Tips please for cutting flat wheat.

[steveR]

I thought it was only me that did that . Yes, works well for odd laid patches where it's not worth combining the whole field an awkward way.

Beware the wrath of the baler man, though

Run through with a Haybob, and straighten up the swathes first??

 

[JWL]

Run through with a Haybob, and straighten up the swathes first??

Whatever for? There's a steering wheel on the tractor isn't there? Pander to them that much and you might as well hitch the baler on the back..............or turn the chopper on

 

[Rs chunk]

If its not a sunny day don’t bother trying

 

[Spencer]

I thought it was only me that did that . Yes, works well for odd laid patches where it's not worth combining the whole field an awkward way.

Just us Northen boys who are used to ”average” conditions

 

[David1968]

Run through with a Haybob, and straighten up the swathes first??

Tbf it's not so much of an issue with a wide pickup round baler these days, than it used to be with a small baler.

 

[glasshouse]

Please can any of you with hands on experience of picking up flat wheat, as per the attached picture, give any tips on combining it.
I do use a low as I dare pick up reel tines with reel forward, and very fast reel to flick wheat up in front of the fingers .
Do any of you cut the flat wheat at an angle rather than in the direction of the tramlines.
Any suggestions welcome.View attachment 1133466

Its growing nicely

 

[Flatlander]

Get the reel forward and at the right speed to lift the matted crop over the knife. Too fast will straighten it out if your driving into the heads and you’ll loose heads also. I find 45 degrees to the angle it’s flat works for me. 90 degrees and the reel will pull up the plants and smear everything with dirt. Looks like a salvage job at best. Your doing good as you are thou.

 

[alomy75]

It works best with lifters.. your going slow, so the lock to lock only moves lifter points 12” or slow which just helps pick crop up. Scraped up plenty like that and is a great tip

Unless you’re on dry cracked ground. If I see someone turning more than a couple of degrees with a header down it makes my skin crawl. At best it just pushes crop over with the dividers (if standing) at worse you can soon snap 2 or 3 lifters in 2 or 3 seconds

 

[Spencer]

Unless you’re on dry cracked ground. If I see someone turning more than a couple of degrees with a header down it makes my skin crawl. At best it just pushes crop over with the dividers (if standing) at worse you can soon snap 2 or 3 lifters in 2 or 3 seconds

Tell me more of this “dry cracked ground” you speak of...?

 

[alomy75]

Tell me more of this “dry cracked ground” you speak of...?

I know many have really struggled and I really feel for them; however here in the east (south lincs) it’s been slightly wetter than last year (which is good for cultivations) but still quite dry and we have decent cracks (as we normally do). All the wheat came off 12-15% which if anything is drier than a ‘normal’ year…whatever that is.

 

[Hesstondriver]

Get someone else to do it

 

[Two Tone]

Use Lifters. But sometimes where it is laid so badly, remove every other one to stop them bulldozing.
I had to do that is my Winter Barley this season, to stop them tearing the roots out of the ground.

Try to combine the crop at an angle, rather that the way the crop lays. Fit proper adjustable dividers and the long divider push the uncut crop away and to stop it jamming over the side of the header.

Or NH have a lower mounting bracket for the RH adjustable divider to point it up in the air so that the knife leaves a straight cut edge.

 

[steveR]

Whatever for? There's a steering wheel on the tractor isn't there? Pander to them that much and you might as well hitch the baler on the back..............or turn the chopper on

Neater job for starter, especially after that bloody combine driver has been shuffling back and forth, leaving big lumps of straw... Honestly, you would think that the combine was doing the important task, listening to some folks.....

 

[Lexion1000]

I often find it’s quicker to do a field in one direction, feels like wasted time driving back to the other end, but you can often pick up a higher % of the laid crop and it’ll work out faster overall. Not always the case though! Depends how the crop is laid and soil conditions etc

 

[CPF]

Just a little bit more experience combining laid crops , you will soon pick it up!!

 

[Flatlander]

I often find it’s quicker to do a field in one direction, feels like wasted time driving back to the other end, but you can often pick up a higher % of the laid crop and it’ll work out faster overall. Not always the case though! Depends how the crop is laid and soil conditions etc

Bring back the haunting memory of cutting a 400 acre 2 mile long river lot last year of canola that was swept flat in a storm. Was 5 ft tall before the storm. Has to cut it all one was across the tram lines and the short way. Made a tidy job thou.