Diagnosing combine loss

notjustair · Jun 9, 2017

I have a 9500 with about 3000 hours. It's been a good machine and doesn't usually have lots of loss. I'm currently getting ready to plant in a field that had tons of loss, though. I *think* it was the last field I cut last year. If that is true the beans were fairly dry (9 or just a bit above). The volunteers are in perfect rows (all of the rows), so it isn't coming through the machine. I assume that's header loss? I'm very careful about reel speed and I don't recall a lot of shatter. There are so many I jokingly considering spraying Liberty burn down so I could keep them to harvest this year when I harvest the planted crop. The mares tail has gotten tall in this field so I think it will have to be disked, though.

What causes field loss in the rows? Sickle was good, beans cut well, reel wasn't beating them to death. I haven't seen it do this that I can recall and it's been here since it was a year old.

coonie minnie · Jun 9, 2017

On occaision, I've seen pods start to open before the combine gets there... and if these were the last field, something like that could have happened no matter how you set the combine.

JD Seller · Jun 11, 2017

IF your combining soybeans planted in rows you can have bad shatter losses right at the sickle when the crop gets late in the harvest. If the field lends itself to cutting at a diagonal that will help some with this issue.

Sometimes there is nothing you can do as the pods are just fragile and will drop beans with any movement. The sickle guards with the short finger between the longer/regular ones ( pictured style) really help cut down on sickle shatter too. There is less sideways movement of the plant.

Also make sure that your feeder house back shaft speed did not drift up. That can really cause the sickle to hammer the stems too.

4520BW · Jun 11, 2017

Of they are that dry they may be popping out of the haul before you harvest. Did you happen to notice alot of beans hitting the window? Beans that dry head shatter alot. I agree with jd seller on the double cut guards. I have them on a 920 full finger and it's amazing how well they cut and how much faster you can run. I had more trouble getting the beans clean last year then ever.

Kell · Jun 11, 2017

Coonie- yep, that's just what i was thinking with volunteer beans in perfect rows. If it gets real dry, the pods will pop open just sitting there, especially with a good gusty wind blowing.

JDIH · Jun 14, 2017

Possibly low set pods leaving some on each plant that the combine couldn't get?

Diagnosing combine loss

notjustair

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coonie minnie

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JD Seller

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4520BW

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Kell

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JDIH

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