combine operation

Using a JD 7700. Have been trying to find info online regarding tips for reducing loss, better cleaning, feeding the header correctly etc. Can't seem to find anything except info related to newer machines (rotaries).
I guess simply put I have knowledge but not much experience.

Problems I am trying to solve.
1. When reel is going as slow as I can get it without hydraulic whine (setting 2 works well, but 1 whines) and I am going about 3-4 mph I get an occasional clump of straw/heads that are caught by the reel and thrown up in the air, usually at the center of the auger. When this happens it goes out in front of the head and hits the ground. If I go slow enough to stop this problem I'm just creeping along???
2. I get occasional fine grass in the grain tank. Cutting dryland grain in Montana (wheat and feed barley) The most common weed I have problems with is crested wheatgrass. I get 4-6 inch pieces of very fine grass in the tank. Would more fan speed help this? Afraid to turn the fan up too fast, I think it will blow the small kernels out the back.
3. Getting what I think is a high amount of glumes/chaff in the grain tank.
4. Conv. Elevator light seems to come on fairly often. The grain was extremely light. I took it to mean that there wasn't enough in the feederhousing to evenly go up the elevator. Didn't seem to be a problem when I got to the thicker patches.

Thanks

I'm unsure as to exactly what's going on with your header. It would help if we could see it happen but we aren't likely to... Are all the fingers in your auger? Is the auger set the correct distance from the header bottom? Is this a fingered eccentric reel or just slats? Have you tried moving the reel away from the auger a couple notches?

I do know for sure that you need more fan speed. Usually max fan speed still isn't enough in wheat on older combines. As you increase fan speed it may be necessary to open the chaffer. The goal is a high volume of air under low pressure. If the chaffer is shut too far the air becomes "pressurized" as it squeezes between the louvers. Increase the air and open the chaffer. The chaff needs to "float" out the back, not "sluff" off the back. If you don't supply enough air to float the chaff then it will carry even good heavy seed out the back. I never worry about blowing faulty kernels out the back. They are a hindrance anyways. If you save enough faulty kernels it can begin to affect test weight of the sample and it's near impossible to have a clean sample if you are cutting the fan back far enough to save the faulty kernels.

As for the grain and straw being thrown out on the ground, raise the reel up to the point it lays it down and does not grab it. BTDT
Richard in NW SC

like the others said, raise the reel and these 6600-7700 combines were not overly aired. usually run the fan as fast as it goes. ray stuekle had a book out in the eighties on how to make these combines work, deere should have hired him and fired their combine engineers.

Do you have an operator's manual for your combine? If not, get one as soon as possible. It will answer the questions you have. If you still are not sure after fully reading your book feel free to holler back. You must be familiar with the machine before any answers will help you. Mike

I thought raising the reel would help. Hydraulics will not stay up on the reel. I will have to put in cylinder stops.

You have to blow a little grain out the back to get a feel for where the fan and seive settings need to be. Close the sieves and turn the fan wide open, run about 10 rod of crop, stop combine and walk behind it. Keep doing this and open sieves until sample is not clean in tank, now close seives a little. It still finding grain on ground reduce fan speed a little bit. Make sure on a jd combine that the air intake screens around the fan housing are clean. We cleaned ours every day. Big combines require a lot more air (by volume). That's why small antique combines tend to give a very clean sample, not as much air required.

get the john Deere f fundamentals of machine operation text book it has a lots of good info about setting and maintenance info for combines of all kinds not just john Deere

Here's what you need