Chopper adjustment and maintenance important
Timely and adequate
maintenance of your farm
tractors and equipment is a
major factor in determining
the efficiency - and
profitability - of your far
ming operation, according to
Bill Ottery, Marketing
Planning Manager, Crop
Harvesting, for In
ternational Harvester’s
Albany, New York
Agricultural Equipment
THE LONG 560
The Long 560 is designed for top efficiency,
long life and ease of operation. Features
such as five bearing crankshaft, power
steering and 8-speed transmission in
cluded at no extra cost. Adds up to more
efficiency than a ny other tractor in its class
I. G. AG SALES
Silverdale, Pa.
215-257-5136
MELROSE AGROPHILOS, INC. NORMAN 0. CLARK MAIDENCREEK WENGER’S INC.
FARM SUPPLY RDI, Millerstown, PA & SON FARM supply S Race St
Rt. 16 West. 717-444-3232 Grov ., p. Blamton.Pa “SIeTSIS
Greencastle, Pa. 717-734-3682 215-926-3851 66 2138
717-597-3138
Region. Since many people
consider silage a
“perishable” crop, it is of
utmost importance that your
chopper be properly
maintained and adjusted to
operate throughout the
season without breakdown
or delay. Review your
operator’s manual
thoroughly and follow the
recommendations provided.
Regardless of your brand
COME AND SEE
THE OTHER BLUE LINE!
LEISERS, INC.
3608 Nazareth Pike,
Bethlehem, Pa.
215-691-3070
preference, Ottery said,
your attention to the
following suggestions will
help you through this busy
“harvest” time:
HITCH - The Tongue
should be adjusted to attach
to the tractor drawbar in as
level a plane as possible.
Failute to do so could cause
several problems:
1. Improper relationship of
attaching unit and basic
unit.
2. Plugging at the throat
area.
3. Poor discharge angle at
the spout.
4. Noisy and short life PTO
operation.
PTO - The PTO should be
adjusted to operate in as
straight a line as possible.
Keep all shields in place -
they are for your protection.
Check your operator’s
manual for proper hookup
for 540 or 1000 RPM.
Keep the telescoping
halves well lubricated and
free of rust and dents. Large
choppers transmit a
tremendous amount of
torque through the PTO
shaft and failure to telescope
can cause several problems;
1. Pressure at the tractor
that can result in PTO
failure.
2. PTO cross failures.
3. Slip clutch and/or gear
case failure on the chopper.
WHEELS - Choose the
correct height to keep the
sickle and cutting parts out
of the dirt while maintaining
a satisfactory entrance
angle at the throat. Choose
the correct wheel spacing to
permit proper trailing and
ease of staying “on the row.”
PERFORMANCE
PACKAGE
LIST PRICE:
Including 10.5x20 Front and
16.9x28 MAVT, with 1528 Front
End Loader and 60” Bucket.
NEVIN N. MEYER
& SONS, INC.
Chester Springs. Pa.
215-827-7481
WAGON HITCH - Choose a
position to pull the wagon m
a straight line behind the
tractor, altered only by a
variation for row spacmgs.
The wagon will fill properly
even though it may be
necessary to position the
spout a few degrees right or
left.
SPOUT - Extension or tilt
sections are available from
most manufacturers, The
discharge must be able to fill
the rear of the wagon (or
truck) without striking
crossmembers or braces; if
not, adjustment will be
required. Bolts used for
assembly must be the
“carriage” type with the
heads on the inside to
prevent turbulence. Blowing
problems are usually a
result of:
3. Overfeeding the
machine beyond its capacity
4. Buildup of plant “gums”
on the blowing parts.
CONTROLS - Position the
controls so they will be
readily accessible. Adjust
them to prevent interference
on turns or through gullies.
Electric and/or hydraulic
remote controls provide
unquestionable convenience
and comfort, especially for
cab equipped tractors.
CUT LENGTH - Most
choppers provide for a
variety of cut lengths. You
must choose the one that will
best meet your
requirements. When making
this choice, consider the
following:
Silage cut too short
requires additional hor-
All
purpose
power!
55 H.P.
$ n f 405
F. 0.8. Tarboro, NC
COLUMBIA CLAPPER
EQUIPMENT CO. FARM EQUIP.
