New to me; Gleaner M2

Joe Pro

Member
Hello guys I am looking for some advice and tips!
I just purchased a Gleaner M2 Corn plus combine with a 315 grain head.
I am going to use it to combine soybeans here in a few weeks.

I do have all the manuals and intend to read them.
Does anyone have any tips and advice to offer?
I don't think I will have time to get the auto header height working in time....
Also the engine RPM, cylinder speed and fuel lever don't register on the digital monitor...is there a reason all 3 wouldn't work at once?

It has a new set of what I think are not the wide spaced cylinder bars...
I'm not sure what everyone refers to when they talk about filler bars and moving bars around on the concave?
I have a book for settings but I'm not sure how to know what the fan speed is adjusted to because it doesn't have a monitor?

Are there any basic ways to set the machine for beans and go from there?
I think I may try to "zero" the cylinder but I'm not entirely sure how to...

Thanks!!
 
It's been a long time since I worked with/on these combines. I'll offer what I can remember.

Our dealer had, and I imagine still has, a "suitcase" tester which would test all those modules. I would hope all Gleaner dealers had them. Do you have a dealer you can work with? Once you know you have a good module, then you can trace down power/wiring/sender issues. Rodent damage is common.

The M/L series, unlike all the other conventional Gleaners, have an open grate concave. I think there is only one replaceable concave bar, which should be on the front/trap stone door.

When "zeroing" cylinder clearance, I will place some known spacers under the cylinder (key stock/etc.) That way you don't have to let the cyl. all the way down. I have had to alter the gauges to get them to read correctly.

Filler bars close off the opening between the bars on the cylinder. Recommended for corn. They are not balanced like the cylinder bars, so they are only supposed to be used with lower cylinder speeds. Some people don't use them. Some take them in and out. Some leave them in all the time.

Certainly start reading. As I recall, the manuals were quite complete.
 
Got a plastic suction hose bolted on over the sickle? 2 inch or more? Or do you have some belt 'flaps' bolted on the reel?

You will wish you had, if you don't...... good machines, but they don't feed beans evenly into the header without a little help. I like the hose above the sickle bar. Other brands of combines call this a 'rock dam' and might be metal. On the Gleaner, they let soybeans tip over into the header, and the but of the bean sits up 2 inches higher on the hose, so the reel can push it into the header better.

The rest of your questions are in the manual more or less.

Do you h ave a hydro or gear tranny?

I have a M3 and L3. And, well, the F3 in the corner of the shed. And a couple F and F2s sitting around.... oh man, I'm a hoarder....

Paul
 
Like Bob says, try to get the modules checked out. Eng/cyl. etc. use the same senders. Swap a sender from a good function, if it shows good on the eng/cyl, then the sender is bad. They also need to be set for correct clearance to the shaft. If module and sender are good, then problem is in the wiring. Fan speed indicator is an arrow, in front of a numbered scale- by the window. Book will cover that. Also covers suggested settings for each crop.
 
As others have said get module tested. Filler bars are on the lead side of the cylinder bars, not used for beans. 2 concave bars, one on the door, and one in front or the open grate concave, they are both used. Fan is constant speed, air is contolled by a moveable chocke, there is a round dial with pointer and handle in the right hand console, 1-7 if I remember right. Did the combine come with 2 chaffers, long and short finger? Use the short finger for beans, and if you can find a round hole bean sieve, your sample will be like seed beans. The very early M-2's had to have the cylinder speed pulleys change for different crops, later ones had full variable speed. I usually started with the cylinder at 7/16, air at 5-6 and adjust from there, speed at 5-600. Sieve settings vary by crop and condition.
 
We have an F2 that had the same symptoms as your readout and we removed that "module" and sent it to AGTRONIX in ANDERSON INDIANA and they refurbished it realatively cheap considering and in a VERY timely manner
 
If your 315 is a flex head, just unlock the Cutter bar and combine without the header height control. If the field is smooth enough, the knife will travel up and down enough to get all the beans. Keep your thumb on the header lift and keep your speed down....3 mph should be no problem. Ben
 
What big orange means about the filler bars having a leading edge...one side has a downward angle to them...that goes forward when you mount them on the cyl....so the front edge is recessed as it contacts the crop.
 
My wife teases no combines leave here, they just come to die.... she is kinda right.

Actually it's a little worse, there are 4 F series sitting here in various states. I can pick off electronics or header parts for the big fellas, so it becomes agonizing to let any go.... the gas F i got as my first combine in 1980 is worn out totally and should be scrapped, but I mow around it each year....

Paul
 
Wow, thanks for all the great information guys!!

Can someone explain how the rock trap / bottom cylinder door works?

An how about zeroing the cylinder? Lets say I have two pieces of wood or metal the same thickness where would I install them to zero?? I understand that I need to do this them move the gauge on the side of the feeder house if needed.
 
