Combines Draper 3 5

[R]

Rod, I don't think that it needs fixing. I've tried to outrun it in dead ripe, freeze killed, low yielding ratoon crop rice and haven't been able to travel faster than it will cut. I've had it over 7mph on occasion and it still cuts clean. Even with boogered up knife sections, it cuts clean. Maybe mine's indexed different, but I have no complaints

 

[Ham]

Deeres sales brag almost challenges you to try and overrun the cutterbar, so they are fairly confident. But its a different story possibly in high yielding good length solid crop compared to droughted and very short, sparse cereals. I will be able to tell you in a few weeks, Rod but by then you'll know yourself. Ham (in SA Mallee ) I wish us all luck

 

[R]

I've also run over 7mph in heavy green rice. When you don't have a full header width to cut, you need to speed up to keep the rotor full. Still haven't been able to outrun the cutter. Cuts clean and smooth in any situation I've put it in. There's not much that I don't like about Deere's draper. They've got a winner here in my book.

 

[Rod]

Thanks for your responce. I don't know whether O_S people know but Australia is experiencing it's worst drought for nearly a 100 years and this years cereal crops (what's left of them) are very thin and poor. Consequently, we'll be harvesting at high speeds 10mph and faster - that's where knife register is vital. If this JD knife setup cuts clean at these speed, then why was there so much concern with knife register over the previous 60 yearsIJ

 

[andy]

We cut 9000 acres this summer with two 930D and had a hard time overrunning the sickle in 2 gear full hydro. This was thin wheat, after we got home my greenstar average 17.4 for the whole run.

 

[R]

Rod, Sorry to hear of your crop situation. I know the days will be long harvesting at those speeds. This STS_draper combo is the first Deere machine I've owned in the last 17 years. Knife register was never an issue on the other machines. Sorry I can't help there. One thing that does come to mind if you are running those speeds on less than smooth ground is pick up reel finger to knife clearance. I like to run that clearance at an inch (25mm) or less on smooth ground when speeds are slow. You might want to run quite a bit more. When that head bounces around a bit there's enough flexing between the knife and pick up reel fingers that knife section damage can result. I'm assuming you have the steel fingers on your pick up reel.

 

[Rod]

There all running the Hart Carter plastic tyne P_U reel and yes, reel bounce -"tyne snipping" is a problem. Some operators have run thin strengthening cables over the reel tube to take some of the "flop" from the reel. The easiest way out of all these problems is for it to rain the correct amount, when we would like it so it would make all these annoying problems fade into the distant past. Here's hoping !