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Bridging chopper

7K views 30 replies 16 participants last post by  seedcleaner 
#1 · (Edited)
Have bridged the choppers on 2 780's about a half dozen times this year, always in high speed, stationary knives always out. (pulled out not engaged) Have went through 2 sets of blades on each machine.
On dryland with the drought crops we went on low speed. Doesn't do the best job chopping but there is very little straw.

Moved to 100 plus bushel irrigated wheat tonight and put the choppers in high speed, stationary knives out. Plugged both choppers within 5 minutes of each other at 8:30 pm. Blades have some wear, but are far from dull. Straw was not what I would call green or tough. Grain was testing 14.8, so we were hoping to run late. This is getting very annoying. What a garbage design of a chopper.

Anyone else experiencing this?
 
#6 ·
Been using Redekop knives. Last few years have had a good run with them. This year they just are not lasting very long.
What do you mean by spreaders in the correct position. If they creep down the position alarm sensor would go off, wouldn't it?
I looked at mine when I shut down and the spreader was right up against the sensors like it should be.

Am I missing something?
 
#8 ·
We never plugged our 2014 760s in wheat and always ran chopper on high speed in wheat. Staight cutting green canola we would run on low speed until the straw was dried down a bit. We had the wind blow the back door forward slightly and the chopper shut off causing a blockage but usually it was green canola stocks bridging when the choppers were on high speed that caused us our grief.
 
#11 ·
Agreed on the worn knives.
Have been plugging the choppers with knives that I would not consider worn.
What I did notice is the knives at the outside edges of the choppers would have the most wear and I would consider a bit on the dull side. The rest looked very good.

Yesterdays chopper adventures was replacing a bearing on one chopper in the morning, then started cutting. Made it about 100 feet: plugged chopper.
While unplugging that machine, the other combine comes wheeling in with a plugged chopper that had new Redecop knives installed about 1000 acres ago.
I let every curse word fly about the Claas choppers. We were trying to beat the weather, and digging out choppers is the last thing needed.

Back to work. Put a new set of knives on the first unit (the second set this season), then put both choppers in low speed. Haven't had any issues on low speed, but it does not cut quite as fine, nor throw out as far.

Can't really figure out what the issues are, other than the chopper design is just complete bush league. Running in low speed all the time is probably what I will end up doing.
 
#12 ·
Im still shocked that on such a well thought out machine, that they thought it was a smart idea to just drop straw on both sides of the chopper. Theres no reason whatsoever that any material should hit the backside of the chopper that is rotating upwards. It takes more horsepower, and its throwing material back up into the falling material. They could have very simply directed all of the flow to the front downstroke of the chopper by moving the chopper back or using a deflector shield inside. A beater would even work well if the crop mat needed to be compressed.

If i have problems I may try to make a deflector shield, though its probably the least ideal way to do it as you have to get all that straw through a smaller area. At least its all going in the same direction.
 
#13 ·
My in-laws run that era of 670s and they have said every time they try to run the chopper in high speed it will bridge and plug up. This is in annual ryegrass and its as dry and easy cutting as it gets. I run my 2016 and 2017 760s in high speed with no issues. I have been told that at least on the pro chop machines there were some big changes on the 2016s and newer. I feel for you it sucks to un plug them. I filled one up full of corn cobs last fall, what a pain in the butt!
 
#17 ·
We have a 13 670 with the turbo and it is a huge POS. It's a deal breaker for us when it comes time to replace combines. We will not own another Claas if it has a turbo, so I'm sad to hear the Pro has the same. We're trying out a blade called the 'straw claw' from Kondex and so far so good. Expensive as **** but it serrates as it wears and we think this will 'grab' straw and pull it through rather than kicking it back up. Good luck. These machines are too good to be held back by friggen choppers but they are.
 
#19 ·
We had a miserable time under certain conditions with soybeans with a 2016 pro chop. It can be a deal breaker as someone suggested. Would like just like to know the design flaw. The fact that running it on slow speed helps must mean that it is throwing material up to much, from too much material dropping on back of chopper? Considered trying to put baffles to move material forward but felt that there isn't enough room and would make more of a bottle neck if it threw material up.

Was wondering if the design flaw is the chopper is too far forward so that they can switch to windrow by just moving door forward? If chopper was back where it should be to feed chopper on downward motion of knives, then they could not get material to windrow as angle would keep material from flowing out? Deere had an electric motor to move chopper up out of the way to windrow.

Not trying to bash, just looking for solution as Claas needs to realize it is a deal breaker. Never knew you could plug a chopper before Lexion. Did once on a Deere when the chopper belt broke, but not really a big issue as you can toggle a switch to raise up chopper and material falls out. You could run knives all the way rounded off and never had issue plugging.

Is this issue resolved on newer models?
 
#20 ·
Well its been my turn today!!! twice in 10 acres of soybeans, yielding 45-55 bpa. straw is damp. cylinder speed 650 rotors 800. Maybe the rotors to fast?? I've not had this happen before.. after the first time I slid the knives half way out. Knives just turned before I started. zero acres..
 
#24 ·
I hope I found My cure. First stage chopper belt was loose. 24 mm to loosen the pulley, 17 mm to screw adjuster. I would have thought if the chopper slowed down too much the alarm would go off? I'll post back with the News. Second plug was on drivers side rotor. I was able to poke and pull it out. Only 45 minutes...
 
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