[dairylandfarmer]

What causes the cutter bar on a 3" cut platform to break right next to the wobble box? I put a new sickle in and it broke shortly after that... Is it just fatigue or an adjustment that I'm missing?

Also, what are you guys using out there to get the the 3" cut platforms to work better. Are you using CaseIH parts or aftermarket? Just would like some feedback on that.

 

[mtmckiddy]

What reel teeth do you have plastic or an old one with steel teeth? I knew a guy once who got the reel adjusted to close to the sickle and the steel teeth were getting into the sickle and it would break.

 

[cotton880]

had same problem, there are some greaseable bushings on the main support for wobble box and cutter bar at the bottom back of head that are wore out. Hard to tell by looking, but when they get wore out every stroke of the knife puts stress on the cutter bar causing it to eventually fail.

 

[joeb]

Worn guards can cause the cutter bar to break. If you can wiggle the cutter bar up and down with a good bit of slack between the knifes and guards you made need to take some shims out from under the hold downs. If you dont have any shims to take out it may be time for new guards.

 

[mx270a]

The only one I've ever broken was on a 30' 1010 that had less than 100 hours on it.

That 2 foot long brace on the sickle (that connects it to the wobble box) will usually be fine. Typically the sickle will break right after that brace. Be extra careful not to over-tighten those first few bolts on the sections. If one of those breaks off, then you loose the support of those little connector pieces on top of the sections, and that might be enough to fatigue the sickle bar.

We have also found that cutting soybeans exactly perpendicular to how they were planted will put a lot of stress on the bar, since every knife is trying to cut stems at the same time. Try to keep some angle to how the rows are planted.

-Lance

 

[jda7271]

I would say 80% of the time it's Worn sections or guards..... If you only replace sections and still have worn guards it's likely you'll shell out a wobble box next. The other thing you need to check is make sure you have the sickle head adjusted in the center of the guards.

 

[dairylandfarmer]

Thanks for the help, I'll have to check those things out. The dealer replaced that wobble box support when I bought the head a year ago, but I doubt they replaced the bushings. Didn't think my guards were that bad, but I may have to look closer and maybe shim them. Just when I thought I would get a rain day off... haha

 

[idj]

Are you referring to the knife or the actual cutter bar that the guards are connected to I broke it as well and found that the angle iron brace between the cutter bar and the skid shoes on the first 2 feet of the platform on the drive end had broken putting to much stress on the the cutter bar

 

[gndfarms]

I found the same problem today. broke the cutter bar, We found that the bolts that that go to that angle to the wobble box had worn off the bottom and pulled through. New bolts and more iron welded on