Ah nudder combine question

Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member
Actually, the question I ask myself more and more is "are we gonna need one this year?" I actually put a plow in the ground Tuesday and I thought we had it made until I got to the north part of the field and the plow turned into an anchor...water and all. Below surface water and I cannot work the ground. Higher parts were OK. Which brings me to my question...

Do combines get stuck in wet ground a lot? Tractor was not doing real good until I put the duals on and then it floats over the wet ground pretty decent. Just wondering if this is much of a problem with the older combines and do I need to plan ahead? 90" plus of snow melt followed by rain every third day. This is worse than hay...at least this year.
 
Yes, and they can be a bear to get out. Dad buried our Massey-Harris Super 26 several times, mostly in terrace channels. If we had not had an LA Case, it might still be sitting there and this was 50 years ago..
 
They carry waaaay better than a picker and trailing wagon. I dualed a Gleaner Model F with a 438 head....snug fit but worked well. It would walk thru a field that my feet sank in to my ankles.

When I went to a 430 head I put on fat tires, 28Lx26, and it carried very well- did not plug like the duals did.

When I got the M2 with 630 head I made straddle duals for it- all tires run between the rows rather than over them, so a stalk chopper works fine after combining.
 
We had 2 Cockshutt SP combines. One had duals with bar lug tires that would dig down and get stuck. The other combine had slick balloon (bomber tires) tires that were available after WWII. Those slick tires would just slip on top of the ground and would not dig the combine down; it took just a little pull to get it out. Can't really say that it was stuck; it just wouldn't move the machine in wet ground.
 
Dave, a few years ago I had a JD 4420 combine with 23.1x26 fronts it was belt drive so I needed to keep them tight so they wouldn't slip when it was muddy, it would go in almost any conditions, plus it only held 100 bushels of corn when full so it was pretty light.
 
Well that sounds hopeful! Guess I should look for something with duals. We have a warm wet autumn and I will be in trouble without them. My big tractor weighs about 18,000 and it is holding it's own on the field and it has been very wet. Tenant came in with a tractor about the size of your average house, duals front and rear, 4WD. He was spinning out trying to disk.
 
Yeah, I wouldn't see that as working real well. I know the tires you are talking about too...look like a tube without a tire?
 
I have added light onto my list. I am thinking something without a lot of weight is going to be easier to get in and out of these fields. I got a couple areas I think are going to get put into grass because they just hold too much water. I can mow it and bale it in high summer and it will hold back some of the runoff from the rest of the field.
 
They do pretty good, but when stuck, pulling them out is a bear.

Standing crop in front as well as the header in the way, and the rear ends are light, it is easy to bust stuff if you don't think.... A chain or cable up to the front axle is often best.

One day I got stuck, got pulled out by myself with 10 trips back and forth between tractor land combine, went to other side of filed - and got stuck again.

Repeat the 10 trips back and forth up and down, took the combine home and sat a while. Only think working on me was the steam coming out, I needed to just sit for a while...

And that was back when I was young!

Paul
 
More likely to just add duals to whatever you find. Depending what size is on the combine and what you have at home, you may have a match.

The F had 23x26 and I had some 16.9x28 for my D17- they were a match in height so I made a way to match the spacer band to both rims.

My M2 straddle duals are not matching rims but a bell spacer is available, so I could use what I already had. Heights are the same. 23.1x30 matches 18.4x34? Each case I drilled the combine centers and added hooks for J-bolts.
 
Yeah, I'm kinda steaming myself these days. I have wheat stubble on ground that is packed flat from record snow laying on it for 5 months. Some places you walk it is like walking on rotting ice...the ground is springy. Try to work it and you will go fine if you start in the right place but sooner or later you hit that underground watershed and game over. Can't tell where it is either. All looks the same on top. I could of picked a better year to start with corn. Hay just loves this weather.
 
