JD 6620 Titan II can I suck snow through it?

John_PA

Well-known Member
Can I pull snow through the combine to get the corn off?

Has anyone done this?


I got really far behind. my dad had a heart cath done, was down for a long time. I missed my window. I could have done it without him, but it was the only thing he was living for. I did not want to step on him to get it done. Now, I see the weather is headed towards me sucking snow through the combine.

Anyone have pictures? What should I do?

Should I just get a job at Wendy's and flip hamburgers? That is my next step. We never had to worry about corn past October... let alone in Christmas or beyond.


I am stuck and alone... I feel like crap just thinking about it all...


gloom, despair... agony on me. Deep dark depression, excessive misery.


You know...


If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.


Gloom. Despair. and agony on me.





My dad feels good. I love him and I love my life because he is still here. I love everything right now, but I have 80 acres I need to mud out. I need to know at what point to shut down. This is a family crisis.






Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers and wishes and advice. I appreciate it all. Thank you so much.
 
Lot's of time left to do corn.

At this point, on our land, we would wait until the ground is frozen and there is very little or no snow on the leaves and ears.

I have never combined in a lot of snow but Dad has. Needs to be real cold so that the snow does not melt and re-freeze in pans, sieves, walkers, etc. Makes a mess of your combine.

Keep things dry and warm for now, you will have your chance. Maybe Your father will be available to help.

Good Day,
JP.
 
You can plug up your cleaning area with snow then the corn will just ride out the back.

Most times there will be a window to combine the corn when the snow is off the stalks.

If it a dry snow it usually will blow off the stalks. If it is a wet snow you will have to wait till it blows off or melts off.

If there is still snow on the corn you can combine it if it is cold enough that it won"t stick to the combine.

It also helps to up the cleaning fan speed a little to blow more of the snow out.

I have run with snow when the stalks thawed off or when it is cold enough the snow blows on through.

34 degrees and snow will not work. Keep an eye on the ground behind the combine. If there is no corn on the ground it is working Okay. If you have corn on the ground you either plugged with snow or you went a little to high with the fan.

If you do plug with snow either get it in a heated shop to thaw or set a heater to blow into the rear of the combine.

Also keep your head above the show. The less snow you bring into the combine the less it will plug.

Good luck.

Gary
 
I'm glad to hear your dad is doing better, and I hope his prognosis is good!

I can't tell you a thing about picking corn in the snow, we're just too far south for that. However, we have picked corn well after New Year's a couple times with good results. 1999 was a hurricane year, guy that normally did our picking got sick, and by the time we found someone else that would do it, it was soybean time. Got our beans in and then set the corn head on the combine on New Year's Eve. By the I figured the corn was a lost cause (already down because of the hurricane) but it had sort of turned into a thatch and it came up beautifully. Moral of the story: If I was in your shoes, I would try it with the snow, following others' advice. But if it don't work, keep an eye on the weather and you'll probably get a window where you can get it out better. Keep the crop watched too, its condition might be the deciding factor on waiting on better conditions or going ahead. I assume you have rear wheel assist on the 6620?

Good luck! And I do hope your dad continues on the upswing.

Al
 
The worst is when temps are around freezing and the snow is
melted onto the corn. It plugs up the rear of the combine
quickly.

If it is 20 degrees or colder, the snow doesn't melt much on the
way through the combine and works well. Well you know, its a
pain and you have to watch things, but it works.

When you talk about mud, then you might be in that miserable
temp where it does not work well at all, and have to wait for it
to warm up or cool down, either will be better.

Paul
 
John,
Where in Pa are you? I am in southern pa, we have a wintry mix this weekend, but the long range forecast is calling for some warmer weather next week. Does a neighbor do custom work? Maybe you could hire them to help? 80 acres would take me a while, but a newer machine and some trucks could probably get that in a day.
Josh
 
I have been in your shoes before and am sure that I will be again. The best thing to remember is that it aint over til its over. You will have to wait on the day to be right and have your machine ready to go at all times. You will find a stretch of time that the weather will cooperate and the ground will hold the combine and you will just have to get it done. That is why i say to have the combine ready to go for those days. Like the other guy said if there is frost on or snow on the staalks your chafer will cover over and the corn will carry out the back. If it does then you will know that it is not the day.
I am in KY and I have had this problem but never left a crop in the field. These are the times we have to rely on what others have taught us and perservere. If I were close I would help you. But I can tell you will get it done. I would really like to know how you get along. We are all with you. Just always be ready to run even if it is only a couple of hours a day.
[email protected]
 
