Combines Front feeder chain tension

[Tom_Russell]

I am far from an expert on feeder chains but I have observed that if they start jumping, the best way to prevent it from happening again is to loosen all bolts on the bars, roll it over a few turns by hand to center everything, then tighten bolts to proper torque. This assumes your chains and sprockets arent ready for the scrap pile. Good luck.

 

[tbran]

Check your helicals. IF the helical bars get worn the material doesn't flow and drops back in the lH side of the inlet and BACKFEEDS back down the lH side. Install a helical extention kit. Install the shock kit for your drums as well.

 

[vern_in_ne_ks]

I have a '94 R62 and would like someone to talk to me about the shock kits on the feeder house chains. My machine does not have them. I have looked at a later model R72 with them on it, so I know what they are. Question is, what do they help do and are the kits worth the $216.00 per feederhouseIJ Also,on another matter, have always had a cylinder machine until now and we bale almost all our straw. I will also want to bale behind the R62. What kind of problems, if any, am I goind to run into and what do I need to do to bale behind this combineIJ Dealer didn't really have any answers but I figured if anyone knew, they would be on this board. Thanks

 

[R5]

We bale oats straw behind our 94 R62 with no problems. Make sure the straw chopper is set to slow and the stationary chopper knives are retracted. After removing the straw spreader disc, we added a sheet metal diverter to shift the straw slightly towards the center of the combine away from the wheel track. Our straw customers prefer this straw to conventional combine straw since it is slightly "processed".

 

[vern_in_ne_ks]

Thanks for the input, appreciate it. Vern

 

[NDDan]

I'll add a few things for your R50 style system. loewen is only place to get feeder shocks for that older machine. With shocks installed put front top drum stops all the way up and bottom front drum stops all the way down. On rear with shocks installed have bottom stops in middle position and top stops all the way up. Rear drum shocks are the most important if you wanted to do just one drum. Tention for chain should be in your book but I believe it is about two inches of thread showing on draw bolt for front chain and next to no threads showing on rear chain. Rear chain and transition area between the two chains is main cause of problem with front chain. Rear drum needs to float up and be stable with different straw flows and rear chain needs to pull straw away from front chain and transition area. Thus besides the shocks you need slats on rear chain in good sharp condition to keep straw pulled away from transition and flowing up the feeder. I forget if anyone mentioned hump for rock door but that would be another plus for the feeder system. Also make sure corn varible belt is set proper along with the belts on right side that drive feeder. Make sure the tentioners are able to keep belts tight when the pull starts. I've seen the tentioners bottom out so they don't make up for belt stretch. Good luck

 

[NDDan]

Here's the deal. As soon as the R50 came out we started having excess feeding problems in some conditions and some years. Mainly in tough going while cutting right on the ground. We did this that and the other thing and got by. Then the R42,52,62,72 came along and problems escalated way out of control. Them newer machines had a longer feeder house which allowed chain to float up to far half way between drum and sprocket for our conditions. The chain would be so high half way between drum and sprocket so straw would stall and plug. Gleaner quickly came with the floor kit that has rails that prevented chain from boeing up to high. Anyway that fixed front feed fairly well. We still had the problem with banging, plugging, and breaking feeder drums ect. We found if we locked rear drum up we had no problem until we stoped feeding and started back in again. When we started back in there was a puddle of grain sitting inbetween front and rear chain. The rear chain would not pull material away for it was to high off of floor and rear chain would not push straw under rear feed far enough to get thing moving again. We then came up with the shock plan and problems were over for drum floats where ever it needs to. I won't get into it now but we have since come up with ways to get feeder to handle way more straw without pluging. We were bottle necked at feeder for the hyperized machines in our conditions and crops so we had to go even beyond shocks. I would say don't think twice and get the kit installed. With kit installed we leave in grain position and never switch again for corn or anything. It keeps feeder clean no matter what crop. Good luck