The concave door operates on an over Centre principle. When you close it, the latch snaps over center, much like a lever style chain binder. The tension on the latch is adjustable, to your specific field conditions....see manual. When a stone enters the cylinder/concave area, the cylinder will force it down and the door should pop open with minimal if any damage to the cylinder or concave bars. To zero the cylinder, lower it until the bars just touch the concave with the door open. Then set the guides on either side to zero inches. Adjust the cylinder upwards to the setting in the manual for your crop. If it says one half inch, you can measure this clearance with the door open. The actual number is not so important, but having the cylinder level is. Combine a bit, check the sample and the straw and fine tune the cylinder clearance accordingly. ALWAYS PUT THE LIFT CYLINDER RAM STOP IN PLACE BEFORE GOING UNDER THE HEADER!! Ben
 
(quoted from post at 07:01:47 09/20/17) Hello guys I am looking for some advice and tips!
I just purchased a Gleaner M2 Corn plus combine with a 315 grain head.
I am going to use it to combine soybeans here in a few weeks.

I do have all the manuals and intend to read them.
Does anyone have any tips and advice to offer?
I don't think I will have time to get the auto header height working in time....
Also the engine RPM, cylinder speed and fuel lever don't register on the digital monitor...is there a reason all 3 wouldn't work at once?

It has a new set of what I think are not the wide spaced cylinder bars...
I'm not sure what everyone refers to when they talk about filler bars and moving bars around on the concave?
I have a book for settings but I'm not sure how to know what the fan speed is adjusted to because it doesn't have a monitor?

Are there any basic ways to set the machine for beans and go from there?
I think I may try to "zero" the cylinder but I'm not entirely sure how to...

Thanks!!
What's the matter with the header control?
 
In regard to using the supplied handle for closing the rock door....lay under the combine and put the handle in place, but put it alongside your body, and pull. Do not make the mistake of lining it up between your legs, unless you plan to change choirs! It really snaps hard when going over center.
 
Perfectly explained, thank you!!

So I'm going to assume that looser spring pressure on the door is better then tighter pressure?

I can see the importance of the cylinder being level.. I just wasn't sure where to measure the gap at. Maybe once I get looking at it, It will make more sense.. I amuse you measure one rasp bar only against the concave?
 
I'm not entirely sure, the owner says that it doesn't work.
I have to do some major reading on how it works.

I do know it will go down when you tap the lower switch on the hydro when the Auto header height is turned on. I don't know what stops it when it gets to the ground though.
 
Never messed with the trap door spring pressure, good and stiff and tight is good, never even considered it was adjustable? I sure wouldn't weaken it.....

A rock went into my F2 and got caught just right bouncing around and slammed by the cylinder in oats that it made a big bubble in the door, deformed it. A while later we were working on that area of the machine and took the door off, had a welding shop press it all back straight and square. They said it was messed up enough they considered just building a new one from scratch, but got the old pressed out level and the bubble flattened out. But the trap door saved my combine, no other damage done to the machine.

I've put a few other rock through and opened the doors on my various Gleaners over the years, none so dramatic as that one.

Paul
 
(quoted from post at 05:43:06 09/22/17) Perfectly explained, thank you!!

So I'm going to assume that looser spring pressure on the door is better then tighter pressure?

I can see the importance of the cylinder being level.. I just wasn't sure where to measure the gap at. Maybe once I get looking at it, It will make more sense.. I amuse you measure one rasp bar only against the concave?
An M has a 2 latch system, not one like some of the older combines, there are 2 striker plates that the latch arms contact, they are shimable to get the correct spring tension, the operators manual explains the clearances you need and where to measure at.
 
A couple of tips from my experience with the M2 and 315 flex head.
Make sure the cam lobe and switch on the concave door latch activates the door open indicator light properly so you're not combining with the door open!
If you do get your auto header height working, be careful as you go over stones. Sometimes the header will ride over the stone then drop after the skid plate and the stone can bend the motion bar and then it won't pivot and work
 
if you are getting trash speed the fan up, if you are throwing over grain slow it down, if the cylinder concave is set for clearance then set the speed accordingly, if you aren't threshing speed it up if it's cracking beans slow it down, that's how we did it before there were any tachs or sensors on combines
 
"if you are throwing over grain slow it down"

That isn't always the case.

For many crops it takes WAY excessive air to "blow seed over".

On the other hand, inadequate wind can't keep chaff and debris floated off of the sieves, allowing grain to drop through, so good grain rides over and out the back with the chaff and debris.

Try and find a copy of "Combine Settings For Better Harvesting by Ray Stueckle".

He could come across as a little controversial at times, by had some darned good ideas and information.

Or, maybe NOT... out of print and PRICEY!

https://www.amazon.com/Combine-Settings-Better-Harvesting-Stueckle/dp/B001HC8ZPM
 
That's why you need enough wind to float the chaff over the sieves allowing the heavier grain to fall through. This is assuming you are not over threshing and the sieves are opened adequately. I have been at this more than a few years Bob.
 

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