There is still a lot of crop out there, and you might be trying to put it through the combine this fall or waiting until it freeze dries in swaths during the winter. Maybe harvest will be done in spring.
Whatever the timing, you probably will be putting it through the combine slightly tough, with weeds mixed in and maybe some sprouting grain. There might be a few more problems than usual.
I have a few strategies to use when combining in tough conditions with the Massey Ferguson 700/800 series combines. Some of these ideas translate well into other makes and models.
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Feeding can be a problem because the grain wants to follow the table auger and will eventually let go in bunches. Make sure the auger is straight and tight against the stripper. Also, eliminate rough surfaces on the flighting.
Another trick is to put another stripper under the auger and set the auger close to both of them. A stripper is just a plain angle iron bolted to the floor of the header. It prevents grain from being thrown up in the air by the reel and bunching up at the throat of the feeder house.
To keep the swath flowing smoothly, make sure four paddles are used on each shaft in the feeder house.
Every night, check that the grate behind the concave has not been bent down. It should be within an inch of the beater to keep the grain off the walkers.
The cylinder should run a lot faster than when the material is dry and the humidity low.
I don’t know what to do about ice in the sieves, but I have solved a build-up issue by closing the pocket just behind the fins with a product such as Liquid Steel. This allows the crop material to slide off the sieves more easily.
Keep the combine’s batteries charged. Everything will take longer this late in the season, including starting times, and you don’t want to miss a moment of combining time.
If you can’t get a machine into the yard and on a charger overnight, consider bringing in fresh, warm batteries from the shop or keeping spares handy.
A couple of new $150 batteries will seem like a small investment if you miss an hour or two of combining.
Henry Guenter is a former service manager for Massey Ferguson. Got an equipment question? We’ll do our best to get an answer for you. Contact insidemachines@producer.com.
