Main malfunctions and breakdowns of harvesters: causes and methods of elimination
Reaper - agricultural equipment of mounted or trailed type, which is used for mowing and processing crops. Mounted reapers are installed on a combine and are designed for separate harvesting, trailed ones - tractors are used as traction for them. Less common are self-propelled and combing reapers. The former have high productivity due to autonomy, the latter - cut only the tops, leaving the stems intact.
Main malfunctions of reapers
Mounted and trailed reapers are the most popular. They are similar in design and consist of a body, stabilizer, reel, reciprocating mechanism, conveyor, auger. Reapers differ in characteristics and purpose, their efficiency and reliability largely depends on the manufacturer. Despite the great variety, they all have their own working resource, require regular maintenance and periodic repairs.
Repair and maintenance should be carried out in specialized workshops. For example, similar services are offered by AgroKar, a company known in the agricultural machinery market for over 10 years. The company's catalog includes tractors, sprayers, headers, harrows, seeding complexes, seeders, cultivators, as well as spare parts and consumables for agricultural machinery. AgroKar's services include professional consultations, repair and maintenance of agricultural machinery.
Signs of a harvester malfunction:
The reel does not pull;
Poor-quality cuts, torn stems;
Accumulation of grain (harvested crop) in front of the feed auger;
Winding of stems on the auger;
Trace after the header passes;
Skewed reel.
Modern harvesters are complex mechanical devices for mowing various crops, transporting them to a bunker for further processing or laying the mowed mass on the field. Due to the complexity of the equipment, it is not always possible to detect signs of a header malfunction on your own, so you have to contact specialists.
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Main causes of harvester malfunction
The cause of harvester equipment breakdown can be untimely maintenance and improper storage, inaccurate adjustment and inappropriate operating conditions. But not only that.
Causes of harvester malfunction:
High speed;
Incorrectly adjusted reel or friction clutch;
Defects in knives;
Incorrect adjustment of the auger;
Overloading of the auger;
Too high humidity of the harvested crop;
Incorrect adjustment of the springs.
If the reel is uneven, it means that the hydraulic system is faulty - either the hydraulic cylinders have different amounts of oil, or the system is not pumped or filled.
Some causes of header malfunction can be eliminated independently, in some cases the help of qualified craftsmen is required.
Self-adjustment of the harvester
Correct adjustment of the harvester before its operation ensures maximum efficiency and productivity. In order to obtain high performance, it is necessary to adjust the harvester and additional components. According to statistics, losses during 1 hour of harvester downtime are up to 0.15%, in case of using a faulty harvester - up to 25%. Correct adjustment allows you to reduce this figure to 1.5%.
The harvester must evenly feed the mown mass, correctly repeat the relief and quickly adapt to specific operating conditions.
To do this, you need to:
Adjust the linear speed of the reel - the ratio to the speed of the combine (tractor) should be 1.4-1.7 for a total speed of up to 7 km/h and 1.2-1.4 for a total speed of more than 7 km/h;
Adjust the divider - it should be installed without free play perpendicular to the harvester;
Adjust the cutting device - it should be clearly centered, the fingers should be free of chips, broken edges and other damage;
Set the gap between the segment and the finger - the distance should be from 10 to 25 mm;
Adjust the gap between the working surfaces of the finger inserts and knife segments - by tightening or loosening the pressure springs, it is necessary to set the front gap to 0.8 mm, the rear - from 0.3 to 15 mm.
Adjust the screw auger - for harvesting grain crops, the distance from the table to the edge should be no more than 1.5 mm;
Set the auger fingers - the distance to the bottom point of the table should be maximum, at the entrance to the inclined conveyor - minimum;
Adjust the bumper - it should be at a distance of 2-3 mm from the auger screws;
Adjust the inclined conveyor - the drive shaft should be perpendicular, the distance between the chain and the slider under the third bar should be 2 mm.
Correct adjustment of the harvester allows you to optimize the operation of the traction equipment and save fuel, minimize losses and extend the trouble-free service life of the harvesting equipment. This is not an easy task, so it is best to perform the adjustment in advance and have it done at a service center.