Chopper on 4420 for corn?

agman · Oct 12, 2011

I'm running a 443 corn head on my 4420 and getting ready to start corn. Thinking all the cobs will be hard on the chopper, will the trash be too concentrated behind the 4row for no-till beans next year if I take the chopper off for corn, or do I need to leave the chopper on and just turn the knives out?

Erik Ks farmer · Oct 12, 2011

I run a couple MF"s, a 540 and 550 fella I bought the 540 from said you could"nt run the chopper in corn cause it would through cobs up into the combine and tear it up. I took the chopper of last couple of years and had no trouble with trash as long as you dont sit in one place with the machine running for long. This year I left the chopper on and had no trouble with the chopper or beating up the combine. I would run the chopper and see how it goes.

Case Nutty 1660 · Oct 12, 2011

Erik funny you mention the man saying it would throw back the debris, a 1160 Case I bought man said that it would plug the chopper in green weeds and made a lot of racket in beans or corn so he did not use it much, well looking into it I see many small dents on the rear hood from the under side out, he was not putting the twist in the drive belts or at least one and was running the chopper backwards!!!! the knifes had zero wear on the sharpened side, must have ran it like that any time he had it on!!! I put them on like the books showes ( the one he gave me!) and she works Great! cnt

LonM · Oct 12, 2011

agman-

We run our chopper in corn with our 4420, but move the row of sickle sections forward so that the sections have no part in the chopping, just the rotating knives. We've never run in corn without the chopper, so I can't claim it is better or worse without the chopper on, but if you have the chopper on, it is a lot easier to leave it on, in my opinion.

LonM

Anonymous-0 · Oct 12, 2011

I run the chopper all of the time on my John Deere 4420. I keep the sickle sections rotated forward (not in the chopper) all of the time for both corn and beans. I also have the speed reducer kit on the side of the combine and leave it operational for both corn and beans. I like a little longer bean stem laying on the ground to help with soil erosion. My personal opinion is that it does distribute husks, cobs, and any stalks across a little wider area which makes it better for no - till.

paul Em · Oct 13, 2011

I always take the chopper off our 4420 for corn. I want all the horsepower I can get out of this little thing and I'm sure the chopper takes its share.

If you walked through the field after harvest I guarantee you would not be able to find a "row" where cobs or debris just fell out the back, keep in mind it is only a 4 row head.

Erik Ks farmer · Oct 16, 2011

There"s some food for thought Nutty. I never thought about that possibility, the chopper was not mounted when I bought the combine so there is a good possibility that the same thing occured with this machine.

Chopper on 4420 for corn?

agman

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Erik Ks farmer

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Case Nutty 1660

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LonM

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Anonymous-0

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paul Em

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Erik Ks farmer

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