Fire

When these go, they go fast. Southeast IN, had one burn up over the weekend. Don't know the cause ,but these accumulate a lot of dust in a short time operating in soybean fields. Lots of hydraulic lines on these new ones that can be hot and quickly covered with bean residue. Operator bailed to safety , machine a total loss. What measures can one take to make them safer.

Had one burn up 20 miles west of me a week ago.

Heard a fire call for a bin fire 15 miles east of me a couple days ago too.

Stuff happens fast when we mix heat, electrical, fuel, dust, etc.

On the newer combines, the pollution control stuff runs real hot occasionally, that is a potential for dust to build up and then ignite during the burn cycle, depends on the manufacturer to not design a dust trap and on the operator to keep things clean.

Older ones burn too, not just blaming the DEF stuff.

Paul

Dig into the pocket a bit deeper and add on board fire suppression system.

When I am done for the day I blow the dust and chaff off of mine and do a good look over.

You would think someone would come out with
an onboard extinguisher system.
They have them on race cars, computer systems
and commercial kitchens to name a few.

Don't forget about the catalitic converter on your trucks exhaust system. Haven't seen anything from those in our part of the world yet, but a friend of mine lost his 6 month old truck in wheat stubble a couple of years ago. Left it idle while he jumped into the combine to talk to the operator as he moved down the field, jumped out of the combine to run back to the truck just in time to see it burst into flames about 50 yds away.

It looks like the operator was able to move the machine away from the unharvested crop?

I think I remember our friend from Australia talking about Ansul systems used down there for fire protection..

On the "Old" combines, stuff built in the 1970's lots of link chains, roller chains, and v-belts. The "new" combines run some stuff with belts but lots of hydraulic motors now, after enought heating/cooling cycles things start leaking, accumulating dust, and when that stuff catches on fire in is out of control in seconds.
With the amount of dust coming out of combines this year there has to be more wear, dust is abrasive, dust starts getting in seals and the bearings get hot and by the time you see the smoke or flame it's too late.

Plastic fuel tanks contribute to the fire problem.

One would think those fancy overpriced things would have a foam or gas type fire suppression system built in.

Mike

Someone posted on here a week or so ago a video of a Canadian custom operator who lost a combine to fire doing lentils I think. What was most interesting to me is how he analyzed where the fire started. During the video he also talked of their routine (daily) measures they take to catch issues before they go up in smoke. Very Good video!

The pretty stuff on new combines is plastic. The tanks are plastic. Plastic, fuel, and oil burn really well. Dust is very combustible. We had a fire on my farm about a dozen years ago. After the operator bailed, the combine started and took off. I guess the wires shorted. Lucky the wheels were turned and it just went in a circle until it quit running a few minutes later.

Back in the 70s most if not all combines were metal. Very little plastic. But my dad made still made sure we removed all the straw and dust from the combine everyday. We never had a fire. But a lot of people did back then. Mostly around the motor.

Firebottle, the guy who developed it lives just a few miles from me. First used on race cars then he developed a combine system.

Our old GAS 815 usually caught fire about once every two weeks back in 1981 - always around the engine always with the same operator. Hose down with a fire extinguisher - then wash out around the engine and back to the field. The wiring took a huge beating.

I have been involved somewhat with the new big high horsepower combines in the past few years. What I see is basically more crop being crammed through a machine that is not all that much bigger physically. To do this they bump up the horsepower and run gear boxes and belts to the maximum of capacity. When we are looking at 500- 700 horsepower in the case of the new Fendts a lot is being asked out of everything that engine powers. Older machines ran the power train at a certain percentage below the maximum potential of the components. The new machines seem to push the power train at near 100% capacity. This means more heat, failed seals because of the heat and fire potential when the oil leaks out of a hot gear box. Older machines used belts and chains to transmit power , new machines use fewer belts and more gear boxes. On an older combine like the ones I grew up with if something plugs and a belt smokes we can tighten the belt and keep going. The belt life is shortened but it will still work for awhile. On some of the new machines if something plugs the belt is shredded. So much power is demanded out of that belt there is no more leeway. Plastic fuel tanks do fuel the fire much quicker when the tank melts and it goes up fast but in my opinion by the time the fire gets big enough to melt the tank the combine is already junk.

Wonder how many of those combine fires are the result of good insurance on a well worn machine?

Yes got he got away from un-harvested crop. Rural fire dept arrived quickly an dealt with the combine fire. Not a lot they could do with it, too far gone. They kept the field around the combine from catching fire an burning up the whole township & the rest of his crop.

Neighbors combine caught fire while working my property. Was able to get it onto the county road, VFD showed up to put the fire out. Went back to his place got his J/D 4020 and hauled it to his equipment graveyard.

We had high winds here Sunday, apparently a combine started a fire south and east of me and went for about 3 or 4 miles getting wider as it went. They stopped with big discs and a lot of volunteer Fire Departments help. It jumped a blacktop and several roads.

The cat's and DPF is the hot emission part. DEF doesn't get hot. Technically could spray DEF on a fire to put it out.