Combine vs Sickle vs Scythe

The scythe is the clear winner for harvesting grains in India, according to calculations by the Vikalp team (costs listed in Rupees):


Combine
Rent = Rs 1,500/acre
Labour = Rs 500/acre
Threshing costs = Rs 0 
Straw wastage = Rs 15,000 worth of straw wastage 
(roughly 30 quintals per acre)
Grain wastage = Rs 3,000-4,500
(roughly 2-3 quintals per acre)
Total cost of harvesting an acre = Rs 21,000 

Sickle
Rent = Rs 0
Labour = Rs 3,000-3,500/acre
Threshing costs = Rs 3,500/acre 
Straw wastage almost zero 
(entire straw available as fodder)
Grain wastage almost zero 
(grain loss due to shedding is negligible)
Total cost of harvesting an acre = Rs 6,500-7,000 

Scythe
Rent = Rs 0
Labour = Rs 600-1,000/acre
Thresing costs = Rs 3,500/acre 
Straw wastage almost zero 
(entire straw available as fodder)
Grain wastage almost zero 
(grain loss due to shedding is negligible)
Total cost of harvesting an acre Rs 4,000-4,500 

Furthermore, the above calculations don't include the social and environmental costs, which make the scythes even more advantageous:

Add to this the fact that harvesting with the sickle involves a lot of drudgery and harvesting with combines leads to social evils like unemployment and environmental hazards like “straw burning”.

Source:

Photos, calculations, and quotations are from Vikalp
http://vikalp.tech/the-scythe/why-scythe/