Combines Has anyone tried the Manchester feeder chainIJ

We've used them for years,and they're a good chain. I can't really say for sure that the trailing lip on the slat throws much material, but it provides for a very strong slat in comparison to others. Strength to avoid sideways flex is especially important if you have only 1 chain on either side of the feederhouse.

I thought that the trailing edge was supposed to act like a beater,[STS],and that feature was their claim to fame.Just wondered if it had the same benefit to a rotary as in a conventional,although I've never actually seen one,so I don't really know if they work at all.

I think the main advantage of Manchester chains is in the fact that the serrations on the leading side of the slats are more aggressive than others. They'll handle material more easily. In fact, we usually suggest alternating serrated slats with smooth ones in order to spread material out somewhat. In conventional machines, especially older models (715 IH, 105 JD, etc.) the trailing lip seemed to help quite a bit in most crops except corn. In that crop, there was a little tendency to crush cobs if the chain became a little loose -- usually due to improper adjustment -- you had to check it fairly often. In IH rotor machines, the chain sets a little further forward and it's hard to tell if the lip is making any difference. In the case of these machines, IMHO, the lip needs to be extended further. However, this would mean remodeling the front roller for more clearance and wouldn't be easily done. loewen Mfg. also builds a chain similar to this. Main difference is that the loewen chain has smaller serrations on the front lip and the slats are rolled, where the Manchester slats are formed on a press brake and are more rigid. The Manchester chain is best in small grains, they're about equal in vine crops and the loewen is a little better in corn. They both use slats which are bolted to the chain as opposed to riveted, in case it's required to remove one for straightening. Hope this isn;t too confusing.

Don't ever apologize for your explanations Terry.We need the unbiased expertise from people like you,Don Estes, and Mr.Gorden who have been around and seen more things than most of us.We can learn something,and not have to sift through the usual OEM sales B.S.. I've come to the conclusion that there must be a design flaw at the very front of the cone and it sends bunches of ropey crops through on a regular basis.The difference between the stand. and the spec. rotors is how they deal with the bunches. One of the toothed sep. bars that I took out has only 600 hrs. on it,and the front toth is almost completely gone,hard-surfacing and all.Back tooth is almost new by comparison.Of course,that was with the stand. rotor and reinforces what you had told me about how the stand. whisks stuff through until it hits the straight bar section.Must be a lot of rotor constipation in that area for all the wear.And wear like that from the crop mat has to be consuming a lot of power. Any way,back to the front end,I've been thinking about what you told me about how the Massey under-shot feeding worked so well.I add that idea with how the Marlins impellers work in tough conditions by not hanging down so low behind the feeder chain and grabbing bunches.If I had the Manchester feeder chain throwing the crop in better,and the Marlins letting the crop in better,pretty soon I'll be able to do wheelies with my little old 1440 in green-stem beans.Must be cabin-fever of the brain settling in around here. I am guessing that you have a drier climate than what we enjoy in the muggy mid-west.Heavy dews every morning until 10:30-11,and as soon as the sun starts down around 6,the breeze goes down and the dew comes on again.And all the time those @and$%n-stemmed beans growl through,conventional mach. or rotor.Just letting you know what we enjoy at bean-time.Sorry for rambling.How's the STS rebuilding going,if I may askIJ

Yes, we're drier than you are. At bean cutting time (unless we get unusually heavy rains in the fall, we can usually get started aroun 8 AM and most operators who don't feel they're required to make happy hour at the local watering hole can usually cut until 9 PM or thereabouts. Wind, of course, has a lot to do with it. Besides that until a couple of days ago, this fall we hadn't had any moisture since the middle of September. The STS project hit a temporary snag -- my fabricator bent the mounts wrong, and we're addressing that presently. I'm not sure, as yet, but I think the STS (not a rotor) will be easier to rework than the IH rotor -- not so much extra metal to cut away and less grinding.

I used a manchester on a 715 Grain Maize special. It is a good chain, will outdo regular chain in weed infested crops. Instead of stuff backfeeding inthe feederhouse, it will put it on into the cylinder. Instead of slugging down suddenly, the cylinder speed will slow, giving a fellow time to stop and let the material work thru. I recommend it, especially if you ever have to get into weedy crops.