Got the John Deere pull type combine out on the weekend and using it on oats. Its a nice change from self propelled combines. It seems to have more capacity than the IH 1660 putting through a 21 foot swath. I even tried it out on the double swaths (42 feet) and it did well, slower driving of course. You don't see many pull types working any more but 30 years ago they were very popular here. No longer in production but theres a few survivors out there. [video=youtube;cxqZ1A6T2-E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxqZ1A6T2-E[/video]

Thanks for that video Ralph. A large pull type combine of that size would sure be a curiosity in the midwest. A John Deere 42 was likely the largest pull type sold in this area. Large direct cut headers on pull type machines did not lend well to soybeans and corn. Cereal crops are grown on much fewer acres in the midwest.

Gene

Thanks for that video Ralph. A large pull type combine of that size would sure be a curiosity in the midwest. A John Deere 42 was likely the largest pull type sold in this area. Large direct cut headers on pull type machines did not lend well to soybeans and corn. Cereal crops are grown on much fewer acres in the midwest.

Gene

 
Same here Gene. Most direct cut their cereal grains now and you can't put a big straight cutter on these pull type combines. Swathing ahead works but it is an extra operation. Many have parked their swathers and jumped into the high clearance sprayer to dessicate the crop prior to harvest. It works well if you don't mind a bit of glyphosate herbicide on your wheat flour or oatmeal.
I'll keep swathing. It may not be efficient but its the way I like to do it.

Ralph - Nice video.

Ralph;

Never have run or even seen swathed grain run with a pickup header. Got a couple questions;

When you run the pickup, do you orient the grain heads to enter first, which would be the same way it is swathed, or does it make any difference in how they thresh?

Having done demonstrations with threshing machines we always pitched the bundles in heads first to get better separation..

In the video where you are running canola it appears the stems are entering first, or maybe I am not seeing it right?

Enquiring minds and all that!!!

Gene

Gene , you are correct. It is desirable to have the heads of the grain enter first. Some crops are more forgiving, canola for example. Being such a big bushy crop it often gets turned backwards coming out of the swather opening and creates kind of a non-directional swath that can be picked up either way. Wheat does not pick up well backwards , or oats for that matter.
I started on flax swaths with the 7721 this afternoon and what a treat it is to run a combine that can just eat up the swath without hesitation or complaint. I covered a lot of ground by the time I quit at 11:00 pm. Could have kept going as the wind was blowing but I just could not stay awake.