Combines Your thoughts on SCH sickles please

We have used them for three seasons now and they perform real well. They are simple to maintain and the sickle sections last twice as long compared to double cut sections. You don't have any guard breakage, you will bend a guard once and awhile if you hit a rock just right. Cutting speeds up to 5 miles per hour if the conditions are right.

I have used the SCH knife for about 12 years. The knife does a very good job in green stem soybeans and tough grass. I fist replaced my Quickcut on the F3 and never regret that decision for a second. When I got my new R 42 in 96 the first thing I did was replace the factory knife with the SCH. The only negitive thing I heard was that in no-till soybeans the guards would sometime spear the corn stalks and then material would start to build up. That is on 15" rows. To prevent build up harvest on a angle, it's also a lot less stressful and gives the neighbors something to talk about

I have used the SCH sickel system for two years now and I am completly satisfied with it.I had the quick cut before and every day I would replace 5 or 6 sections that were either broke or bent badly. I have now cut 1200 acres of beans and 400 acres of wheat and have only replaced six sections and no guards although one guard is bent and should be replaced. The wobble box drive belt lasts at least twice as long as before and maybe longer. I was limited to 5 MPH with the small drive sheave but I put on a larger one and I can now cut at 6 to 6.5 MPH. I wish I would have installed the SCH system sooner!

Did you replace the drive sheave with the sheave from the rigid headerIJ I was told it was smaller, thus speeding up the sickle. Have you had any trouble caused by the increased sickle speedIJ We are contemplating the SCH as well. The standard gleaner sickle is good for the first 500 acres(30' head),you can do another couple hundred in good conditions, but after that it is so dull ground speeds are limited to 3.5 mph. We used a 1.5" space quick clip, but they wear and break as much as the standard 3".

Mike, I have a 1990 series 3 flex head and I replaced the wobble box drive sheave with a larger diameter one not the driven sheave. The drive sheave is on the back left hand corner of the header. I believe there are 3 or 4 different size sheaves to chose from and if I remember correctly mine was the next to largest diameter available. I have used it for a year and have not noticed any problems with the increased sickle speed.

We have an 800 series and I think if you replace the sheave on the wobble box with the rigid head(700 series) sheave which is smaller it will speed the sickle. Just wondering if anyone has done that and if it has caused any problems.

Tom If you haven't already, you may want to look at the "Double Cut II" conversion kits through C.F.C. They are using the same concept of reversing every other section and having a continuous stationary cutting surface above the sections. They are set up on 1.5" spacings. I put a new set on last fall and so can't speak on length of wear yet. I had run Agco 1.5" hardware for years but was always battling the sections tendency to tip up away from the lower guard cutting surface and losing a sharp cutting edge. This system should logically balance this out. I liked the idea of staying away from the stationary guard point that seems to be able to spear cornstalks and knock down approaching beans in no till. Their web site is www.cfcdist.com, ph 800-548-6633. Good luck Gamaman

I have been running quick cut knives since 1977 and find them tough to beat when it comes to cutting soys at high speed and eliminating shatter losses. I tried a SCH cutting system for the first time this year and just traded the head because losses were too high in 20 bu. soybeas. I found the 3 inch knife couldn't cut close enough and ground speed was just a disaster. I have personnally cut 50 bu. soybeans at 8.2 mph and harvest losses were almost negligable with the 1 1_2" knife. I designed a new hold down that makes the two point hold down guard very easy to adjust. This shimming is very important when it comes to keeping these knives in good cutting order.

I have been running SCH knives for a number of years, first on a 300 series and now on a 500. Before we had stock gleaner and 1.5 knives, seem like we were always changing a sickel or guard. We have plenty of stones. 5 mph seems to be about top speed in good cutting, In green stems 4.5 mph is tops. Would also like to hear about different pulley sizes, have heard about speeding up sickle speed and have also heard about slowing sickle speed down.

My '94 R62 has the 400 header. It keeps dropping the wobble box after 300-350 hours. The cost of the new wobble box is amazing. Does SCH drive have similar time failuresIJ Would I be saving money in the long haul if I convert from wobble to SCHIJ I run a 30ft header over 1000-1200 acres wheat with a sprinkiling of milo with new knife sections at the start of every season. Thanks for your comments.