You have reached your limit of 3 free stories. A story preview is shown instead.
To view more stories
(If your subscription is current,
click here to Login or Register.)
Plastic Rock Guards Save Beans
Rock guards installed ahead of the sickle on a combine head are great for protecting combines, but they can also prevent short beans from making it into the combine. When Dennis Bollinger, president of CFC Distributors, stumbled across a different way of doing it, it seemed almost too simple to work.
"We were i
..........
You must sign in, subscribe or renew to see the page.
You must sign in, subscribe or renew to see the flip-book
Plastic Rock Guards Save Beans COMBINES Accessories 28-6-29 Rock guards installed ahead of the sickle on a combine head are great for protecting combines, but they can also prevent short beans from making it into the combine. When Dennis Bollinger, president of CFC Distributors, stumbled across a different way of doing it, it seemed almost too simple to work.
"We were installing plastic sheets between the sickle and the auger on a Case IH 1020 header," recalls Bollinger. "It had a small rise in the original steel, that acted as a rock guard. The plastic sheets flattened it out so the customer asked what would stop rocks. We made some angled things and attached them to the plastic sheet behind the sickle and they worked great."
For the past 8-10 years Bollinger has made and installed the rock guards on combines in the Roann, Indiana area. This year he decided to do a little advertising, and the response has been amazing.
"We sold out right away and, unfortunately, making them from extruded plastic is a slow process," says Bollinger. "You can't just order up new stock overnight."
The UV light stabilized poly guards are only 2 in. tall and come in 2-ft. lengths. They are staggered across the width of the header to allow a smooth flow of material into the combine. The guards come with drill holes and pop-in rivets for easy installation. Bollinger even includes the correct drill bit with the kit, which is priced at $8/foot.
"You can do a 20-footer in one to two hours," he says. "It's so simple, it's crazy. Existing rock guards often prevent short beans from getting to the platform. If you can get them to the platform, that's half the battle."
Bollinger's creations catch and hold soybeans that might normally fall off the front of the combine. At the end of the row, the beans move back into the feeder house when the header is raised up. Meanwhile, rocks are kept out.
"We've seen rocks the size of a child's head make it onto the platform and be held in front of our rock guards until the combine could be stopped and the rock removed," says Bollinger.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dennis Bollinger, CFC Distributors, 8555 North State Road 15, Roann, Ind. 46974 (ph 765 833-4231 or 800 548-6633; website: www.cfcdist.com).
To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click
here to register with your account number.
