John Deere Combines GoHarvest: Combine Power Consumption

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 help the operator use combine power management tools to determine proper engine performance and to optimize machine capacity and engine power to ensure maximum engine performance. First, check all machine and engine vital signs. Does the engine start well, run smoothly and respond well? Shut down the engine and allow it to cool. Are all filters clean? Perform a visual inspection of the engine turbocharger system for loose hoses and clamps. If there are no active diagnostic trouble codes or DTCs and no visible indication of exhaust smoke, see your John Deere dealer for additional tests. When the machine and engine vital signs have been verified and the machine is confirmed to be operating correctly, use the following information as a guide to achieve maximum operating efficiency. The isochronous engine governor keeps engine speed constant until rated engine power is exceeded. Due to the constant engine speed, driven machine components remain at constant speed. Also, the combine can operate at ideal capacity and efficiency as long as the engine is operated in the green range or area it is running below rated power at constant rpm. When reaching the yellow area, the engine exceeds rated power at rated engine rpm, maximizing overall machine capacity. When reaching the red area, the machine is operated at maximum power off the peak of the power curve and RPM may begin to decrease. Running with the power meter in the yellow area is the preferred upper limit. Target the mid to lower range of the yellow area on the power meter for maximum performance and efficiency. Before the unloading auger is started, target the power meter to the upper limit of the green area. Once the unloading auger is operating, ground speed may be increased to return to the yellow area. Consider the harvesting conditions. Wet field conditions, wet or heavy crop, extra grain tank extensions and hilly terrain will consume more horsepower. Several machine adjustments can be made to reduce power consumption. Set the chopper speed according to the selected crop. Set the knife bank engagement as far out as the chopping quality allows. Reduce the threshing speed and increase the threshing clearance according to suggested crop settings. Monitor vision track loss level while performing threshing speed and clearance adjustments. For more detailed information, consult the operator's manual.