[Don Boles]

Yes. When float and balance is set and working properly they are great. Definitely notice the extra flex. Triple reel is very nice, for being closer to knife at all times and for vision of centre canvas and feeding. Hyd buddy wheels are cats meow. 👌 If using transport wheels often, they are a lot easier to use.

Agree across the board.
I’ll add plugfree knife.
Would have said cat’s ass though.

Did a 1/2 section of peas and never plugged anything not caused by rocks.
A research pass had a little under 100 t/hr at engine power limit feeding perfectly.

 

[bjtjjl]

Agree across the board.
I’ll add plugfree knife.
Would have said cat’s ass though.

Did a 1/2 section of peas and never plugged anything not caused by rocks.
A research pass had a little under 100 t/hr at engine power limit feeding perfectly.

We have the pointed long guards, but should add changing a section with the new style bolts is way easier also!

 

[Don Boles]

We have the pointed long guards, but should add changing a section with the new style bolts is way easier also!

Never worked on the knife during the peas but was showing a friend it after, a half broken off section and a broken bolt on the one right beside it.
You guessed it, right on the special overlap area, the only area a guard has to be removed to fix.
Plus, you need a counter sunk bottom, oval holes section which there are exactly two of on the entire header.
The good news, never held me up and now have the exotic sections kit now.

I believe in the overlap area your knife is the identical setup.

 

[Slashnburn2]

I agree with that. But if float always set around 2, there isn’t physically any springs on the wing balance settings.
And they definitely made it easier to set. The macdon people from Winnipeg that were here are a little confused as to why they are seeing these headers change like this.

As the main springs break in, they will stretch slightly. Which changes your float setting. Which then changes your wing balance slightly.

Resetting everything fixes this until it gradually finds its equilibrium. Ive had headers that sat over winter and were cutting nicely when put away need to have adjustments when fired up the next year. The springs have memory and go back over time.

That's my guess as to why you're seeing it sooner with the fd2's as they have more weight, which is more load on the springs.

 

[buckslayr]

Set it all, combine for a couple days, not following ground properly, some times causing combine lateral tilt to stay tilted one direction to account for unbalance. Reset all the float and works great again for a few days.

First 2500ac per head we were adjusting every couple days, seem to be better now. Atleast they made it super easy to do on these new ones.

do I reset the float or wing balance if my header contourmaster tilts right when I lift it?if faceplate is tilted right, is the header too light or heavy on that side,Id guess light,also what kind of pressure are you running on the header with contour max, we are on fairly level ground,1.5 seems pretty good

 

[drylandfarmer]

Will be interesting to see updates on plug free knife/guards vs the pointed long guards after you guys are done with harvest. Concerned about rock issues with the plug free's.
Ran the prototype FD2 couple seasons ago. It had half plug free on them. They worked pretty good, did not have any rock issues for the 1000 or so acres I ran it on lentils.

The plug free did work as advertised. We did a quarter of lentils that was Regloned, and rushed getting it off before the stems had fully dried down. The FD1 with old style guards plugged a few times with the gunky paste from the stems. The FD2 plug free kept right on rolling.

 

[bjtjjl]

Never worked on the knife during the peas but was showing a friend it after, a half broken off section and a broken bolt on the one right beside it.
You guessed it, right on the special overlap area, the only area a guard has to be removed to fix.
Plus, you need a counter sunk bottom, oval holes section which there are exactly two of on the entire header.
The good news, never held me up and now have the exotic sections kit now.

I believe in the overlap area your knife is the identical setup.

Yes always have one of those kits in each combine.

 

[bjtjjl]

As the main springs break in, they will stretch slightly. Which changes your float setting. Which then changes your wing balance slightly.

Resetting everything fixes this until it gradually finds its equilibrium. Ive had headers that sat over winter and were cutting nicely when put away need to have adjustments when fired up the next year. The springs have memory and go back over time.

That's my guess as to why you're seeing it sooner with the fd2's as they have more weight, which is more load on the springs.

We have had multiple macdon flex headers starting with 30’ 974 on 9600’s. Never have we had to adjust them multiple times like this. I don’t disagree with what your saying, but we have reset 3 headers about 10 times each now, after cutting about 3000ac each. This is not normal.

do I reset the float or wing balance if my header contourmaster tilts right when I lift it?if faceplate is tilted right, is the header too light or heavy on that side,Id guess light,also what kind of pressure are you running on the header with contour max, we are on fairly level ground,1.5 seems pretty good

We are running 2 ish for pressure. I would check float springs first, reset as necessary and wing balance after. That is the proper order to do it. You have FD2 ? If so it takes about 15 minutes to do it all. Need a 24 and 30mm socket on 1/2” ratchet and a 15mm wrench, along with the special tool in left end of header behind shield. Follow instructions on labels.

