[dragon71]

I had some issues last year harvesting wetter corn (above 22%) with the machine losing corn out the back. I run a 6 row 974 head. I usually run concaves at 10 to 11, fan at 1100, top sieve usually 5/8 and bottom at 3/8". Rotor speed in dryer corn I can run down to 570 (Love the 2 speed rotor option) up to 750. I wouldn't want another machine without 2 speed rotors. I guess it's pretty rare on an 86. I try to run 4 to 4.7 MPH. (Up to 220 bushel corn!) Is this too fast or slow? I try to watch the grain loss monitor to judge my speed.
Do any of you remove the beater grate covers for corn? I never have on this machine, but I did on my TR70, put it back in for soybeans. Just the back 1/2.
On some varieties of corn I seem to get small cob pieces in the grain tank. Especially white cob corn. I can't seem to get rid of them no matter what I do. It's mostly the end tip breaking off. The slow rotor speed helps some.
It does a great job on soybeans with a 20' 973 platform, just a little finicky on corn.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

 

[dragon71]

C'mon guys, all these views and not 1 response?

 

[mike10]

My view is the 974 allows to much trash to enter the combine causing the cleaning system to be overloaded.

 

[dragon71]

Is the 996 head better? I've never been around one in the field. What about a John Deere or CaseIH head?

 

[mike10]

The 996 and newer heads are much better, unless the stalk rolls are worn out.

 

[dragon71]

Any more comments or advice on settings?

 

[Red Convert]

This is what I do in corn:

Slow the rotor down as slow as it goes and adjust the concave clearance to the width of a corn cob to start out with.

You could possibly tighten up the top/bottom sieve to try and keep the cobs out. I start with settings in the book and then adjust based on seed size in the field.

Do you Kill-Stall the combine to check the grain condition? I think that is the one of the best tools in your tool box. The procedure is in the manual.

 

[dragon71]

I've never done a kill stall on my 86, or the 70 or 85 I have had before. I was always afraid of having to unplug a full separator, aso hard on drive clutches.. I spent enough time on a slug wrench on my TR70 in green stem beans.

 

[theokusters]

First thing what comes in my mind is rotor speed, but you have that right. I recognise the problem, and I think it starts in the concave. Do you use a roundbar concave? I also think it is a variety problem. Some variety have shorter husks and the the tip of the cob has been exposed to sunlight.
Corn out the back is very unusual, and is in the beater grate and sieves. Take the beater grate filler plate out. Do you have corn sieves or the universal?

 

[dragon71]

It has the corn/soybean concaves. I used to take out the beater grate cover out for corn on my TR70, but never did on my 85 or this 86.