When and how much time do you spend on the Combine pre-harvest

[Zippy768]

More of a question to the livestock owners of combines - the busy farmers!

How much time, how deep do you look into the combine and at what point of year do you do it?

Always plan to do it earlier but always more important things to do each day.
Job for this week .
Already had a quick look over and have the belts and filters ready.

Want to be starting harvest well on time this year, but as yet have done no prep.........except had a pre harvest holiday, something I'm sure the Arable guys put high up this priority list

 

[milkloss]

My old man had a saying.

“It went away working didn’t it?”

 

[e3120]

I think the answer depends on how much fuel was in it when it retired last time.

 

[Drillman]

Axail flow 2388

Rotor out of ours getting new rear coupling and rasp bars changed.

new rotor belt going on as well,

sieves out to check frames for cracking

then it’s just a prod round and new fuel and air filters. Engine oil and filter done over winter.

we know what’s been done over the last 4 years and how many hours it does a year so focusing on a different part of it each time.

It was approaching 20 year old when we bought it and although not neglected did need a fair bit done to bring it back to a standard myself and the Mechanic I use were happy with. Taken a few years but think we about got round everything now.

 

[Chae1]

Just phone dealer and they go over it.

 

[DrWazzock]

Normally I start on it a month before harvest, get the sieves out as a minimum to make sure they’ll move, like I should have done when I put it away. With haymaking being late I’ll probably just fettle the knife, fill her up and go straight into the barley hoping for the best then put stuff right that comes to light before doing the wheat. Dad used to get it out night before starting. I’m going the same way.

 

[DrWazzock]

I did change the engine oil at end of last season and blew the rad out. Chopper blades will hopefully do “ just one more year.” Ive an annoying shaft low speed alarm on the back scratcher shaft that is intermittent. Could actually be slightly low engine revs as the throttle linkage seems knackered, but no other system shaft alarm goes off. Changed every fudging bearing in the train up to that back scratcher last year and did it make a difference. Did it heck. That’s the thanks you get for busting a gut.

 

[DrWazzock]

You know with prices, weather, etc etc I really just CBA but I’ll be on here moaning when it’s broken down first round with an issue that I’ve a vague inkling actually started last year. Oh yes indeed, for that’s how I roll.

 

[DrWazzock]

Seriously though most important I think is to check the tension of the grain and returns elevator chains. If they get too slack they wrap and jam those elevators causing major problems and serious wear.

 

[TripleSix]

The one I drive is usually main dealer serviced but I seem to have ended up going through it myself this year.

Not found a lot wrong yet.

Done a lot of work on the header, changed most of the fingers, rebladed the spare knife too

 

[yellow belly]

check all bearings by spinning with belts off especially non greased bearings
change any cracked belts
change knife sections check edges of double fingers (blunt knife sections and blunt double fingers reduce output through poor flow more than any other factor )
check all drive chains and straw elevator and grain elevator chain
change oils grease up

preventative work that saves a half day breakdowns that results in wetter cutting at the end of harvest can cost far more than the time and parts
delayed finish can have following crop and cultivation problems with added costs
even on a livestock farm

 

[trebornella]

When you service a combine is down to personal choice, but the main thing is how its treated when its just finished the last field. I would always tell customers to spend a few hours removing guards, inspection hatches, stone trap etc and blow the crap out before it gets wet. If there's nothing in it to eat, hopefully the vermin will leave it alone. Make a list of jobs that you know will need doing before next harvest. Dont wash it down unless its going to stand outside for months, but if you do, make sure all bearing are pumped full with grease. Run the combine regularly during the winter months to keep belts and chains moving, to keep the battery charged and run the A/C.

 

[Zippy768]

My old man had a saying.

“It went away working didn’t it?”

That's the hope that I live with when I do start looking at it

 

[DrWazzock]

All good advice.
I reckon your average bearing lasts about 25 years with careful use barn stored. After that you seem to get the failures due to drying out and corrosion ingress regardless of hours used.
Table auger can be a bad one for going first round and a pain to dismantle with internal shafts etc.

