lastcowboy32
Well-known Member
So, both of the header float springs were broken on my Hesston 1070. I actually ran it like that for quite a while this summer. But I got sick of the extra broken sections... broken guards... and the occasional plug from a wad of sod, like an ant hill.
Anyway, I finally got around to it yesterday. We removed the flotation springs from our old spare haybine (also a 1070), and went to install them.
Well... learned a couple of lessons.
One... READ THE MANUAL FIRST!, which is inexcusable. I have the manual, and I can read...so...
Anyway, the manual said to tension the springs with the header in the up position.... then lower it to see how heavy the header feels.
I tensioned the springs in the down position...
That lead to one on the drive side breaking in the middle during tensioning. Well... there goes that spring... it had a full 39 coils, and could have be re-used, if it broke at the end. But nope...right in the middle.
Also... when it did break... I needed a break to go change my underwear. The design is safe, the spring was contained in the housing... but it slammed against it like a gunshot and gave me a 12guage-style kick to my right shoulder... which is where the impact wrench hit me. Thank God for good designs. If the spring itself came out... God help me.
Anyway, my wife and I were able to rework the end of one of the original springs... a task that I had hoped to do on a rainy day... and re-install.
But, here is the mystery. Even after reading the manual and doing it right, the second time. I feel as though there is NO WAY to get the drive side of the header to lift with 75 pounds of force (as specified). The far side of the header could easily be tensioned right to zero...if I wanted. A baby could lift it, and the spring had very little stretch.
But the drive side? I tensioned that spring by looking at its coil separation, relative to the far side, and left it about where it matched. At that point, both springs were about equally tensioned, the far side lifted with the specified 75 pounds. The drive side could be lifted, but lifting it five times in a row would qualify you for The Crossfit Games (Cropfit Games?)
Anyway, I went out and cut with it. The header seemed to float just fine. Both ends. I could see both ends bouncing over the ground just fine. Side note, I also replaced all six of the sections at the drive end, which were starting to wear and clog... which is a pain... but man, when this haybine is tuned and operating as intended, you can really go... (for a haybine, anyway)
I think I'm going to leave that drive side spring alone; because I would rather not have another one break; while I'm turning the wrench at the end of it.
Anyway, I finally got around to it yesterday. We removed the flotation springs from our old spare haybine (also a 1070), and went to install them.
Well... learned a couple of lessons.
One... READ THE MANUAL FIRST!, which is inexcusable. I have the manual, and I can read...so...
Anyway, the manual said to tension the springs with the header in the up position.... then lower it to see how heavy the header feels.
I tensioned the springs in the down position...
That lead to one on the drive side breaking in the middle during tensioning. Well... there goes that spring... it had a full 39 coils, and could have be re-used, if it broke at the end. But nope...right in the middle.
Also... when it did break... I needed a break to go change my underwear. The design is safe, the spring was contained in the housing... but it slammed against it like a gunshot and gave me a 12guage-style kick to my right shoulder... which is where the impact wrench hit me. Thank God for good designs. If the spring itself came out... God help me.
Anyway, my wife and I were able to rework the end of one of the original springs... a task that I had hoped to do on a rainy day... and re-install.
But, here is the mystery. Even after reading the manual and doing it right, the second time. I feel as though there is NO WAY to get the drive side of the header to lift with 75 pounds of force (as specified). The far side of the header could easily be tensioned right to zero...if I wanted. A baby could lift it, and the spring had very little stretch.
But the drive side? I tensioned that spring by looking at its coil separation, relative to the far side, and left it about where it matched. At that point, both springs were about equally tensioned, the far side lifted with the specified 75 pounds. The drive side could be lifted, but lifting it five times in a row would qualify you for The Crossfit Games (Cropfit Games?)
Anyway, I went out and cut with it. The header seemed to float just fine. Both ends. I could see both ends bouncing over the ground just fine. Side note, I also replaced all six of the sections at the drive end, which were starting to wear and clog... which is a pain... but man, when this haybine is tuned and operating as intended, you can really go... (for a haybine, anyway)
I think I'm going to leave that drive side spring alone; because I would rather not have another one break; while I'm turning the wrench at the end of it.