maxxum 140 Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 we are about a month away from chopping silage and we run a mx210 on our 881 forage harvester, but the tractor has long axles and we knock the corn down so it doesn't feed into the cutter has anyone made like a cone or something to divert the cornplant around the tractor rear axle? If so does anyone have a picture or description of how they did it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takn4aFool Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 maybe something like was on a New Idea mounted corn picker, a pipe mounted to the frame rail that extended beside the tire and axle to push/tip the row to the side a little 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitty Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 Can you hook drawbar one hole to the right side to help? We ran a 8950 on a NH 900 and found out left turns around the inside corner were impossible as the front tire was further away from the center of radius than anything else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
766 Man Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 44 minutes ago, Takn4aFool said: maybe something like was on a New Idea mounted corn picker, a pipe mounted to the frame rail that extended beside the tire and axle to push/tip the row to the side a little Probably the best approach to the problem. Maybe use two or more pipes/tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksfarmdude Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 I've seen crop deflectors that guide corn stalks and anything leaning towards the tractor- cutter whatever that guides the stalks away from you they can be easily made also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearclash Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 We used to chop with a rather long axled 7140. Most of the time the protruding axles weren’t a big deal. Maybe knock some ears off. But in lodged corn the axle would knock all kinds of corn down so my brother found what I think was a New Idea or maybe short line (Koster?) shield that mounts on the side of the tractor all the way from the front wheels to past the rear axle. The shield was intended for a pull type corn picker. That worked really well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1480x3 Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 extend chopper tounge ? I chop with straddle row duals on, but have the long tounge option on my NH 890 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirt_Floor_Poor Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 This is what Deere sells/used to sell for use on tractors with long axles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kirsch Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 10 hours ago, 1480x3 said: extend chopper tounge ? I chop with straddle row duals on, but have the long tounge option on my NH 890 You would have to extend not only the tongue, but the hydraulic lines, the PTO shaft, and the electricals. Not worth it on a chopper that's junk the next time it eats a gathering belt. Can't get parts anymore. Believe me we nursed an 881 on its last legs along for a decade until Dad died. It's more Gorilla tape than chopper at this point. Couple of close calls, but Dad's "cat like" reflexes on the control box stopped the head mere fractions of an inch before the belt went through the knives. There's always this... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weapon Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 Nnnnnnnnoooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! John 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxxum 140 Posted August 24, 2022 Author Share Posted August 24, 2022 we just bought another 881 this fall still has original chains on it has seen very little use. We can still get most of the parts we need just the problem is they are super expensive. We have never ran a belt thru one and we have cut a few thousand acres with them. Good old cutters just tjey are slow and you have to be gentle would love to get a much newer one, but it's not in the budget yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitty Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 One option is to add a hitch extension to the chopper including a PTO shaft extension with hose extensions . It could transferred to another chopper in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kirsch Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 15 hours ago, maxxum 140 said: we just bought another 881 this fall still has original chains on it has seen very little use. We can still get most of the parts we need just the problem is they are super expensive. We have never ran a belt thru one and we have cut a few thousand acres with them. Good old cutters just tjey are slow and you have to be gentle would love to get a much newer one, but it's not in the budget yet. We had an 830 and an 881 for 30+ years combined, and it was a guarantee that they would eat about one gathering belt per year when we were doing 100+ loads of corn a year. For one thing you could not tighten the belts adequately. You're be at the end of the adjustment and the brand new belt is still floppy loose. For another thing the bearings on the drive sprockets would fail suddenly and without warning. The second that happened the belt walks off the sprocket and right through the knives. What width rows are you running? With the head set on narrow rows you lose a bunch of adjustment for the belts. For sure it was not from a lack of being gentle. Dad was a master of gentle. What he could accomplish with junk and/or equipment on the brink of catastrophic failure, was nothing short of mind-boggling. You'll find nothing abused on this farm, just used up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stronger800 Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 12-16’ 2x6 board bolted/clamped/strapped to the front weight bracket or axle, with a short support off of the step or something at the rear? Extend it just past the axle. Don’t hit anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stronger800 Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Light angle iron might look better. wait…….PVC pipe! Wouldn’t damage anything if you hit it. But would push the corn. