Combines SUNFlOWER QUESTIONS

[Unit_2]

TlC Farms, I have limited experience with sunflowers but lets see if the guys that have a lot of experience agree with me. Harvesting sunflowers takes a fraction of the power that corn or beans take. I use a Deere row head. It works good. There is a company that makes sunflower gaurds for a rigid header that are similar to the new plastic milo gaurds. Here in Central Kansas double crop no till into wheat stubble works good especially under irrigation. K.A

 

[GREENGO]

1.Horsepower requirements are minimal much less than corn or beans 2.I much prefer to harvest with row head,for ease of harvesting also stalk hight,had trouble with pans plugging,also used a raymac head here in central Ks,worked very well escpecially for taking only the head and no stalk when the stalk is too green and get trash in the bin with row head but after frost I WOUlD DEFINETlY USE row head. 3.Have seen some doble crop do good some poor,unable to give real good advice on this one 4.We have a couple adapters could sell,Idon't think they are bish,probably home built but worked for many years.

 

[Clay]

We also use JD row crop heads on our Gleaner combines. They are definitely the way to go with sunflowers. Just make sure you compare gathering belts to new ones--otherwise it is hard to know how much the rubber has worn, and sf wears the belts faster than a lot of other crops. -ctm

 

[Sando]

Greengo, I have a raymac but am thinking about a JD row head for use on short corn (30-50bu)and milo. Could you make a few comments on the upkeep and performance of the two machines. Feel free to email if you like. Thanks, Sando

 

[meadowgreen]

We use a JD row crop 6-30" on R52. Double crop behind wheat here in west central MO. Yield from 1600-2200n_ac. With rain, flowers get 5-6 ft. and weredifficult to harvest with grain head. Buyer wanted to know where I had them cleaned. Didn't believe they were right out of the combine. Test weigth this year was 36n. Best they had. I like to brag on my Gleaner. Biggest problem here is black birds. I'm the only grower here and I hate feeding them all summer. Wonder how much they eatIJ

 

[Big_Boy]

I have another sunflower question for those with experence cutting flowers,will a draper head work very well harvesting sunflowers and which reel do you prefer, bat or pickupIJ Thank you for your time.

 

[TlC_FARMS]

send an e-mail and phone number i'd like to talk more.

 

[Dan]

Most guys use rigid heads with pans and reel. I believe pans are 9" which allows cutting any direction that works best. JD row heads are in big demand for rent when crop lodges. I think I would check out your investment in an older rigid head with pans and reel as compaired to a large JD row head. If you have enough acres and can't wait for stalks and heads to dry up you may want to check with me on rotor sweeps. I know what it is like to seperator wet MOG when it gets ground up in cage. Good luck.

 

[R7]

I have a 327 header all set up with 9" pans for sale. I was thinking it's worth about $3000. I put it together about 4 years ago. Works in rows and solid seeding. located in Willow City ,North Dakota. Email and I will be in contact.John

 

[cornchopper]

I have used a Macdon draper with pans and a drum instead of a reel. It works much better than an auger head. It feeds better and you don't have to worry about the auger throwing heads and seeds back out.