We had an auction just end here that had 20.8x38 combine (duals?) in it. Don't know what machine they fit but I do have a set that size here. Probably want to keep those on the tractor, though, in case I need to pull "something" out of the mud. Glad I thought of this ahead of time because I could see this being an issue. Appreciate all the info!
 
My yellow clay soil is just mushy, we do full tillage in my county. Lots of tile and ditches. If it rains the clay is a smear for 2 days even if its sunny....

Folks in sandy or loamy soils can operate so differently.

What keeps the job fun and interesting. ;)

We have had about 3 days of usable weather this spring, and that is being generous. Got almost 2 inches of rain in the past 3 days, and more coming tonite.

Need to dry out so the coop can put fertilizer on, then I can go go go with the corn. So far 55 acres smoothed a bit, 12 acres of oats and 3 acres of corn planted.

Just 30 miles west of me they had an inch less rain and lot more loamy sand soil, all done with corn and maybe tested bean planting already....

When I got the combine stuck that year twice in a couple hours, the ground was mostly firm but damp. I hit 2 side hill spots where the water was coming out of a clay layer. So firm but damp ground, with little sinkholes.

Was able to pull an empty wagon beside and unload the hopper. Then unhook wagon, and use 2 chains and could pull the combine. But all by myself that day, and the tractor would spin down in the firm but wet ground. So backed up, and the tractor rode up on top of the mounds of dirt it dug up. Locked brake, climbed up,in combine, spun it back a tiny bit, locked brake, rebooked chain to shorter, unlocked brake in combine, got in tractor and drove down the mounds it made and pulled the combine a foot, locked brake, back to combine... Was kind of neat how the tractor spun up the little mounds and then they could be used as ramps to help the tractor have more pull...

Repeat 10-12 times to drag the combine across the wet area until it got footing of its own. That was a lot of trips.

I was tuckered out.

Paul
 
Watch out - use duals for flotation only. Those old combines aren't built like tractors and can't take it.

We had an old Massey combine that came with big rice tires. The finals were clearly not made for that stress. Within 3 years we had broken both finals - teeth came off the gears and cracked the cases. One was under normal conditions and one was when we were trying to finish a mudhole. Clearly the finals weren't able to handle the stress long term and someone had forced it through mud in its lifetime. If you use the duals to span the mud it should work better. I sure wouldn't do much spinning.
 
Yup. Evidentally Cockshutt got some surplus bomber tires after the war when regular tires were still in short supply.
 
Dave,
Are your neighbors working ground? Different areas are different but working ground that we there in the spring would be a recipe for disaster.
Josh
 
Dave, Don't feel bad about not getting in the field. There has been no spring planting in my part of NE WI this year either. Just about when the ground is ready to work, we get another big rain. I have 18 acres of oats to plant and more rain is predicted for tomorrow night and monday. I believe back in the early 1960's, it was the 1st of June before my dad was able to plant oats one year. I suspect your weather in Michigan is about the same. Al
 
Yes, that is a lot of climbing in a short time not to mention getting down in the clay and adjusting the chain. I had a good day today...NOTHING WENT WRONG!!!
 
That pretty well sums it up! Did have a good day today. Mom and both daughters went out with me. Plan was to clean up the lanes a bit and maybe break in the BBQ I made last year out of stone from the fields. The field was wet but not as bad as I would have thought after the storms. Sun was nice and there was a stiff breeze and all I could think about was if I could get the danged plow to work I could open it up to the wind and it would dry a lot faster. Mold board not gonna do it...no way. But when I bought the 720 plow I got a package deal with a 7 shank Glencoe soil saver (disk chisel). Thought "what am I out?". Took off with it and it did one heck of a nice job. Opened the entire field and later...after the BBQ...it was drying up real nice. More rain tomorrow but I think things are looking up!
 