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitty Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 2 hours ago, stronger800 said: Light angle iron might look better. wait…….PVC pipe! Wouldn’t damage anything if you hit it. But would push the corn. And I would glue a 90° sweep at the rear end to allow it to gently swing back towards the tractor and not shake as much corn off depending on the corn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxxum 140 Posted August 25, 2022 Author Share Posted August 25, 2022 We run 30in rows we have 3 row heads on two of the cutters and a 2 row on the other. We cut 200+ acres per year and usually ruin 1-2 plastic drive sprocket per year. I like the angle iron or pvc pipe idea 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearclash Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 200+ acres . . . I would highly recommend pushing the pencil on a used self propelled machine. My brother sold 2 pull type choppers and bought a higher hours Claas 880 some 10 years ago. Took a lot of drama out of the whole business of chopping. Went from 3 row to 8 row, 200 hp to 500 hp. That big equipment is disproportionately priced when it is used and doesn’t wear out very quick when used in a “small” operation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxxum 140 Posted August 25, 2022 Author Share Posted August 25, 2022 I have been trying to convince them of this for years it takes 3 weeks of cutting to get it done it is the one job I really do not look forward to. constantly fixing on old trucks and equipment I think we would be money ahead to hire it done and walk away. They would be done in a day and a half and we could be doing other stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearclash Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 3 weeks . . . Ouch. Before the SP we would take 4-5 days to do around 80 acres, and this is probably somewhat better corn than you have. Last year we did the main corn pile in one loooong day as weather was threatening, the other pile took a big half day. Brother also chops 80 acres of alfalfa 3x/yr plus a little custom so he does get his use out of that chopper. Be sitting down when you price custom though — that gets real expensive. My guess is for your acres you will be ahead continuing to do it yourself. My brother hauls with 2 Meyer wagons, an Artex 800 cubic ft spreader box with custom side extensions and tailgate, and two straight trucks. Could sell both wagons and get by but the neighbors wanna pull them instead of drive the trucks. Takes two pushers on the pile to stay on top of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kirsch Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 Ooof, I remember chopping corn for at least 3 weeks every fall. At least. Upright silos, so no way to get the material unloaded fast enough to keep up with a custom operator. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxxum 140 Posted August 26, 2022 Author Share Posted August 26, 2022 we pile everything and the custom guy around us has 3 cutters about 15 trucks and three all wheelers with blades plus two more packing tractors. I would like a sp cutter but we would need bigger better trucks, we have 3 trucks all single axle with 16 ft boxes the cutter would be waiting all the time. I was told custom guy is around $11-1200 per acre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxxum 140 Posted August 26, 2022 Author Share Posted August 26, 2022 I mean $110-120 per acre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacka Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 20 hours ago, maxxum 140 said: I have been trying to convince them of this for years it takes 3 weeks of cutting to get it done it is the one job I really do not look forward to. constantly fixing on old trucks and equipment I think we would be money ahead to hire it done and walk away. They would be done in a day and a half and we could be doing other stuff Three weeks was what it would take me to fill my silos by myself. Tween milking cow's,feeding them,hauling manure,feeding calves,fixing wagons and chopper ist a wonder it didn't take 3 months. But back then EVERYONE one was in same boat.Two row chopper was the norm, one row and 3 row pull type guys sprinkled in and the very rare self propelled and that was only 20 years or better ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kirsch Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 Oh, other fun corn chopping memories... @maxxum 140 I believe, mentioned how slow an 881 chopper is... After we went to 30" rows, Dad wanted a 3-row head because the chopper was too FAST, and he would knock corn down if his concentration wavered for even a minute. With wider rows you had a little more room to wander, but on 30" rows a few inches the wrong way and corn was going over instead of in... When he could keep the 1066 cool, I think he was running 3rd or 4th low TA ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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