 

[buckslayr]

We have had multiple macdon flex headers starting with 30’ 974 on 9600’s. Never have we had to adjust them multiple times like this. I don’t disagree with what your saying, but we have reset 3 headers about 10 times each now, after cutting about 3000ac each. This is not normal.



We are running 2 ish for pressure. I would check float springs first, reset as necessary and wing balance after. That is the proper order to do it. You have FD2 ? If so it takes about 15 minutes to do it all. Need a 24 and 30mm socket on 1/2” ratchet and a 15mm wrench, along with the special tool in left end of header behind shield. Follow instructions on labels.

thanks alot

 

[bjtjjl]

thanks alot

Set header tilt at D, reel fore/aft at 6. Header approx 10” off ground. Level bubble level on adapter. Lock wings.
On each side of there is a piece inbetween large springs on you have to pull back with “tool” and over center them.
wiggle header up and down a few inches and compare little upper numbers on each side of adapter. Adjust as necessary.
Once done that, knock those little spring loaded pieces back and lock adapter.
unlock wing on whatever side you are starting on.
hook little cable up
Reset small black markers and use tool to move wing up and down a couple times, read numbers and adjust.
lock up that wing, unlock other and repeat.

 

[SouthernSK]

So bjtjjl do you think these new headers are doing a better job or worth the upgrade compared to your older ones?

 

[bjtjjl]

They flex more, so in our land they do a better job. If they feed canola better as claimed, and we can gain .5mph or something there, that would be great.

Worth it? I’ve heard of some huge price increases …

 

[buckslayr]

Set header tilt at D, reel fore/aft at 6. Header approx 10” off ground. Level bubble level on adapter. Lock wings.
On each side of there is a piece inbetween large springs on you have to pull back with “tool” and over center them.
wiggle header up and down a few inches and compare little upper numbers on each side of adapter. Adjust as necessary.
Once done that, knock those little spring loaded pieces back and lock adapter.
unlock wing on whatever side you are starting on.
hook little cable up
Reset small black markers and use tool to move wing up and down a couple times, read numbers and adjust.
lock up that wing, unlock other and repeat.

my header was way out of adjustment, i never checked because dealer said we set them all to specs,my float was way off, wing balance off, reel too high, cant wait to try today , should be alot better, thanks for all the info

 

[bjtjjl]

Let us know how it works today.

 

[buckslayr]

Let us know how it works today.

worked way better today, seems like later the contour master was tilting again, wonder if I should check float and level again, that was after 100+ acres.wish I could turn contourmaster off.seems if I run more pressure it is better.

 

[bjtjjl]

On a deere you can turn it off.
I would check again

 

[buckslayr]

On a deere you can turn it off.
I would check again

I readjusted wing bal and float, will try again today.

 

[buckslayr]

I readjusted wing bal and float, will try again today.

well 50 acres today and it looks like adjustment time. wtf!

 

[bjtjjl]

What’s is doing to you?
Where you adjust wing balance, the bolt head you turn, opposite end is a crown nut and cotter pin, check to see if that pin is sheared off. Macdon told us to get rid of pin and double nut it instead. Pins were breaking and nut turning causing adjustment to move.
Under those shields, there is also a piece that could be rubbing, it’s the piece that little cable hooks to, look for rub marks, it’s shimmed and can be adjusted.
Also, make sure pea auger is getting greased well, they can hang up and cause wing float issues.

 

[buckslayr]

What’s is doing to you?
Where you adjust wing balance, the bolt head you turn, opposite end is a crown nut and cotter pin, check to see if that pin is sheared off. Macdon told us to get rid of pin and double nut it instead. Pins were breaking and nut turning causing adjustment to move.
Under those shields, there is also a piece that could be rubbing, it’s the piece that little cable hooks to, look for rub marks, it’s shimmed and can be adjusted.
Also, make sure pea auger is getting greased well, they can hang up and cause wing float issues.

seems as day went on feeder house would tilt right alot, after i quit and went to readjust, seemed the right hand is heavy,I'll adjust this a.m. and report back, glad they are easily adjusted.thanks for pointers, when i lift the header , should it be relatively level or frown alot?