Finally got the 55 combine in the field

A few weeks ago everybody around here was cutting their beans but unfortunately we didn't have the 55 quite ready to cut my sons beans. I don't think these were ready anyhow. We got some rain last Thursday but we finally got the 55 ready on Saturday. The beans were still really tough when I checked them Saturday morning but after drying all day, you could crack the pods by hand pretty easily. So I decided to give them a go. Now you have to remember this is the first time I ever ran a combine. I only went about 20 feet but when I looked out the window I noticed I forgot to close the inspection door on the tailings elevator where it meets the auger that goes into the cylinder. Beans were just pouring out this door and not pods, just beans. I got about 1/2 bushel in the tank but many are cracked and a lot of beans out the back and they are all cracked. I checked the beans and they are testing 19 percent. I know this is too wet and we are waiting for them to dry but why would I get so many beans coming up the tailings elevator? I think I need to open up the sieve more but maybe its just because they are so wet. What do you guys think I should change for when they get dry enough. I am running the cylinder 600 rpm , the concave is at 1/2" in the front 1/4" in the rear. I thought I had the sieve 1/2 open and the chaffer 2/3 open but it is really hard to tell. I think I will need to slow down the cylinder to keep from cracking the beans but maybe they were cracking because they were being thrashed twice.

For what little I ran it, the knife didn't seem to cut very well but this may also be from the stalks still being to wet. . We are changing a bunch guards. We had a bunch of not new but much better ones from my sons derby combine. Also the wear plates under the knife hold downs are really worn . The knife is actually starting to wear on the carriage bolt heads that hold the guards on. I think I'm just going to get all new wear plates tomorrow. They are only just over 3.00 each.
 
First, get the beans down around 15 or less, it will go better.

The bottom sieve should be open perhaps 3/8 of an in, just wide enough that whole beans will roll through. An old combine guy once told me to set a cup of threshed beans on the sieve when closed, and open
it slowly. When they roll through, that is enough.

It has been a long time since I set the 105 for beans, but I believe we did tighten the back of the concave as you mentioned as compared to corn. I remember using some keystock as a gauge. Does the manual
say 1/4 in? That seems tight to me, but it has been a while. Cylinder speed also seems a bit high, but I am used to the 9500, and with a larger diameter cylinder in that thing, the tip speed (bar to
concave)is faster than the smaller diameter 05 series.

And yes, get your sickle in shape. You want as easy feeding as possible.

Last, you might want to stop the machine before running it empty, and look at beans in various places. Are they split before they hit the clean grain auger? Or do you have an auger somewhere grinding
things up?

Lots of little things with combines...
 

Yes the clean grain auger was turning. I had about 1/2 bushel in the bin. I did notice that the first beans coming up the tailings elevator were not cracked so they were either getting cracked the second time around or like you say the clean grain auger could have been cracking them. they look like you just cut them in half with a knife right down the middle.
 
Splits are not uncommon. I have never heard of dockage on splits, so don't sweat it too much if it is tolerable. You may find that some issues get a bit better when you are running with a bit more speed once
you are comfortable. A half full elevator or auger will be easier on grain than one nearly empty.
 

I was running in 1st gear with the variable as slow as it would go. The beans were really coming in the tank though. They half covered the unloading auger in only 20 feet.
 
Split beans are rare in a properly adjusted combine. Split beans are docked around here.
 
I found it's easier to set the bottom
sieve if you use a bolt that is the
same diameter as the reccomeded
setting. I have a hard time getting at
the bottom sieve on my 9400 and using
a bolt and working thru the lft out
panel on the back of the chaffer makes
it easier.
 
They dock for splits here as well. I had lots of splits
a couple of years ago on my 9500. Turns out all of
the augers needed replacing from the clean grain
cross auger to the bin loading auger, tank bottom
augers, and vertical and horizontal unloading. I've
spent thousands but I have lots of years left with the
machine. I'd start checking all of those augers for
sharp and worn flighting. Contact Mae Wes to get
flighting liners if you don't want to buy new. When
moisture gets down to nine here you get splits and
shatter, but those are too doughy for that. My 9500
would have been groaning with those wet beans.
Older machines have their benefits!
 

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