Harvest in full swing:

[1693TA]

This is the truck and trailer I drove most of yesterday. 1987 International S-1954 I think is the series. 185hp DT-466 engine with Allison MT-643 transmission.




This is 51,730# of harvested corn in the hopper bottom trailer:





She is slow but steady and reliable. Tare weight on truck and trailer after dumping was 19,660#.

 

[mowingman]

The farmers around here, in SE Ohio, have not started picking/shelling corn yet. Our neighbor down the road, is still chopping corn for silage, as are others here. I would guess the picking/shelling will not start for another 2 or 3 weeks, at least.

 

[1693TA]

They have not started around home either but that is mostly from weather. I'm in south/central IL driving for my cousin and his operation.

We switch between corn and beans during the day at times too dependent upon moisture content. 17.0 % - 17.5% on corn is averaging and about 10% on beans.

 

[56wrench]

Around here nobody uses a single-axle to pull a grain trailer- the ground is too soft. You would never get out of the field. I’m surprised the Allison would get that much weight moving unless the ground is really hard

 

[1693TA]

We typically load on the road. Seldom in a field citing reasons you mention. We do turn around in fields when empty to position. Chase cart always does the loading.




New drive tires for this season:

 

[cfherrman]

Around here nobody uses a single-axle to pull a grain trailer- the ground is too soft. You would never get out of the field. I’m surprised the Allison would get that much weight moving unless the ground is really hard

There's places a truck would get stuck in dry powder, grain carts only!

Someone said in a different thread the 653 is good to 70k. My 750 has been driving in the bush for quite some time and I'm glad I have it over a manual (different service).

 

[1693TA]

The number one thing I do not do is expect 300 horsepower performance from 185 horsepower truck. What I actually do from a dead stop in a field, is in Drive bring the RPMs to about 1750 on the tachometer. I let the truck accelerate to 3 to 5 mph and increase the RPM to 2250 again on the tachometer. At about 10 mph, I increase the RPMs to about 2350 and it will upshift and I just leave the throttle in the position where it was and get up to Highway speed. If I'm floorboarding it, I really do not realize it. I am not aggressive on the throttle pedal at all, and the truck gets better economy I'm told with me driving it than it has two prior drivers.

 

[cfherrman]

I just put the hammer down till I get to the speed I want to drive. Mines quite the different machine especially I have 2x the engine.

Just watch the heat

 

[1693TA]

Paid by the hour so no hurry. Family so don't want to hurt anything mechanical, or relations. They enjoy having me as much as I enjoy the work. Still learn a few things each day and actually teach some too. It's all good as they say.

 

[56wrench]

Our roads here all have ditches so usually a grain cart can’t reach the trailer when it’s parked on the road. Saw some guys attempt it when we had a wet fall

 

[cfherrman]

My brother designed a telescoping auger for the tribine for that so it could unload straight into a semi off the road.

 

[Tatersmt]

This why spuds are not planted in the river bottoms here!

 

[1693TA]

I think by the time we finish up this Harvest I will know what harvested corn, and soybeans look like.

 

[1693TA]

Scooped up a skunk running it through the combine last evening making the machine rather unpleasant to operate for a spell. Usually small animals living amongst the crops make way long before any danger to them presents itself, but not this time apparently.

Had a bearing start to making noise so stopped for evaluation finding a couple of flange bolts sheared off connecting two linkage arms that actuate mechanisms to pull crops through the machine. Replaced the bearing, carrier for the same, and all hardware. Good as new and back at it we went.

I have no experience with combine work at all but this is where having a second set of hands played well saving time.

 

[1693TA]

My brother designed a telescoping auger for the tribine for that so it could unload straight into a semi off the road.

Former brother in law does that in the wheat fields in your area. The planted rows are longer and straighter than here. To load hopper wagons on the run to work well you need almost consistent mile long runs and flat fields. Too much turning and jockeying around for it to work well for us on top of soil compaction. The chase cart is rated for 780 bushels but it's usually filled to about 650 bushels and driven to the loading area. Everything lasts much longer when not abused so the capacity is cut back.

Cousin watches costs closely to maximize income which is not based on a get it done quick attitude. In many ways we share the same attitude that older well maintained and debt free equipment produces more profit than much newer equipment.

 

[cfherrman]

I have that attitude. I'm not interested in anything newer than 07

 

[1693TA]

123 acres of beans harvested yesterday with one combine running steady.


AWS

 

[colson04]

We have spent the past week getting our grain equipment ready to go. We are hoping to start our soybeans tomorrow.
We chopped our silage corn over a week ago, and that went fairly well for us. Hoping for a smooth and expedient harvest.

 

[Truck Shop]

Jet builds nice trailers, the conical hopper is the best design out there. Way less problems
with cracking and corrosion, problems created by riveted structure used on others.

 

[1693TA]

Jet, and Demco, (formerly Maurer) are the two prominent steel trailers around here. The one I'm pulling is a 1996 year and only outside during harvest. Inside all other parts of the year. Cousin has three of the Jet trailers. This one is new in 1998 and double hopper where mine is single: