Gleaner 4-38 head plugging

[Doug Wi]

Hi Guys. Running a gleaner F3 with a 4-38 black bottom head. In a field of late planted corn hit by an early frost have been having trouble with the head plugging. We have had a dry fall so the corn is around 15% with test weight about 50. It seems like the stalks and ear shanks are tough and the ears won't snap off and just hang at the rear of rolls. When you get several on one row doing that it sorta plugs. Due to a wet spring and early summer have got alot of small ears . Have got the deck plates set at 7/8" at the front and 1" at the rear. Any wider and too many small ears go right through.On a field of the same variety planted earlier we have very little trouble. Neighbor was combining across the road with a JD7720 with a 6rn head. Had him come over and try in my field. Due to the different row spaciong he could only line up on 2 rows, but he sailed right along with not a hint of any ears failing to snap off. Is there some adjustment thatI'm missing or is this the nature of the gleaner head.?

 

[JMS/.MN]

You are right in setting the stripper plates wider at the rear by that amount, but if the stalks are really small, might need to close them more. I used to run a 438 black, and row 3 would always plug first if I went over 2 1/2 mph. Trash would pinwheel on the little plate at the rear of the row unit- the one held with the hollow head hex screws. Trash would catch underneath, then build up and plug. That plate had a slight twist in it that allowed trash to slide in underneath, from the front. Yeah, makes life miserable. re-reading....maybe you need to set the rolls closer so they are more aggressive and grab better? Also, when you set the front of the rolls, make sure to center them...........tape measure them, don"t just eyeball..........then the same with the stripper plates. Are you running grass knives, and are they set properly?

 

[700 man]

Not sure how Allis head is set up but years ago had a massey and an oliver combines, had a similar problem,the massey auger was set back so it wouldnt help clean off the stripper plates,the oliver head had the auger closer and cleaned them off. Had to park the massey that fall and use the oliver.

 

[Eric in IL]

I am not familiar with a Gleaner, but one thing you may try is timing the paddles on your gathering chains so they are directly across from each other. Maybe they already are? If not you could try it on one row and see if it helps.

 

[gbs]

ran into the similar problem with our 438 on 2 of the row units the the snapping roll flutes or plates are worn to a taper at the front enough that we couldn't set the cutter close enough to completely cut them clean, we had run into few morning glory vines that weren't thick in the corn but about half green they would wrap up the rolls then the drought hurt corn stalks wouldn't feed in or the row unit would choke,we will replace them for another year to much aggravation to deal with

 

[Doug Wi]

I didn't know that there is a adjustment on the snapping rolls. Thats what it acts like is they aren't close enough. Will have to look for an adjustment there. As for knives i don't think there are any.Are they on the snapping rolls or mounted on the frame someplace? I noticed when the JD went through the stalks were all clipped off. can't tell the difference between where I have gone with the combine and where I have picked with the NI 324.Stalks just bent over and the ears gone.One thing i noticed different on the JD is where the gleaner has the flat plate at the back of the rolls held with hex screws, the JD has a dish shaped plate, probably ahalf to 3/4 inch deep, but watching it pick ,the ears never got back that far without being snapped off.

 

[big orange]

Sounds to me like your roll blades are worn, easily replaceable. Have you tried changing your head speed?

 

[paul]

The 3 bolts in front holding each roller have oblong holes to shift left or right a bit.

The grass knives are under bolted on to the frame with (2) 3/4 inch bolts, they go right beside the roll, you have to look up in there deep to see them, have a sorta sharp lip that cuts grass off the roller.

--->Paul

 

[Doug Wi]

I changed to the smaller driven sprocket to speed it up. The roll blades look good although the edges are well rounded . Have never seen a new one, so don't know what they should look like. But on the neighbors JD the roll blades were much more worn looking and in general looked beat up. thanks

 

[big orange]

If they are well rounded need replaced, new ones have a square edge.

 

[m1ashooter]

if the blades are rounded, try running a bead of weld down them in the center 1/2, to stay away from the bearings.