[ryanwilkey31]

Just wondering how many sickle sections people are going through in a season and what kind of soil they are cutting in.

 

[farminflyboy]

On combines 2 seasons for a set of knives in wheat and milo. On our swathers 2 knives per season on 2 machines 1000 acres of alfalfa in sandy loam go through 50 or so spares.

 

[lanwickum]

My deere double cuts go good. I cut about 3000acres per year on a header, 36'. Wheat and barley. Lots of soil type over the 35 miles I am spread out on. I changed them all the first year just because I didn't want them slowing me down pushing grain towards the end of the next year. Not so sure I would worry about that much anymore with the double cuts, great sections if the gaurds are in fair condition. Don't plan on changing them all this year, but I do have a spare sickle now just in case.

For breaking them, I only change maybe a dozen at the most. Make sure the header floats properly. When I got the combine and header it was not good. Had small lift cylinders and did not float properly at all. Broke a lot more guards and sections. Replaced cylinders with proper sized ones for the header and maybe broke half dozen guards since, at most. Hardly ever straighten them now. It came with a custom guard straightener when I bought it.

 

[whatswrong]

Custom harvester that travels from OK to ND, so lots of soil types, lots of abrasive on-ground cutting the last few years in droughts....Deere sections, 10,000 acres before replacement.

I guess running combines that only handle a couple miles per hour you can wear the sections out a lot more and still cut clean.

 

[farminflyboy]

Well in droughty wheat 5+ mph is pretty common. I guess if you live in Australia that is snail pace. Our Deere sections outlast the Mac Don sections by quite a few acres.

They are definitely high quality and should be for $3.20/section!