Wheat harvest 2018

[phil]

One question for the sages, how fast should a knife cut? Ours seems to start bunching at 7 kph. I am cutting quite high, so have tried lowering cut height a bit and speeding up reel. Really I think the solution is a new knife, but should it easily cope above 7kph? Really could do with a 12m header on this 9090 in these conditions. 60 tph and only 85% engine load.

Is blade sharp, what are fingers like
Have you floor out too far?

 

[Feldspar]

Is blade sharp, what are fingers like
Have you floor out too far?

Knife could be sharper. Fingers not too bad. We have a spare new knife. Will swap soon I think. Bed out too far could well be true. Had been pushing it out to get heads laying nice and neatly, but may have overdone it relative to reel position though. Main combine driver sitting on other combine so I'm only acting as enthusiastic but amateur steering wheel attendant!

 

[phil]

Knife could be sharper. Fingers not too bad. We have a spare new knife. Will swap soon I think. Bed out too far could well be true. Had been pushing it out to get heads laying nice and neatly, but may have overdone it relative to reel position though. Main combine driver sitting on other combine so I'm only acting as enthusiastic but amateur steering wheel attendant!

Only thing for it so
Drive it on
Engine load up to 95 minimum

 

[Vader]

Just started today..gallant, 2t/ac. Came out of winter very water logged and never recovered, then just burn up. Worst field on the farm. Hope for an improvement tomorrow. 14.5%

water logged winter and no rain apart from a a shower that did not damp dust since spring means this

 

[Daniel]

What's your Dominator?

98s, on harvest number 29.

 

[franklin]

Siskin tomorrow. After grass ley. Well mucked. New seed. Died on its arse - Lili after osr one field over still green leaves. Sigh. Siskin in the bin now: just too delicate.

 

[A Trebor]

Started a block of no-till (the only true bit of no-till wheat we have) Siskin. Some 1st wheat and some 2nd. Threshing pretty nicely and feeding much better than our Skyfall / Mulika mix. Nice high protein looking grain and not as pinched as I thought it would be. 2/3 way through first field and 8.55 t/ha. Should end up about 8.7t. A good 0.5t better than I was expecting. 2nd wheats could be a decent bit worse. All in all a lovely evening to be combining.

 

[Hindsight]

Yes surprised us a bit, it's all been over our weigh bridge, combine was spot on!

Do not be surprised. While light land wheat likely to be pretty abysmal heavy land I reckon in my part of country winter wheat will in the main deliver reasonable yields of good specific weight grain as we have had plenty sunshine and for a period in late June when very hot in west of country it was a bit cooler here. We shall know soon enough though am cheered by what have rubbed out this past couple of days. Famous last words I know and there will be plenty of field contrasts to make me look a fool.

 

[Honest john]

Do not be surprised. While light land wheat likely to be pretty abysmal heavy land I reckon in my part of country winter wheat will in the main deliver reasonable yields of good specific weight grain as we have had plenty sunshine and for a period in late June when very hot in west of country it was a bit cooler here. We shall know soon enough though am cheered by what have rubbed out this past couple of days. Famous last words I know and there will be plenty of field contrasts to make me look a fool.

Did a bit last night.
Wheat looks heavy to me.
Combine says it's 15-20 % less than 2017 on good wheat land.
Moisture 10% to 19% Ave 12.85%.

 

[WRXppp]

One question for the sages, how fast should a knife cut? Ours seems to start bunching at 7 kph. I am cutting quite high, so have tried lowering cut height a bit and speeding up reel. Really I think the solution is a new knife, but should it easily cope above 7kph? Really could do with a 12m header on this 9090 in these conditions. 60 tph and only 85% engine load.

Have you sharpened the fingers, 3 or 4 strokes with the grinder makes a world of difference, on a concrete pad in present conditions of course!

 

[Feldspar]

Have you sharpened the fingers, 3 or 4 strokes with the grinder makes a world of difference, on a concrete pad in present conditions of course!

Have just been out to try a bit and whilst the grain is fine, the straw is too damp at the moment. Had a bit of time to look at the header. I think having had a look that there are a few knife sections that need changing, but I think you're right that it's actually the fingers that are actually more of the problem. Rookie question, but it's a bit difficult to get at the whole length of the finger with the knife in. Do you have to take the knife out to do it properly, or is it a case of moving the knife a bit to expose more of the finger?

 

[mikep]

One question for the sages, how fast should a knife cut? Ours seems to start bunching at 7 kph. I am cutting quite high, so have tried lowering cut height a bit and speeding up reel. Really I think the solution is a new knife, but should it easily cope above 7kph? Really could do with a 12m header on this 9090 in these conditions. 60 tph and only 85% engine load.

How clean is your knife and bed? Sometimes with some green straw about you can get a residue of gum on the first part of the bed and knife especially early on if there is a touch of rust which doesn't look bad but will really bugger up the flow. If it's all shiny then problem elsewhere.

 

[Clive]

Have just been out to try a bit and whilst the grain is fine, the straw is too damp at the moment. Had a bit of time to look at the header. I think having had a look that there are a few knife sections that need changing, but I think you're right that it's actually the fingers that are actually more of the problem. Rookie question, but it's a bit difficult to get at the whole length of the finger with the knife in. Do you have to take the knife out to do it properly, or is it a case of moving the knife a bit to expose more of the finger?

Pull the knife and run a grinder down the side of each finger to put an edge on them

 

[Feldspar]

How clean is your knife and bed? Sometimes with some green straw about you can get a residue of gum on the first part of the bed and knife especially early on if there is a touch of rust which doesn't look bad but will really bugger up the flow. If it's all shiny then problem elsewhere.

Will have a look. I don't think it's too bad.

 

[Feldspar]

Pull the knife and run a grinder down the side of each finger to put an edge on them

How fast should a decently set up header be able to go in a reasonable wheat crop?

 

[shakerator]

Siskin tomorrow. After grass ley. Well mucked. New seed. Died on its arse - Lili after osr one field over still green leaves. Sigh. Siskin in the bin now: just too delicate.

Ground too dry after ley?

 

[WRXppp]

Have just been out to try a bit and whilst the grain is fine, the straw is too damp at the moment. Had a bit of time to look at the header. I think having had a look that there are a few knife sections that need changing, but I think you're right that it's actually the fingers that are actually more of the problem. Rookie question, but it's a bit difficult to get at the whole length of the finger with the knife in. Do you have to take the knife out to do it properly, or is it a case of moving the knife a bit to expose more of the finger?

Yep take it out, best put that new knife in while you are at it, you’ll be like Lewis on Sunday after you’ve done it!

 

[WRXppp]

Yep take it out, best put that new knife in while you are at it, you’ll be like Lewis on Sunday after you’ve done it!

You will also find out if the knife is moving freely and not being fouled by a slightly bent finger or section!

 

[phil]

I think you need to start a thread @Feldspar

 

[franklin]

Ground too dry after ley?

Wasn't dry in march! Looked best crop until mid may.