Combines No Harrowing

[Old_Pokey]

I hope things turn around for you. I can relate to the broken hold down pipe, it is considered a minor thing to break around here in perennial grass seed country.:-( As the combines get bigger and the growth regulator sprays get more popular, the combines have to go faster and faster to stay full. It has really taken its toll on the belt pickups. I think soon folks around here will have to start picking up 2 swathes. Of course here the big new deere 16' rotary swather is considered an outrageous huge cut. But I digress.... If you have to run without harrowing again next year, have you considered removing the tires from the pickup and putting a skid shoe in placeIJ It may sound primitive in a way, but I think a skid shoe would make the pickup ride smoother which may help not breaking the hold down pipe. IJIJIJ

 

[HRGD]

Your idea of Skid Shoes instead of tires crossed my mind until I remembered how many I had to repair for customers in days gone by. I firmly believe the problem with breaking the pipe is a Torsional Twist as the tooth angle is only held at the one end. I intend to repair the pipe and install a pin system on the RH end. Also, we let the tire pressure down to 20 psi. The way they came was as hard as Fred Flintstone's wheelbarrow tire! Jim