Actually, no. The tenant is working the ground. The neighbors have the same guy on their place as I do on 3/4 of mine. He is definitely in the BTO category. He has chiseled all the fields to get some air and sun into the ground. I copied what he did and it worked real well for me. Ended the day by pulling out the planter and testing the sensors. Gonna wait until more people are planting and then follow their lead. The neighbor across the street is retired farmer. His family homesteaded my place in 1836. Seemed to enjoy watching that old IH tractor today. Actually waved back. Maybe he will start talking to me again.
 
Now days they are made for the big tires. I wouldn't put bigger tires on a newer machine either - I'm just shy because we had to change the finals on that old Massey TWICE in the field. Both times it was over 100 degrees. It is firmly planted in my brain and that was 30 years ago.

If I had to have an option, I would go with duals and run them lower pressure (vs rice type tires). Keep in mind that any older machine will have parts that are already fairly worn. Even if it took the stress as a new one that was a while ago.

Do what you need to do to get your crop out. Treat the combine well if it is wet. If you have lots of grip don't keep going until it spins. You would be better off if you used the slick airplane tires if you like to spin them. It gives it something as a relief like a shear bolt on a pto.
 
It's been a long time since I have had anything new and I don't really want it. The way I survive on older equipment is by treating it with a little more respect. For example yesterday when I was plowing, if it slowed down I looked left and right and if one side was spinning faster than the other I raised the implement. If they were both pulling I let her go thru it. Like you I have done my share of field repairs and they never break close to the tool shed and they rarely break down where you can get at things easy. I get what you are saying and I am glad we had the discussion.
 
A tire dealer questioned my dualling a combine. I said bulling your way through or getting stuck with singles puts a lot of stress on finals as well, compared to walking over the top with wide rubber.
 
Dave,

Put the duals on BUT buy the wheels and tires a few inches shorter than the originals. This way they don't touch the ground when your harvesting on dry ground, saving the wear and torque on your drive train, but in mud when you start sinking, they'll help you float and stay on top. We ran them for years this way on a TR75 back in our custom harvesting years with good success.
 
Not a bad idear. I run my duals with less air pressure than my inner drivers but that is on a tractor. Must look a little odd having the smaller tires hanging there but it beats cracking your finals in a low spot with a load on your back.
 
Dave, Lots of discussion on using duals on combines in wet ground. Since you are looking to buy a combine, another good option for wet ground is to get one with a rear wheel drive. My neighbor has a JD 6620 4-wheel drive and that machine can really keep going when others are getting stuck. He combined my oats a few years ago when I couldn't do anything with the IH 205 I had then. Just something consider, although maybe these newer machines are not in your combine budget. Al
Untitled URL Link
 
Don't know about that link either! Almost ended up registered at U of Phoenix.

I can guarantee you my budget is not going to allow for a newer combine. My acreage does not justify it either. On a side note, does anyone know if there is such a thing as a 4WD Gleaner M2? Guy has one on Craigs locally and I have looked at the sales lit and cannot find 4WD listed on the the M3 so thinking he must be mistaken. He wants $19,000 for it. With F3's selling for a third of that I don't think he is likely to get a bite. Mebbe I am wrong but it has been on there a LONG time.
 
Dave, I don't know when a Gleaner was available with 4WD. But it could be an after-market unit. When I bought my JD 4420 three years ago, a person I was talking to at our local elevator said he had one with 4WD. I said I didn't think JD offered 4WD on a 4420 as it's a belt drive. He said it had a "Mud-Hog" unit which was added. It even had it's own hydro pump for the 4WD. He said he had it many years and then recently traded it on a JD 9410. So this Gleanor might have an after-market "Mud-Hog" unit. But for $19,000 you could get a nice JD 6620/7720 or IH 1440/1460 with 4WD. I had another 2 inches of rain today so I still don't have any oats planted. Al
 
For $10,000 I could get a nice IH 1460 with two heads. One sold at auction here a week or so back for less than that...granted it had 5600 hours but if it was well maintained and housed it could still have a few seasons left before anything major happened. I chiseled my corn field just in time to get torrential rains on it. At least I increased the surface area for the sun and the wind to dry it. That does seem to be working.
 

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