Grain Binder Operators

60 acre hillside · May 7, 2013

When I was a kid I saw several binders in operation but never gave enough thought to what the operator did, Was there a device for putting the drive wheel ( locally called bull wheel) out of gear for turning? Did the operator turn a three quarter turn to the right on the stubble to make a square corner? Or could he turn a hard left turn and the platform wheel turn backwards? In these questions I am assuming it is a left hand machine and is being pulled with three horses abreas. My dad (born 1885) told me they usually worked six mules to an eight foot binder and the lead mule was ridden.

rabbit-1 · May 7, 2013

Never pulled one with horses, but have some experience with a small tractor. You can do fairly square corners just by turning tractor fairly tight at the corner, at just the right time. Need to be careful to keep out of the reel. Small wheel will pivot, or even go backwards a few inches.

Bull wheel is mounted on a vertical rack. A crank provided with the machine allows operator to crank wheel up/down. Probably want to crank it down while it is still supported by transport wheels.

welled deers · May 7, 2013

Spent meny hours on the binder both driving the tractor (VAC case) and riding the binder. Dad liked square corners and if you timmed it correctly you could easily make square corners. The bull wheel stayed engaged while turning and I would assume that it would roll backward a bit. Don't Remember. Never thought about how that worked with horses. We used the horses on the bundle wagons, but not the binder.

One job for the binder rider in additon to keeping an eye on everything was to drop the bundles in a straight row. Dad used to say that if you did it right you could shoot a .22 down the end shock and hit all the shocks. Doubt that ever happened.

Brings back good memories. remember one year when the oats was taller them the rear wheels on the VAC. That combined with the occasional clumps of Canadian Thistle made for interesting bundles. Hated shocking the bundles with thistle. Seems like it was always hotter then hell and we had to wear long sleeve shirts.

Just hauled Dad's Minnesota Binder home and plan to restore it

Glen SW Wi · May 7, 2013

Beside the bundle drop the operator also had a lever to raise and lower the sicle bar. Could raise the cutter bar to avoid rocks etc.. This also determined the height of the stubble.]

Headlands were cut first so square corning cutting was not a problem.

Glen SW Wi · May 7, 2013

The operator also had a lever to raise or lower the sweep reel that swept the grain toward the apron. You could lower or raise the sweep depending on the height of the crop you were harvesting.

JimB2 · May 7, 2013

No one mentioned the lever to adjust the knotter bed to tie the twine in the center of the sheath.

JimB

keh · May 7, 2013

My recollection is that the bull wheel stayed engaged while turning. To adjust the cutting height, you cranked the bull wheel down and cranked the little wheel down also, leveling the cuting platfrom. Cutting height was given final adjustment by moving lever to tilt the front(with cutter bar) down. The lever was moved back up if you were approaching rocks. The whole binder was tilted, not just the cutting platform.

KEH

Grain Binder Operators

60 acre hillside

Member

rabbit-1

Member

welled deers

Member

Glen SW Wi

Member

Glen SW Wi

Member

JimB2

Well-known Member

keh

Well-known Member

Similar threads