Dave H (MI)
Well-known Member
...if you want, but using a combine is about one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life (and i have done some pretty cool things!). But that is the end of the story...
So I decided today was the day. Nice here. Dealer open to bail me out if I need it. I would not leave the hayfield until I was sure the combine was topped up on coolant, oil and hydraulic fluid so took a bit of time to get going. Ran it, drove it around, did everything I could to make it overheat but it never did. So hit the road and headed to the farm. Just shy of 20 miles and I had an unusually high percentage of polite drivers and very few of the rude ones. Took me about an hour and a half to get out there. Combine driving with a head on the front is actually easier than without. I had a lot less trouble on hills. So I arrived. Wife and daughters already there with the gate open and pulled her on the place for the first time. Took her for a little spin in the picked beans to get a feel for how it handles in the wet ground. I liked it. Back up by the road to test the unloading chute and auger. That worked fine, a few wet leaves found their way out. So over to the cornfield. Line myself up as best I can but I somehow ended up with one row hanging outside the field. Engaged the rotor and adjusted the speed. Adjusted the fan speed. Engaged the corn head and adjusted height. Rolled into the corn slowly and watched as it popped the ears out of the husks and fed them into the feeder house. Looked behind me and corn started to pop out of the auger slowly. Moved into heavier corn and kicked up my speed a tad. Now the corn is REALLY coming out of the auger. I ran about 200 feet, five rows (because I lined up wrong) and then stopped. Walked back thru the field. Nothing but empty cobs! Looked in the bin, nothing but nice clean corn! I swear, I will never forget this day as long as I live. I cannot explain it, just really cool machine and fun to use.
So a couple of epilogue type things:
1) Rad stopped leaking.
2) Corn tested 24% and clean. I dropped 10% moisture since the last test early this month.
Going back to pick the rest later this week!!!
So I decided today was the day. Nice here. Dealer open to bail me out if I need it. I would not leave the hayfield until I was sure the combine was topped up on coolant, oil and hydraulic fluid so took a bit of time to get going. Ran it, drove it around, did everything I could to make it overheat but it never did. So hit the road and headed to the farm. Just shy of 20 miles and I had an unusually high percentage of polite drivers and very few of the rude ones. Took me about an hour and a half to get out there. Combine driving with a head on the front is actually easier than without. I had a lot less trouble on hills. So I arrived. Wife and daughters already there with the gate open and pulled her on the place for the first time. Took her for a little spin in the picked beans to get a feel for how it handles in the wet ground. I liked it. Back up by the road to test the unloading chute and auger. That worked fine, a few wet leaves found their way out. So over to the cornfield. Line myself up as best I can but I somehow ended up with one row hanging outside the field. Engaged the rotor and adjusted the speed. Adjusted the fan speed. Engaged the corn head and adjusted height. Rolled into the corn slowly and watched as it popped the ears out of the husks and fed them into the feeder house. Looked behind me and corn started to pop out of the auger slowly. Moved into heavier corn and kicked up my speed a tad. Now the corn is REALLY coming out of the auger. I ran about 200 feet, five rows (because I lined up wrong) and then stopped. Walked back thru the field. Nothing but empty cobs! Looked in the bin, nothing but nice clean corn! I swear, I will never forget this day as long as I live. I cannot explain it, just really cool machine and fun to use.
So a couple of epilogue type things:
1) Rad stopped leaking.
2) Corn tested 24% and clean. I dropped 10% moisture since the last test early this month.
Going back to pick the rest later this week!!!