Combines deslugging tips

[Mike]

Install small diameter feed drums, front and rear. Since we have done that we have not slugged in once that the reverser would not back out. I also understand a floor kit is or will be available that will eliminate that stupid hump between the front and rear. To me the hump creates all of the problems. I know a guy in Rice country who swears by getting rid of this hump.

 

[NDDan]

Tips to prevent plugging: Smooth feeding head, feeder shocks if not installed, drum stops in grain position (that is so they just clear floor when down and clear bottom of grain bin or support at front of front feed when proped up). 7" rear drum is good but have had some guys with the 8" and W-rings that removed top pad completely to gain nearly clearance that 7" would give you. Important to prop up front drum on '97 and prior machines to be sure you clear supports toward the front. Some are raising to high and catching. This requires adding proper amount of shims to lock drum from coming so high. Proper tention or slightly overtightening rear chain is important. Posi-feed drums from loewen are good. Now keep in mind the things above are very important but to realy unleash the capacity of the feeder install the floor tilt kit without hump or buy an '08 with factory installed kit. There are now hundreds of Gleaners breathing a sigh of relief in the tough to convey crops with the floor mods. Best of luck

 

[oldstruck]

rats! The old saying "a day late and a dollar short" If I knew you had a 16' and wanted to try 20' I wish we would have the chance to hooked up in Sept of 2006. But I did not know about this site then. We had a 20' 800 flex but had to go down in size to fit our terraces. The 20' came with the R42. But is that not the way life usually works out! The previous owners have a R52 with a 20'. They said that the 42 could keep up till it got tough then the hp of the 52 would be the difference, as it would start to pull away. They have 8 row 30" crops. But you understand that all this depends on the operators and where they are setting their machines. I am curious about your 15" rows. Are you seeing an increase in yieldsIJ Have you run into any negative things that a person would have to consider before trying itIJ Here is some helpful abreviations. lOl = laugh out loud. (which I should have used) lMAO = laughing my a** off (which was over kill) I will have to ask my daughter what some other are!

 

[tbran]

Also be aware that the late R55's did not have upper feed slip clutch. It is a trial and error method, but after I shimmed the upper clutch solid, then added one metric flat washer - a lock washer will also do - to each spring on the pivot shaft clutch trq limiter, I have vitually no plugging issues. We ditto and follow Dan's proceedure with feed drums. My part time hired hand does pop a reverser belt about every year though. (of course I never did ) Small price to pay. Havn't had to dig out a slug in years. A Couple of forward and reverses does the trick. Again, it will not feed unless the header is adjusted to feed evenly. If it goes in in wads, it will come out in wads with grain loss as well.

 

[sidekick]

Oldstruck;For what it's worth,I'm in central Il and have about every soil type in my 88A farm.I haven't done real scientific trials,but my 30" beans seem to do at laest as good as when I drilled or planted 15" rows.That last year I had both 15and30,the 30's were 2-3 bu better BUT,they were across the waterway in a different field.Same n,planted same day.12A on 15 VS 19A on 30's.RainfallIJ Could have been better on the big field.SOOOOO many variables.In short,it's quicker and easier for me to just plant 6-30's than to split row them.They also call for higher pop in 15's(more seed).It's difficult to run straight in 15's with my wobble box head and not run down a row.Otherwise you have to cut at an angle.I have setteled for the ease of 6-30's.

 

[NDDan]

Yea but shimming clutches, locking solid, or eliminating slip clutches is decoying transition problem in certain conditions. If clutches are running at edge of torque holding capacity the drive is consuming extra HP. This is HP that could be used in cylinder instead. Not to mention the extra HP being consumed is from material not flowing well which the cylinder has to deal with later. It takes a lot of power to snap one of them belts. It broke my heart the other day when dealer had it lined up for me to sent him a floor kit and had his custumer convinced to patch wore threw floor until he got the kit. Custumer changed his mind and had dealer weld in the factory 1_4" thick humped floor that has no give what so ever. Darn I wished he had floor kit on hand or could of waited. Weird thing about it is the R40-55s which have much narrower feeders than R60-75s have the same slip clutches and can slip out nearly as often. This points out a sudden mix up of flow in certain conditions no matter what width feeder. Smaller drums, flatened floors, and shortened tail end of front feed floor on '93 and newer machines dramatically reduces feeder stress. Sorry I had to point this out. Have a great one.

 

[oldstruck]

Ummmm, well I can not cross rows. We specifically have to follow the same tracks for all field work, planting, spraying, harvesting. So that cross cutting is not an option. I did not consider the knocking down the row with the header. I am doing that sometimes now with narrow guess rows and tight turns. It kindo drives me nuts to do that. Thanks for the info!!!! SO 15" may not be a good option for us to look at. Plus if the gain is only a couple bushels an acre, then the pay off on the planter is going to take some time. We could use our CrustBuster drill and plug off every other hole, but it really is not accurate enough to do corn, and we have had a lot of questions about that in this area, of 20 and 15" corn. But then the cost of one of those very narrow row heads scares me to death! They are more than our combine was!!!!