prockets on combines provide incredibly long service. As such, you
probably assume that unless their teeth are broken, sprockets are good
to go. But cupped teeth with distinct hooks on their ends can greatly
compromise the smooth operation of the drive chains they are power-
ing. Chains tend to crawl on worn sprockets, as their hooked teeth won’t
readily release from the sprocket teeth. By the way, hooked sprocket teeth are
a good indication that the chain they’re powering is misadjusted.
A
misadjusted
or broken yield
monitor won’t
stop harvest, but it
jeopardizes the collection
of yield data you’ve come to
depend on when mapping fields.
Joe Luck, an Extension precision agriculture
engineer with the University of Nebraska, has
advice on yield monitors. “A critical element
of yield monitor operation is calibration of the
mass flow (impact plate) sensor or optical sen-
sor in the clean grain elevator,” he explains.
The calibration procedure for the mass
flow sensor is time-consuming but absolutely
vital for accurate yield measurements. Since
mass flow sensor readings may be affected
by crop type, moisture content, and test
weight, you should consider performing
separate calibrations under these differing
circumstances.
The mass flow sensor calibration process
usually involves harvesting two to six small
loads of grain (around 3,000 to 5,000 pounds
depending on manufacturer specifications)
and measuring the scale weight of each load.
The reason for taking this number of loads is to
compensate for varying yields expected across
a field during harvest.
You can get more details on this procedure
by going to http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/
assets/pdf/ec2004.pdf.
U
nless belts are obviously
frayed or showing signs of
separation, they are often
only given a cursory inspec-
tion. “Considering the job they
must perform in transmitting a
huge amount of power, the entire
length of every belt should be
inspected,” Edgington urges.
Examine belt covers for separa-
tion, chunks that are missing,
burned streaks, and grooves in
their sides. Discovering such
issues requires the belt to be
replaced. Such symptoms can also
indicate a problem with misad-
justment (of an
idler or tension-
ing pulley) or an impending parts
failure (such as a bearing going
bad). Unlike typical V-belts, the
belts powering the feeder house
are of a special design for trans-
ferring a lot of power. Much of
the work they do requires power
to be transferred strictly on the
sides of the belts, so closely exam-
ine the belts for burned spots and
grooves in their sides.
Finally, after inspecting a belt,
adjust its tension according to the
owner’s manual.
Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, covers
machinery, shops, irrigation, and
maintenance topics for Successful
Farming magazine. He also hosts the
Machinery Show and is Editor of the
Ageless Iron Almanac.
Email: [email protected]
36 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com |August 2019
