Appleby, whose invention was purchased by William Deering, one of McCormick's chief competitors, invented binders which used twine.

By 1880 the self-binding harvester was complete.