[MNChurchmouse]

I wish to pose a question regarding combine settings for rye and/or barley. To begin with, we have a 2366 w/ specialty rotor and Kile Rotor flights (a welcome improvement).

I should point out that we are swathing the whole plant, so there is a lot of material to put through the machine.

Our problem is that we seem to have trouble with unthrashed partial or whole heads in the grain sample. Our typical settings include: Rotor=920; Fan = 920; shoe is closed; chaffer = 1/2 in (or less). We have the LW concaves with clearance set fairly wide - 8.2 (indicator setting) to accommodate the large volume of straw and to achieve grain on grain thrashing. The wider concave setting also seems to lessen the straw grinding. We also have filler plates installed in the first two sections of the concave.

Besides the unthrashed heads in the grain tank, due to rotor thumping and, perhaps, lack of power, our field speed are limited to <1 - 2.5 mph, which seems very slow. We only have a 12' swath! The machine appears do a good job at removing the grain from the windrow when looking behind the combine.

Where are we going wrong? Can we improve our throughput, lessen the power/fuel requirements, and clean up our sample?

 

[Dwf1990]

Are you running the machine to full capacity, not sure what 2366 is but a 12ft swath any combine should handle that on a big crop. When I was younger we would combine 21ft with 850 Massey's a without a trouble and with ~100 bu/crops

 

[CRToney]

In our 80-88 series combines we travel faster in 30 ft with an 80 bu crop of both. Both crops are easy to thresh. With rye most should thresh in the feeder house. We run lower rotor speed too. Do you have the first concave blocked off with cover plates? That will hold the unthreshed heads in longer. Makes one adjustment at a time. We usually have the front concave blocked and the section of the concave where the return comes in.

 

[phantom970]

I would have thought small wire concaves would be better for unthreshed heads and then run key stockgrates to get good separation. That might enable you to open up that bottom sieve then and get some air flow. Have you seen them clip on threshing segments for CIH concaves?? They can make a big difference.

 

[MNChurchmouse]

Thanks so much for the helpful responses! I found it interesting that nobody commented on our rather wide concave setting (8.1 indicator). I did try a narrower setting (4.5 indicator), but found more straw in the grain tank.

RE: Dwf1990 - You are quite right! A 12' swath should clearly be very manageable with a 2366. However, when I refer to capacity, I'm referring to total material, rather than just the grain. And, in the case of our rye, the stems still have some green left in them due to fungicide treatment at heading. Even still, it's only a 12' swath!
RE: CRToney - Glad you mentioned the 80-88 series... Yesterday, our front rotor bearing failed. I called a friend with a 2388 to take over. I didn't feel quite as bad, as his machine really rumbled with a field speed between 2.5 - 3 mph - but still, faster, as one might expect with a larger machine. Again, I believe the tough straw is what is dictating a slower speed.
And, yes, we have cover plates (two) on the front concave. However, I'm beginning to think that we may need to install an additional one or two cover plates, especially where the returns enter.
My initial settings were closer to factory recommendations. I re-tried a lower rotor speed again, but saw more heads in sample.


RE: phantom970 - You're probably correct about the SW concaves. We're just a bit too thrifty to have tried them. I'm not sure what you mean by "clip on threshing segments for CIH concaves". Are you thinking of cover plates? Or, are you thinking of some other gadget?
I know air flow through the sieves is crucial. However, since our grain sample is clean, save for the unthrashed heads, I think my focus needs to be on trying to thresh those pesky seed heads.

Thanks again for the suggestions! Once our machine back up and running, I will implement these suggestions.

 

[CRToney]

Don't try clip on segments they unclip and wreck stuff on their way out. Look into aftermarket conclaves with more bar over wires also make sure your concaves are zeroed. You can adjust concaves on RH side too.

 

[AfroCan Zim]

Hi did you manage to over come this problem. I too run 2366 and 1666 and had this problem last year in really heavy barley that had lodged and I had to process a lot of straw to pick all the heads up. It was really slow going . The volume of straw put pressure on every process and I also had quite high losses out the back especially mornings and evening when moisture was higher and seed was sticking to straw. Have you since changed your settings , if so please advise which. Cheers

 

[schraefel]

Large wire concaves don't seem to work well in smaller seeds. Anything other than peas I would use a small wire. Cover plates will slow you down as well. Unthreshed parts will push through the concave. Good luck. With the small wire, you will get a nice clean sample. I would open the sieves and let some air go though. Also higher fan speed. I am a firm believer you can't blow seeds out the back but lack of air will cause the grain to go over because the sieves have too much stuff on them to fall through.

 

[bap]

well the filler plates are good, however if you can't clean it up on the sieves without plugging the return, you may have to bite the bullet and get small wires in there. But try everything you can imagine first...maybe even making it pour alot of black smoke. What I mean by this is I realize you have alot of straw, but if its not too tough try really loading it down to the max and with the large concave clearance setting this may help it to thresh a bit better, I am just speculating, but there is an odd condition with those ih where you really have to make them grunt to do a good job. Wheat is normally the problem though...I would think you should be able to get it to work in rye and barley unless you are not filling the machine properly...hopefully this makes sense and I am not way off base with the problem.

 

[kenmb]

I don't know, seems like an awfully wide concave setting. Used to run a 1660 with specialty rotor in malt barley and never went near that wide. The settings roughly translated over to the 2388. Last year ran afx 2388 in lodged malt barley that was snowed on so cutting right in the dirt to get it and 60- 80 bu/ac in those low spots would still be running 3-4 mph with 30' head. Two LW concave, back one small. 2.3 concave, 700 rpm, fan at 1000, bottom sieve at 9 so around 3/8", top is air foil. There will be some partial heads but by the time they are augered out of the combine and into the bin those are mostly broken up. Used to be that if you aren't threshing enough you tighten the concave. Did that thinking change? Too wide a concave leads to more room for crop to tumble around and eat up horsepower rather than spiral through the threshing elements like it is designed to. Naturally you may be facing different climate conditions so each guy has to try different things but I would see what a tighter concave does first with a slower rotor speed.

 

[bap]

Ya something seems a bit not right, I would certainly try closing the concave right up too and give it a check. Then if peeling or cracking go from there. That 12 foot swath should be no problem even if it is a bumper with the ground shaved for a 2366...unless it is soaking wet of course.

 

[brazil08]

I think that people who think there no problems with undessiccated rye straw may not have handled the 6' + tall conventional varieties that can end up around 6" tall about the time you need to swath it. In big crops of Rye that kind of straw is always much tougher than the grain and makes for some very slow combining with anything unless you get very good harvest conditions. Having said that never tried with 2366, but 21' with cx8080 and good conditions certainly puts you below 4mph - way under the first time you have to use that wrench.

 

[Slip clutch]

So it’s my first time growing rye. I have a 8250 case with a 40’ head. How fast do you think I can go? It’s hybrid rye.

 

[brazil08]

So it’s my first time growing rye. I have a 8250 case with a 40’ head. How fast do you think I can go? It’s hybrid rye.

I would think similar speed as in wheat since your MOG about the same. The rye grain actually thrashes easier than wheat. If you desiccate it you will go faster.