As everyone here says colder is better. I have carried a long handle screwdriver to clean the sieves when they fill with snow. I feel for you both about your father and your concern about getting the crop out. Good luck and be careful
 
The answer is yes. I've done it many times. Would I rather be
done harvesting before the snow hits? Of course!! Temps
need to be below freezing so the snow is dry as others have
mentioned. One more thing, make sure combine is clean when
you decide to stop for the night. Nothing worse than coming
out in the morning and stuff is froze up and I don't recommend
a torch being used to thaw things out in the rear of the
combine!!! If your encountering mud that's nasty when it
freezes on things overnight. I've chipped a lot of frozen mud
off. Don't get discouraged, some of my fondest memories are
about harvests that didn't go perfect. When you finish and you
will, it will be a very rewarding experience!
 
I've combined many acres of corn in the snow. With
that machine it will need to be less than about 20
deg or the snow will melt and plug things. It can
also be over 30 and it will stay thawed and work
too. Different combines work at different temps
depending on how the air gets to the shoe, such as
does it pull in warm air from the engine or not. A
good way to keep an eye on the situation is to
watch the corn head. If the snow is staying and
not melting your good, or if it's all melting your
good. If it's making a snowman you got trouble. As
said make sure it is clean at the end of the day
so it don't freeze. I always let it sit and cool
for a 1/2 hour then run it slow for a bit so it
would freeze but not enough to stick then turn
everything to keep it loose and it would usually
start again in the morning. Good luck.
 
I have ran corn in snow. The colder the better. Usually it will work better at NIGHT. The sun will soften snow even when the thermometer shows it is cold enough.

Watch your sieve for icing/plugging up and run your fan speed higher.
 
have combined lot of corn with snow on if it sticks to the corn head it will plug sieves. Below 20 and no sun works best.
 
Looks like a ton of good advice here!

I think the trucking might be a huge problem as I have never had trucks come in spots when the ground wasn't rock hard. One year, we had a bit of the freeze and thaw and I had to pull a truck out.

As long as the combine doesn't mind the snow, I should be good to go. looks like rain here in southwestern PA for the next day, turnig to snow, then back to rain, and then strong winds and below freezing for the high temps during the day. That might be the best thing if the corn gets wet then freezes and no snow. I guess I can have them park 3 semi trucks for the night, then fill them up after dark, then go at it again in the next evening. I have a lot of 200 bushel corn, so my 80 acres should make me over 14,000 bushel. 3 trucks at a time is slow, but better than nothing at all.

Looks like I am going to have to get my generator and torpedo out to the fields and get everything dried out on the machine after a day or work. Let's just hope I can get it going and not loose too much corn. I got my combine driver back from the hospital now. that's all I really care about. but it would be nice to prepay for seed for next year and not loose all that money. I'm just happy he is still with me. My grandfather died in a manure spreader and I just hope my dad doesn't get a chance to leave me like that.

thanks for all the posts.


It looks like I still might have a window.


I hate to leave that John deere outside at night, but, having a 10 mile commute to get the last bit, it just might have to.
 
hope you are rite,, bro and i still got 40 acres to get ,,and a neighbor and i have another 800 bu out in a 15 acre field to get ,rain run us out of there wednite ,. it is getting muddy here in southern in ...could a easily finished up if we could add up all the hours sittin on side of road at jeff , in,,. waitin to unload,.,.they got 1 .3 million bu on the ground there ..not sure if the ohio river can get to it if it floods like crazy ... corn still 17 percent in the field ..
 
Been there done that lots of times in indiana. As
long as it doesn't go down corn can be in the
field until march without molding. Let the ground
freeze up hard and if there is snow on the stalks
run the header just as high as you can. We
shelled a lot at night during late wet harvests.
Be patient and you will get it in.
 
yes if it is 0F or colder, any warmer then that and the heat made by the cylinder and the engine will melt it and plug the sieves, I have done it with a 510 Massey freezen my a$$ off with that worthless box heaters in the cab.
 

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