Combines Sickle suggestions

Number one was to hold sickle down and prevent it from bending and binding and failure to cut clean. First thing I needed was a discarded quick cut system for I needed a full set of bottom guards. I had a couple systems that I set aside after converting back to standard. I fliped every other section and then used a full set of bottom guards on the top. I had to shim the top guards to get just miss clearances. I had to use standard guards at the first couple locations from wobble box and to use them with quick cut I had to deepen the slot with chop saw to make room for section. This system worked very well but would switch to something else if I couldn't find the used guards.

You talk about maybe needing to speed up sickle. If you are trying for the best, fastest ground speed cutting in soybeans, you cannot beat the quick cut system in my experience, BUT know that they need to run SlOWER than conventional sickles, and the register must be right on! Gleaner has a smaller drive pulley that has to be used with the Quick Cut! I get near perfect cut with speeds to 5 1_2 mph or more.

We use the Crary system it kicks but the wear is night and day difference to the regular cut I love it and would reccomend it to anyone.

Your right speeding sickle had little or no benefit. We did adjust register of sickle and adjusted hold downs as close as possible without binding. It was very tough stem of Navy bean plant that we just couldn't cut well enough. When it won't cut it will bow up sickle between hold downs and the worse it bowed the worse the cut the sooner the sickle would bow right out of place and soon enough break. For the guys with trouble spearing old corn stubble the live sickle (sections protruding in front of guards) is the way to go and if they are having trouble cutting the tough stalks they can look at adding more hold downs. I have heard many guys just like you that love their quick cut but they must not be tring to cut what we do in our area. I kind of like the idea of the standard section also for it has more of a sissors cut than a chop cut. We order up our new flex heads from Gleaner with the SCH.

I HARVESTED 650 ACRES OF SOYBEANS lAST YEAR AND THEN 300 ACRES OF WHEAT AND OATS, AND THEN I PICKED ABOUT 200 ACRES OF SOYBEANS THIS YEAR BEFORE I REPlACED ANY KNIFES.