Combines paddles or chain

[Redman]

We have a massey 750 with paddles and we liked the paddles well.....never have ran the chains so dont know much about them

 

[tractor]

ran a 550 with chains have a 750 with paddles, I like the paddles better and they are quieter, but you also don't have to keep them adjusted like you do the chains, only bad part is that it's a little harder to unplug the throat, but then I'm probably the only one ever to plug a throat

 

[whizz]

Paddles are great for most crops they certainly can aid thrashing in very ripe crops they are easy to maintain until you have to replace the rubber strips. One word of warning if you have to cut crops of linseed or flax they are a nightmare as they can very easily wind up round every paddle if the crop is not very dry indeed. This is the only crop we have had problems with.

 

[Mark]

For flax and other difficult grains that can wrap tight in the paddle housing, a farmer designed a wide belt that goes all the way around the paddle system. Installation quite easy, no tools required, nothing to take apart. Farmer sells them through loewen. www.loewenmfg.com

 

[goober]

I like the paddles. They run quiet. Sometimes when I am custom combining beans and pick up a stone the paddle will wedge the stone against the feeder house floor and the feeder house will stop. I just get out grab that big wrench turn back the feeder a quarter turn pick out the stone and go again. This has happened 4 or 5 times to me. I would rather this happen than the stone get up further, yeah sure it has a stone trap but it is nice to catch the stones as soon as possible, kind of an added insurance. The only problems are if you combine tough swaths a lot the shafts through each paddle will bend and the drive sprokets will develop a wobble; no big deal you just can't tighten the drive chains as tight as you normally would. The other problem is with wrapping; when the paddles wear and start to curve backward they will wrap quicker in viney crops. I have found that it pays to put new ones on every 400 hours or so, all depends on how well your combine is being feed evenly. Custom work in tough swaths wears them back much quicker. Another mistake a lot of people make when putting new rubbers on is to over tighten the bolts. If you over tighten the bolts the new rubber will be angled backwark already and not have done any work.