Combines stone trap

Clarence: Did you try Bryans Farm supply or FawcettIJ Fawcett had one last fall but I think it is gone. George

Ryno, My 8820 does the same thing. I don't clean my trap out every night but its probably a good idea especially in soybeans. I have a friend thats got an Agco R52 and he didn't clean out his stone trap when he switched from soybeans to corn and he had a rock in the trap and the corn going thru picked up the rock and tore thru his cylinder. The only good thing about it was he was going to put new bars in it anyway but it did some other damage also. I try to be up wind when I clean out my trap but you are right, its a dirty job, but so it replacing the cylinder bars. I clean out the trap whenever there is a possibility of rain and that helps. Make sure you lock up the throat for safety!!!

I don't clean out my trap over once a week in corn. Not much possibility of rocks or other obstructions in my area. In soybeans we clean it out every day. I use a piece of rebar about 5 feet long to rake everything out. As posted earlier I try to get most of it from the side that is upwind. Billy

On all my deeres over the years every two to three days clean out the traps, In high moisture more often because it pacs too hard to absorb a rock should the machine pick one up. In ultra dry usually 2-3days, however when I change crops or varieties I clean it every time. Keep in mind I have had the rocks and an occasional sprinkler riser after traveling through the cylinder (I thought completley) end up in a distribution auger trough. Had many fires before I found the problem. The auger was wore just enough not too send the one inch riser out over the screens,so it just laid there like a peice of flint.

It is up high but you close from the ground. I have moded the system a bit to make it even easier. If someone has not opened or closed one before it takes a practice run or two to get the hang of it. You have a nice choice on the Gleaner system. You can close the door up in normal manner (preferably with hump kit fastened to it)and forget about it until object knocks it open or you can run sump system. With the sump system you need to open and clean it daily. New machines come standard with sump installed so you need to clean once a day. When they started installing sump as standard the door became a light weight flipper instead of heavy door. If machine was ordered with rock door you can install brackets to lock it in sump position. I suggest that the guys that have small chance of picking foreign object to run with door shut and hump installed. If they guys are sure to pick some rocks I suggest sump system. Still best to do everything you can to prevent rocks from getting into machine in the first place (sorry you all ready knew that). Yes with door shut (no rock sump) the door can open with terrible slug but is very rare if cylinder and helicals are set up the way we like.

Nathan, I have seen some really large rocks that made it up the feeder house and pop the rock door open. It seems like kinda of a pain to get out and shut it, but if that rock would have made it too the cylinder, well I would guess at least 8000.00 in damage. On this system a 5 minute job to shut the door will save you lots of dollars in repair bills. I have looked at rock sumps on the gleaners and other combines and since we have always ran rock doors, the only thing I could think about a rock sump was what a joke. Believe me, once you have the rock door figured out its not that much of a pain unless something is wrong with it and slugs are popping it open to easily. It will save you alot of grief later also.

Only thing worse than a trap door opening is the $8000 mol repair bill a friend had on green machine without such a device. I run silver because it has the door.

The stone door with hump kit works like a charm! As Dan says if you are feeding in a lot of stones go to the sump but my preference is the the hump on the stone door and it closes easy. If your header and feeder house are set up properly you will not be sending slugs to the rotor. I would use steep pitch helicals, the triangle wedge and the cdf rotor. Dave

I agree 100%. Stone trap is cheap issurance. Thing is boss doesn't like Gleaner becuase of the stone trap, how you work around the engine to get to the rotor. They don't like the 2377 once again because of the stone trap, auger bed. They don't like the 9690 MF because of the stone trap and local farm traded in one of their TR98s for one and said it's a nightmare. Beater infront of the rotor they said is built light but AGCO has new ones out. But if you look at that farms old TR98, you might realise why there having problems with their 9690. They like the CR940, big cab, stone trap low to ground, easy access to the rotor. But they don't like the price. WAY above everyone else. Be interesting what they end up with. Take care, Nathan

Yes stone trap sucks I have a new 55 and the trap opened no alarm and i did about 40 acres this way There was a wad that closed the door open IT sucks getting it closed