Bloomsburg, Pa. RDI Alexandria, Pa.
717-784-7456 814-669-9015
1. Improper adjustment
2. LowßPM’s
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 5,1977—105
sepower hours and is not
necessarily better feed.
Translated, this means more
fuel and more time to
produce silage of
questionable quality.
Silage cut too long will
require more storage space,
is usually less palatable, and
may cause problems in your
feeding equipment.
You may already have
made up your mind as to the
proper cut length for your
operation. If not, we suggest
trying the following:
Haylage - 3/16” or 14”
Silage-5/16” or 3/8”
SCKEEN SIZE - Haylage
and Silage - A small screen
will not provide a short cut.
A small screen will improve
uniformity and reduce the
number of “longs” in the
sample. Each line of holes in
a screen in reality adds
another shear bar, which in
turn requires more hor
sepower. You must deter
mine how much additional
fuel and time you are willing
to spend for the amount of
uniformity you desire.
If you haven’t already
made up your mind ... try
the largest screen available.
You’ll be pleasantly sur
prised at the results.
Mature, Dry Crops and
Ear Com - A small screen
should be used for dry crops
and for ear com. Much less
horsepower is required at
the shear bar; therefore,
more power will be available
at the screen to better crack
the kernels and reduce the
number of “longs.”
MAINTENANCE - Inspect
all belts, chains, gears and
sprockets for signs of
excessive or unusual wear.
Replacement and/or proper
adjustment before that busy
harvest season will pay off in
better silage and fewer
costly delays. To carry
replacement belts, chain and
connecting links with you
can be the best and least
expensive “insurance” you
can have.
Last, but not least, don’t
forget some extra shear
bolts. Use the recommended
size and type (hardness) - a
heavier bolt may result in
damage to the machine.
Check and adjust the slip
WHITE WASHING
with
DAIRY WHITE
-DRIES WHITE
- DOES NOT RUB OFF EASILY
-NO WET FLOORS
- IS COMPATIBLE WITH DISINFECTANT AND FLY SPRAYS
- WASHES OFF WINDOWS & PIPELINES EASILY.
ALSO BARN CLEANING SERVICE
AVAILABLE WITH COMPRESSED AIR
To have your barn cleaned with air it will
clean off dust, cob webs & lot of the old lime.
This will keep your barn looking cleaner &
whiter longer
MAYNARD L. BEITZEL
Witmer, PA 17585 717-392-7227
If no answer call Willard Beitzel 717-656-9569
Barn spraying our business, not a side-line
Spraying Since 1961
HIGH PRESSURE WASHING AND
DISINFECTING POULTRY HOUSES
AND VEAL PENS.
clutch; it is also there to
protect the machine. It
should be adjusted to protect
the chopper - not to allow you
to use all available hor
sepower. Follow the in
structions m the operator’s
manual covering “glazing”
and adjustment.
Lubricate the entire
machine regularly as in
dicated m your operator’s
manual.
OPERATION - Let’s
assume that we have the
machine properly set up,
adjusted and lubricated and
we are ready for field
operation. Up to this point
we have said very little
about the tractor to be used.
Your tractor-chopper
combination will fall into one
of three categories:
Horsepower and chopper
capacity evenly matched -
This combination should
provide efficient and
trouble-free service for an
economical operation.
Low horsepower with
large chopper - This
combination will obviously
result in poor chopper
capacity and performance
but will seldom be the cause
of machine failure.
High horsepower with
medium or small chopper -
This combination usually
spells TROUBLE. Too many
operators attempt to operate
at tractor capacity rather
than machine capacity.
These practices will include
faster ground speeds,
heavier windrows, tighter
slip clutches and heavier
shear bolts. Capacity will be
above expectations, but
unfortunately downtime and
expensive repair will be
excessive.
To summarize, Ottery said
that speedy and efficient
performance of your equip
ment during the harvest
season starts before you go
to the field. Plan well ahead
of the season of use of in
spect and adjust so as to
allow time to obtain any
repair parts that may be
required. A rainy day spent
in the machine shed can pay
dividends of many sunny
days in the field.