John Deere walks through how to reduce grain loss on S Series combines during harvest. The video covers operational procedures and adjustment tips that help operators minimize crop waste and improve efficiency in the field.
Performance, productivity and exceptional harvest experience. Go Harvest get the most out of your S Series combine today. Always follow safety instructions and understand all safety decals according to the operator's manual. Always use seat belts when operating the machine or riding as an observer. When parking and leaving the machine, disengage the header and separator, move the multi function lever to neutral and apply the parking brake. Shut off the machine, remove the key and lock the cab. The following video will focus on procedures, inspections and adjustments that can be effective in reducing crop loss from your combine. Determine pre harvest losses. Check in the uncut crop and count the kernels on the ground in a one square foot area. Such losses show up as grain on the ground as a result of lodging, downcrop or weather conditions. Before harvesting, verify that all areas where loose grain can escape are closed and sealed. Such areas include the feeder house inspection door, stone trap door, auger bed cleanout, grain tank cleanouts, clean grain and tailings, elevator doors, and the separator covers. Begin harvest at the desired speed and throughput with recommended settings. Calibrate vision track and observe losses indicated on the corner post display. Check that grain loss on the ground in the field correlates to what is seen on the monitor. If you believe there is more grain loss on the ground than vision track indicates, use the following Utilize Interactive Combine Adjust or ICA if your combine is equipped. Also refer to the STS Combine Operator's manual. Identify the area of grain loss. If unsure, perform the procedure for power shutdown according to the operator's manual or previous Go Harvest video. If the power shutdown identifies separator losses, proceed with the following steps. If unthreshed or free grain is found at the rear of the machine, Increase threshing speed in 50 RPM increments. Increase threshing speed enough to thoroughly separate without damaging grain. Reduce the threshing clearance in 5 millimeter increments. Install concave covers for more aggressive threshing on machines with active tailings return, Install covers in the first concave on combines without, start with covers in the middle concave. If the power shutdown indicates shoe losses, inspect the grain tank sample. If the sample is unsatisfactory, begin by increasing fan speed in 50 RPM increments. If the grain tank sample does not need improvement, begin by increasing the shafer setting in increments of 2. After making adjustments, perform a power shutdown. Be sure grain and shaft is distributed evenly across the cleaning shoe. If distribution is uneven, auger bed dividers and concave covers can be used to balance shoe load to reduce excess shaft on the shoe. Be sure the recommended concaves are being used for the crop. Operate the feed accelerator in low speed when possible. Field terrain can also promote grain loss. If you're harvesting in sloped conditions and experiencing grain loss, consult your dealer about a side hill performance package. The combine header can also be the source of grain loss for platforms and drapers. Monitor reel position and speed to avoid grain loss on cornheads. Adjust deck plates and backshaft speed to avoid grain loss. One grain loss sensor in the separator area and two in the shoe detect grain kernels that are escaping the clean grain system. Inspect sensors to make sure they are clean. 2012 or 2013 combines. A table in the operator's manual can be used to set an initial grain size value. Setting the grain size increases or decreases the sensitivity of the grain loss sensors. For more detailed information, consult the operator's manual.
