[sigmaxy]

How much will combining corn that has snow on the ear/stalks accelearate the wear on items such as augers, feeder floor, transition cone, rasp bars etc.

One person I talked to mentioned its just like running sand through the machine, which doesn't sound too desirable.

 

[jamesmertz]

I kind of thought the opposite. I never seen ears slide around so easy. It seems like all the snow will blow out the sieves unless it has melted and refroze to ice crystals then it might hit the hopper. I have also had pintos for many many years and seen sand go through combine.

 

[goblue]

Snow is tuff on the combine.

 

[redfarmer285]

We just ran in about a 2 inch fluffy snow last week and never want to do it again... Not sure aboutthe wear factor but the big issue was pluging sieves.... run awhile throw a salamander in the back and dig em out then shell some more.... REPEAT..... open seives up as far as you can and crank up the fan gains you some time...

Oh and the Green boys that read this i have a very good friend that runs green and he was doing the same thing so i don't want to hear it we helped each other. and yes one was a new deere and the other was two yo

 

[goblue]

Melt a ice cream bucket of snow and see how much dirt is in it. Combine a bunch of corn 25 years ago in snow, had to replace gathering chains next year, head was only 2 years old.

 

[farmboy686]

I farm Northern Sask Canada and I don't care what color or breed the machine is it don't like SNOW. We ahead a lot of snow in October and had to leave the out side rounds in most fields but even in some dips or around rock piles some snow would get in. The seives would plug so bad we had to pull them out at night and put in a warm pump house. If you catch'em early you can scrape it off but if they ice right over it best to let them get warm and then scrape. And EVERY one had same problem, seemed like barley and oats was the worst but every crop sucked. Hope I will only combine +10 C or better from now on, and prices double. haha

 

[deeremanager]

Snow is very abrasive. It will accelerate the wear on your machine (doesn't matter what color). Gathering chains and guides will see the most of the snow. If you run it clear through the machine, you will see it on shoe augers, bearings, and elevator chains. Yes it will freeze up in the machine if the conditions are right. Sometimes you have to run in the coldest part of the day or night, to keep this from happening.

 

[cornstalks]

if you run more than 2-300 acres of snowcorn figure on replacing every chain that comes into contact with snow it`s like sand don`t know why it just is

 

[arcticcatfarmer]

I think Go Blue is probably right. As for wear inside the machine, we run lots of dirt through our combine every year while combining 450 acres of pulled dry beans. It is harder on the machine, but wear might be double, but not like 10 times faster.

Crossflow, if you are worried about the combine it self I would not worry about ruining the combine, header wear I don't know. Just my opinion.

 

[cliffcutter]

I agree with deeremanager. Snow is very abrasive on machines.

The people who've run steel track dozers in winter to push snow will tell it's even worse than running in sand or gravel. That's why they loosen up the track tension a bit to allow some give between the drive sprockets, rollers and track.

I helped a neighbor finish his corn about 10 days ago in 9F temps. There was a little snow on the stalk and ears but no ice buildup inside of his NH TR 86. He was very happy to have help to get it done before the next blast of snow came. I recall combining a neighbor's ice coated corn with our 7720 just 3 days before Thanksgiving in 1992. It was about -10F then and everything went thru the machine just as slick as could be. There was,however, a lot of yield loss due to the ice sticking to some kernals of corn and flowing out the back of the machine as it they were little chunks of corn cob. The steering on the combine was slow to react since the hydraulic oil was so stiff. I'd rather not ever have to combine in conditions like that again.

I feel for the folks still trying to harvest in these frigid temps. we have now. And many of these machines still running were slogging around in the mud earlier so the drive trains have been stressed out to the max. Local service shop tells me that normally they'd be doing combine and tractor inspections but they've done none so far due to still having combines to repair in the shop and out in the field so people can continue harvesting. Ugh! There are a lotta hidden problems that'll show up later in these machines.

 

[neukm]

For anyone who is trying to harvest in these conditions, please remember that its only a crop...and not worth risk to life and limb! Be safe!..this harvest has been a struggle for all of us.

Martin

 

[Don Boles]

Yes, but I can't see how it would be abrasive?

Don

 

[phil]

Im with don.

 

[phil]

Maybe if the snow melted a bit and froze again and it has a layer of ice over it.