Jim Pollock
Member
We got the beans cut with the 55. This was my first time running a combine. We learned a lot.
1 We need to make the fields smoother(less ridges).
2 I see why they made flex heads and floating cutter bars.
3 What custom cutters charge is not enough(lol)
4 I see why they went to diesel(it used about 4 gals per acre.)
All in all it went pretty good but it is hard to keep the cutter bar out of the dirt. This combine has the springs under the feeder house but they are adjusted all the way up but they just don't seem to have enough lift on the head. The head has skid plates all the way across underneath but it just doesn't float like a head on a haybine does. If you get too low it will actually make the combine tires start to spin. I have to admit that I probably ran more dirt through the combine than I should have. I only got one rock on the guards that I saw and got it before it went through. We did get a root in the rotor and it didn't seem to cause any harm but the rotor wouldn't start after unloading a bin of beans. We had the tailings elevator slip clutch go off once and it was plugged right up where the elevator drops into the auger that goes into the rotor. Got it cleaned out and it worked ok after that. Seems like the variable speed belt needs tightened. It doesn't drive real well in high gear on the road.
I wonder why a guy couldn't make some small rollers with bearings to go right under the guards on the head to keep it out of the dirt. They would have to be small diameter but it seems like it would work. Maybe its just the machinist in me thinking too much.
1 We need to make the fields smoother(less ridges).
2 I see why they made flex heads and floating cutter bars.
3 What custom cutters charge is not enough(lol)
4 I see why they went to diesel(it used about 4 gals per acre.)
All in all it went pretty good but it is hard to keep the cutter bar out of the dirt. This combine has the springs under the feeder house but they are adjusted all the way up but they just don't seem to have enough lift on the head. The head has skid plates all the way across underneath but it just doesn't float like a head on a haybine does. If you get too low it will actually make the combine tires start to spin. I have to admit that I probably ran more dirt through the combine than I should have. I only got one rock on the guards that I saw and got it before it went through. We did get a root in the rotor and it didn't seem to cause any harm but the rotor wouldn't start after unloading a bin of beans. We had the tailings elevator slip clutch go off once and it was plugged right up where the elevator drops into the auger that goes into the rotor. Got it cleaned out and it worked ok after that. Seems like the variable speed belt needs tightened. It doesn't drive real well in high gear on the road.
I wonder why a guy couldn't make some small rollers with bearings to go right under the guards on the head to keep it out of the dirt. They would have to be small diameter but it seems like it would work. Maybe its just the machinist in me thinking too much.