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Combine Add-Ons Save Grain, Handle Trash
Changes Tim Petersen has made to his Deere combine improve grain and trash handling. His Grain Saver prevents corn ears from bouncing out of the feeder housing. On the underside of chopper-style Deere corn heads, his in-row and between row deflectors keep trash from windrowing to the side.
"Newer Deere combines don't need the Grain Saver, but older models lose ears that bounce out of the feeder," says Petersen. "My Grain Saver uses existing bolts and holes to lay over the auger ends and keep ears from flying out."
Petersen says the 3 by 5-ft. plastic sheet covers more area than the original auger guard. It also allows the combine operator to look down and see the augers.
"It's heavy duty and will never wear out," says Petersen. "If heavy trash is a problem, it can be flipped out of the way to lay on the throat. Normally that isn't a problem. It's lightweight and inexpensive compared to other shields."
Petersen has also started offering improved stalk deflectors for Deere StalkMaster chopping corn heads. Initially, he developed between-row deflectors to replace the OEM installed deflectors.
"The originals were flimsy, belt-style deflectors that wore out quickly and tended to break off at the metal mount that held them in place," says Petersen. "I made replacements out of high density plastic. They mount to the same bolts, but are longer with a fishtail end. The others wear out in about 1,000 acres. Mine have gone a thousand acres and show no wear."
He notes that trash windrowing is a common effect of chopping corn heads. The original belt-style deflectors would hang to the side as they wore, and trash would be "windrowed" to the side. This would create problems on the next pass for the end row unit as it ran into the windrowed trash from the previous pass.
"My deflectors reduce windrowing," notes Petersen. "My neighbors started asking for them, so I applied for a patent. I'd like to find someone to make and market them."
For even less windrowing from chopping corn heads, Petersen has patented in-row trash deflectors. The 1/4-in. steel plate units mount directly behind the chopping knives on existing bolts. Not only do they reduce windrowing, but they also protect the mounting bolts from wear.
"They are designed with slots for the bolts so they can be adjusted for angles as needed," says Petersen. "It lets some of the trash go by, but not all of it. It really improves trash flow and reduces windrowing even more than the between row deflectors."
Peterson sells the add-ons through Pete's Power Parts, his online business. The Grain Saver is priced at $175 for older Deere combines, though Peterson has also made them for other makes. The between-row deflectors are priced at $35 each, while the in-row deflectors are priced at $25 each.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Pete's Power Parts, 702 East Appel St., Springfield, Minn. 56087 (ph 507 220-6900; info@petespowerparts.com; www.petespowerparts.com).


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2011 - Volume #35, Issue #2