Combines options questions

[Dan]

I'll try clear some of this up for you.First, I believe the 68" pitch helicals were an attempt at getting tough straw to slide threw rotor better. I believe the real problem was cylinder bars did not go all the way to the discharge. The steeper pitch does get close to matching the pitch of helicals on the thresher side of old P1's. I like the idea of steep pitch at least on the thresher side for it helps prevent straw from going over concave a second time. With that kit it would not be necessary to extend the third helical from gearbox over the top left of feeder opening. We have installed lots of steep helical kits and even shimmed them by 1_8 inch. The main reason we put in the steep helical kits is old ones are wore out and price is good. We don't replace to gain capacity allthough it may help some. When we put that kit in we get an extra one of the long bars and cut it in two to fill somewhat of a void toward the discharge end of cage. I would be cautious with that kit if you have super high yeilds for the standard pitch does work well. I don't believe steep pitch is a factory installed option.Second, I believe the high wire seperator grate prevents rolling up of the straw for the higher wires support the crop so it can't start rolling into a rope. Maybe most important for the slow cylinder speeds with the hard to convey straw. Also the wider spaced wires prevent plugging similiar to removing every other wire from original grate. I don't believe the high wide wire grate is available as factory installed yet.Third, We install the seperator grate cover to prevent rolling of the straw especially with green straw or hard to convey straw. When straw rolls it will stress parts, break tender seeds, and take seeds out the discharge. We have installed many covers and never removed one. The Gleaner kit will not fit the adjustable grates very well so I'm having some made that are chromed and the securing hardware is countersunk into cover. I know Hyper made mention to a combine smashing corn in a previous post when seperator grate was installed but I believe that had to do with reverse bars not the cover. A seperator grate cover and enough half height bars to control any rotor loss may be the answer for many. I'm sure the cover is not a factory installed option. Hope this helped clear it up. It is very hard to get a side by side, one with and one without, field comparison during harvest in all the various crops and conditions. Hopefully all the imformation here on the combine page you can fine tune your machine to perfection. Any other comments good, bad, or otherwise please please comment. Thank You. Dan

 

[dibber]

Do you think the high wire would be a better buy than the standard oneIJ It sounds like you wouldn't need the seperator grate, or is the grate still necessaryIJ

 

[Dan]

I like the high wire idea better than the low wire. On the low wire I have even removed approx. every other wire and then welded on rods onto the existing rods to bring them up level with cross bars to prevent rolling of straw. That was alot of work. Installing cover kit acomplishes about the same thing. The way I look at it is the P1 had a much less aggresive concave than P3, 1x1 holes in cage instead of 1x1 1_4 of P3 and it did a good job of letting the seeds out of straw. With that in mind and the eaze of switching bars in a P3 to control any possible crop loss, I like the cover. I'm sure there is a condition out there, like high yeilding wet corn, where grate would be better off not covered. If no one else speaks up here who have tried grate cover with out all the reverse bars in we may need to wait untill next harvest to get more results. My requist from Gleaner would be an adjustable seperator grate that is made just like cage material and could be ordered from plant that way. Any other comments are most welcome. Dan

 

[tbran]

Dan - I agree. To clear up any question the "highwire" grate issue might bring up- this widening of wires in the thresher grate and raising the location of the wires closer to the top - was installed as a change around 95 and is std. equip. on all since then. You are right about rolling straw but more important is corn cobs cannot lay in the deep channels and get broke up. The high wires keep the cobs moving w_o breakup - thus more capacity. I also agree as to the sep cover. Sure would be neat if in needed crops if there were a cover you could slip in as the new adjustable sep. grate is easy acess... I'm sure they will be forthcoming.. a phone call wouldn't hurt though. let's do it Mon.