Do I really need a Reel on my All Crop to harvest my clover?

Oliver662011 · Jul 24, 2013

I am getting ready to harvest very soon and can not locate a new shaft for my reel. I am going to cut my clover with a sicklebar, about 4 inches off ground and rake into windrows. I question is do I really need my reel to pick up the windrows? Thanks, Mike

rrlund · Jul 24, 2013

Not if you're using the pickup attachment on it,no. Any one I've ever seen with a pickup,they've taken the reel off.

Oliver662011 · Jul 24, 2013

I don't have a pickup attachment, I am going to cut the stalks that the windrows are sitting on.

Sid · Jul 24, 2013

I think you are going to be in for a lot of aggrevation

paul · Jul 24, 2013

Oh boy. I'll have a beer and be thinking of you. That is going to
be a long day for you.

Good luck.

Paul

JMS/.MN · Jul 25, 2013

Yes, you NEED the reel. Isn"t that shaft actually a pipe? Either way, easy to build from scratch. Wouldn"t a one inch shaft work, and you need a keyway to hold the pulley? You could have the one I have on a parts machine if you were close by.

notjustair · Jul 25, 2013

What is the reasoning for cutting it before you run the combine through? Even put up on the uncut row, all you are going to have is a balled-up mess at the sickle. I haven't done clover but my understanding is that for it to thresh right you need to be going so slow that you can out walk the machine. Some oldtimers used to talk of using Masseys and putting it in 1st gear with the variable speed all the way back. They would then get off the machine while it was moving and check the back to see how much they were throwing out. That's pretty slow.

If you were moving along a clip I would say that you might be OK as the crop will push itself in with the oncoming plants forcing it back. As slow as you are going to need to go the clover will bunch on before it gets to the canvas/feeder. I would be making a reel shaft out of some black iron pipe and not precutting.

Oliver662011 · Jul 25, 2013

I found a shaft nearby so I will picking it up tomorrow, and I may just direct harvest, the reason for precutting it was I was reading on some AG website's with articles about clover of them having higher yields by doing that compared to direct harvesting it.

notjustair · Jul 25, 2013

The less you can handle it the better. I also don't like the idea of it laying down - that will cause you to loose some seed. They are small. I think you will be better off and more sane direct.

JMS/.MN · Jul 25, 2013

I just re-read your post- that you want to cut and rake, not direct cut. You need a windrow pickup to harvest the windrows, and by raking the loose mown crop you"re going to lose an awful lot. Only reason to windrow would be if you ave a lot of green weeds that need to dry.

Animal · Jul 27, 2013

I lay mine down for at least a week, and I have a pick up, but I do not use it. In a week you can slide right under the windrow and the reel will help keep it on the draper. Now the reason why, you need that clover to dry down, direct combining has a lot of moisture in it and you have to try to dry it down, stiring clove in a horse trought is not my favorite thing to do. Now on peas and bean seed I use the pick up.

Do I really need a Reel on my All Crop to harvest my clover?

Oliver662011

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rrlund

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Oliver662011

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Sid

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paul

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JMS/.MN

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notjustair

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Oliver662011

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notjustair

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JMS/.MN

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Animal

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