Combines Direct Heading Canola 1010 front vs rubber front

[bigred]

Just finished doing some straight canola with a 1010 header, the canola was yielding 30 bu_ac and was quite lodged. Was able to travel about 4.5 MPH with a 2188, combine was never loaded.

 

[cwfarm]

There has been a lot of experience with straight cutting canola in western Canada. First off Brad, if you are cutting a Polish variety it is no problem using an 1010 header, especially with a pick up reel. Argentine canola varieties pose a greater problem, particularly light crops because many varieties shell too easily. light crops sway in wind easily and this alone will shell the crop more than you'll like. Indeed, even in heavy stands some farmers will "push" the crop flat(this is not common)with a special rig on their swathers in early pod set mitigating both wind bourne shelling in later maturity and reducing mechanical shelling from straight cutting by cutting into the lean. Yup, one way at a time.I question the effeciency of this practise but advocates of it will tell you their yeild advantage is high enough to more than pay for the system, they're probably right. Draper headers work way better only if you have a small feeder auger with retractable fingers to pull the bunchy crop into the feeder house. I used to have a 1010 and now have a MacDon 962 draper header with the small feeder auger and retractable fingers and it is the way to go. HOWEVER, I always swath because our ecosystem in southern Alberta is fairly dry and our crops are usually light (23 bushel average)and because I'm a prudent bugger.There is sweet tweet for information regarding Argentine varieties that are good for straight cutting. I suggest to you that you swath the majority and leave a reasonable sized test strip to staight cut , that is what I did this year. One thing I do know, when things go wrong straight cutting Argentine varieties, you will not be happy with the amount of volunteer canola next crop. Cheers mate!

 

[downunder]

Have always direct head my Canola here in south Aus and have had no probs used both auger and belt fronts and found no diff. if you can put the table auger in the high pos it may help to get it under the auger. all the best mate.

 

[Brad]

Thanks for this (thanks to all the respondants). Have heard that the 1010 is better as the auguer helps feed it into the elevator, better than the belt front. But from what you have said it deson't make any difference. Hope you harvest ends up well.

 

[Ham]

i've done some last season with a draper front and it worked ok, if slow (6kph) except where there was any wild turnip. Then things just stop dead. Also side hills didnt work very well on the downhill side of the table, and wind created some problems. Ive decided to windrow from here on. Im talking crops in the region 0.5 to 1 t _Ha.in SA Mallee