Combines 1052 draper

I'm not sure which ch number matches the MacDon number but we have both 25' 972 and 30' 974 flex. In tall bushy beans they feed great, once you run a draper an auger head will drive you nuts trying to get the short beans into the auger. In short beans the flex will outcut the ridged just because it follows the ground better. But the fact that once the crop is cut that its moving towards the cylinder the combine runs smother, no more slugs heading towards the cylinder. We are wanting to sell our 972 if interested email me and I will get you pics, price, location.

I just ordered a new 36' MacDon flex. Do you have any trouble with the head "pushing" when it gets damp. The dealer said no problem. The head flexes laterally with just the spring tension, correct. The only electronic control of the head is up and down, or so I've been told. Can you enlighten me a littleIJ Thanks, Kip

Right about the electronics, it measures the distance between the adaptor and head. As far as pushing we had a couple of problems but it was an easy fix. It takes 100 - 200 hrs of use to break in the flex and get it working. During that peroid it works it just may need some adjustments made as the springs get streched and joints loosen up. We found that it works better to cut on an angle to the rows and this reduces the pushing. I've ran Macdons and Flex heads and it took me about 2-3days to get real comfortable running it. A local dealer brought out a combine to demo with a fex-auger head and I could not stand to run it after running the draper. Hope this helps. email me if I can help more.

Do you think the gauge wheels are nessaryIJ I will be combining soybeans and wheat. What is your Email addressIJ

Does the float optimizer work well on the 1052IJ Heard header pushes on wet ground.

gdchaser@swbell.net For beans take the wheels off. You have to lock them all the way up anyway and I don't like were they store the hitch. We took the total transport off and sold it back to the dealer and bought a trailer. In wheat I think gage wheels would be nice to have ecspecilly with a 36' head, but we only have about 200 acres of wheat so we won't mess with it. The gage wheel price isn't as bad as the transport price $800 vs $2500. The drive shaft on the left side was hitting one of the transport wheels and that was when we decided to take it totaly off.

I was wanting a draper head, but just can't talk dad into it for the extra money. At dark if there is no wind forget running with a 1020, but after I quit I went and rode with a neighbor running the 1052 30' and all he had to do was rock it back a little and keep moving. I have been very impressed, but dad will take some time.

How will a 1052 25' follow uneven or rolling ground in soybeansIJ Would a flex be betterIJ What about pushing mud in wet conditionsIJ

As far as the Flex, it's worth every extra dime to have the flex in beans. My only complaint is it takes 200 hrs to break all the flex springs and adjustments in so it was finally working great the last week of harvest. We could only find a new head last yr, and we need 30' in order to get around and they are extremely hard to find everyone want 36'. If you can even come close to justifying a $40,000+ head and you have any hills or dips in your fields I believe that the flex will more than pay the extra in beans saved in the first year and will pay its total cost back with in a couple of years if the bean market will stay up. I cut in what I called tomato soup and had some minor problems until I relized the ends of the head were sagging once I tightened the springs it work good.