 

[DrWazzock]

Worthwhile checking trunk elevator chain joiner link split pins. Easy for them to get scuffed off and lose the elevator into the drum.

 

[DrWazzock]

It can be a difficult call sometimes with things like drum bearings and main countershaft bearings. On the balance of probability probably best left alone whereas with smaller bearings that seem to fail more frequently it can be worth changing all of them system by system: maybe do a system each year. I’m winging it this year but hope previous years diligence will carry me through. Time spent is a worthwhile investment but I just don’t have enough of it or the energy. Changing parts unless absolutely necessary has also become a very expensive precautionary measure.

 

[Zippy768]

Axail flow 2388

Rotor out of ours getting new rear coupling and rasp bars changed.

new rotor belt going on as well,

sieves out to check frames for cracking

then it’s just a prod round and new fuel and air filters. Engine oil and filter done over winter.

we know what’s been done over the last 4 years and how many hours it does a year so focusing on a different part of it each time.

It was approaching 20 year old when we bought it and although not neglected did need a fair bit done to bring it back to a standard myself and the Mechanic I use were happy with. Taken a few years but think we about got round everything now.

We have a dom 108, late 80s. Ran it 10 years now. Cutting area seems to lessen each year.
Came with new rasp bars and concave.

We have done a fair bit over the years to keep it fresh.
All shaker/cleaner shoe rubber bearings done, wobble box, trunk/clean/returns chains replaced, bell housing ×2, rams are starting to be resealed (2 more for this year to do), I think the 2 belts to go on this Yr are the last 2, bubble up gearbox reconditioned, sorted the dodgy fuel system, reverse drive motor, reel motor.
Do the engine filter each year, hydraulic/hydro every other, fuel I do as I need to (part of the new system).

Used to take the sieves out each year, then it became every other.....then they didn't come out last winter .

Got it mid harvest after our 98 went .
Very tidy machine and came and finished harvest without missing a beat.
But had issues after that year, but its better the devil you know.

 

[Nearly]

@TripleSix will spend 6-8 hours on it, but it has only cut 60 acres since he last spent a day on it.
Starter motor rebuild, electric fuel pump etc.

 

[Zippy768]

Normally I start on it a month before harvest, get the sieves out as a minimum to make sure they’ll move, like I should have done when I put it away. With haymaking being late I’ll probably just fettle the knife, fill her up and go straight into the barley hoping for the best then put stuff right that comes to light before doing the wheat. Dad used to get it out night before starting. I’m going the same way.

Used to take the sieves out each winter, but it just seems I have less and less time generally nowadays and things simply fall off the list.
Sieves do move tho.

Uncle use to keep his old dommy 70something off farm. He use to just wind her up, bring her back farm for a wash, then off cutting. But then I'm sure he got some sort of pleasure messing about with spanners!!

 

[trebornella]

It can be a difficult call sometimes with things like drum bearings and main countershaft bearings. On the balance of probability probably best left alone whereas with smaller bearings that seem to fail more frequently it can be worth changing all of them system by system: maybe do a system each year. I’m winging it this year but hope previous years diligence will carry me through. Time spent is a worthwhile investment but I just don’t have enough of it or the energy. Changing parts unless absolutely necessary has also become a very expensive precautionary measure.

Many many years ago as an apprentice, a customer was unsure whether to change his combine (MF 515) or to have it completely overhauled. I think a new MF 525 was about £10,000 so he decided to spend £5000 on an overhaul instead. We went through it from front to back, knife and fingers, front elevator trace, concave, drumshaft, rasp bars, bearings, new sieves, straw walker bearings, grain and returns elevator traces, new belts and chains, the works. Took a couple of weeks to do (cant imagine what it would cost today)
First day of harvest it went 20 yards and the drum shaft snapped like a carrot. Obviously a flaw in production. Went to the farm thinking customer was going to go mad, he just said 'oh well, these things happen'