pull type swather, Ride on skid plates, or lift arms?

dmiller · Jun 8, 2016

So what is the preference.... Should a pull type swather sit on the ground with skid plates sliding (hydraulics all the way down to where there is no tension on the lift arms), or should it sit just above the ground with all the weight on the lift arms?

Option 1: Skid plates wear out and it bounces around a lot

Option 2: A lot of tension/weight on the lift system

Bill VA · Jun 8, 2016

My Hesston 1110 has skid shoes to keep the cutter bar at height. I don't see how holding the cutter bar up with hydraulics - or mechanical lock would work very well, unless on dead flat ground. Shoes are a wear item and can be replaced, but more importantly, they make the cutter bar follow the ground contour, giving an even cut.

YMMV.

Bill

DeltaRed · Jun 8, 2016

I've owned 4 pull type swathers(HydroSwings) in my career. All of them had skid shoes that carried the machine.Shoes do get worn,and do get rebuilt. But it takes years and thousands of acres to wear them out.Yes,they can bounce if the ground is rough,or you go too fast. The assist springs can be adjusted somewhat to compensate.I really dont see how you could ever carry a pull behind as you do a self propelled.They are just not made the same.

JMS/.MN · Jun 8, 2016

What are you cutting? By swather, do you really mean a MOCO? Moco is designed to run on the ground, whereas a swather, cutting grain, is adjusted to leave some stubble.

bg/mo · Jun 8, 2016

on the skid shoes,,,,if you want them to last longer get you a piece of poly skid ,for a combine platform and rivet it to your shoes

Leroy · Jun 8, 2016

Springs adjusted for very light down pressure on skid shoes, just enough for shoes to be touching ground, not enough for shoes to wanting to dig in in soft areas or easy to ride over obstatical.

Shetland Sheepdog · Jun 8, 2016

Hydraulics al the way down! Your operators manual should tell you how to adjust the springs for proper down pressure/float!
HTH, Dave

rockyridgefarm · Jun 8, 2016

I was cutting yesterday, and I did both. I have some very steep fields, and the disk mower conditioner would slide down the hill sideways when it was uphill if I didn't lift it up slightly and run it on the wheels. Most of the time, though, I ran it on the skids.

brutus49DC · Jun 8, 2016

That's the same question I was going to ask. A swather/windrower is for cutting grain. A haybine/moco is for hay in this part of the world.

showcrop · Jun 8, 2016

Bryce calls a mower a swather also. dmiller are you from Idaho too?

donjr · Jun 8, 2016

Assuming that you are talking about a mower conditioner, your skid shoes should be on the ground and the machine down all the way. You should be able to grab a front corner of the machine and lift it with about 50# of force. If you can't, the lift /float springs need to be adjusted. Check you skids, too. I usually wear out a set to near nothing, and then I weld 1 or 2 truck spring pieces onto the old skids, and they will wear a long time.....

JCCWI · Jun 9, 2016

I set my springs for JD sickle mower/conditioner in a level spot in yard. put hydraulic all way down so shoes are on ground. Then adjust tension springs so shoes are 1" off the ground. Cutter wiil have shoes on ground when cutting from added wt. of hay going threw. I live in ROCK country !!

John

Shetland Sheepdog · Jun 9, 2016

I have a New Holland 408 Discbine.
The operator's manual says to adjust the springs with the header in operating position and lowered.
It should take 100 - 120 lbs of lift at each end of header to lift header off ground by hand.
Less spring tension will cause excessive drag, and more will cause excessive bounce.
HTH, YMMV, Dave

dmiller · Jun 9, 2016

In Montana now, but was originally from about 60 miles west of where Bryce is. Around here you hear all sorts of names. Moco, Haybine, Swather, Discbine. Seems it depends who you are talking to what they mean by it. Hardly anyone but the dry bean guys still use a swather before a combine though.

dmiller · Jun 9, 2016

This is the true point of my question. Manuals do indeed say to operate on skid shoes with proper spring tension. Though it seems to me that in the rough rocky dryland fields I get to operate on that this causes too much weight and torque on the center pivot point of the head. Using a 1091 Hesston. When in float position the whole head is held to the frame by one swivel ball and a small bracket. About once a summer this bracket breaks due to metal fatique. It simply has too much twisting and bouncing to handle the weight of the head. It seems to me that if I operate with the head just barely still on the arms (or so that it can only move a bit as it floats, instead of arms totally down out of the way) that this should take some tension off the ball and brace bracket.

pull type swather, Ride on skid plates, or lift arms?

dmiller

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Bill VA

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DeltaRed

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JMS/.MN

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bg/mo

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Leroy

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Shetland Sheepdog

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rockyridgefarm

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brutus49DC

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showcrop

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donjr

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JCCWI

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Shetland Sheepdog

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dmiller

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dmiller

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