2006 - Volume #30, Issue #1, Page #38
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High Performance Paddles For NH Forage Harvesters
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You simply unbolt the original paddles and bolt the new ones on in their place.
Inventors Luke Keller and his son, Dan, recently contacted FARM SHOW to explain why they came up with the idea.
"In March 2000 we bought a New Holland FP 240 forage harvester. We were very disappointed in the way it blows," says Luke. "We had a lot of trouble with hay plugging up right where it enters the blower and shearing the auger shear bolt. We also noticed that the blower housing was getting very hot. The problem was that haylage was getting pinched between the paddle and blower housing, which caused the paddle and blower housing to wear out prematurely."
Luke says two years ago New Holland sent out a news bulletin admitting they were having problems with the paddles and cross auger. "The company recalled the first year's 230 and 240 models and replaced them with new paddles and augers, but that failed to fix the problem. The paddles still wore out within a year. The company thought they had a problem with the auger, but the problem was really with the paddle," he explains.
He got fed up with all the problems he was having but didn't want to spend the money to trade machines. So he designed and patented new paddles and an air inlet. The bottom half of the new paddle has a cupped design.
"I know from years of farming that if you want to move silage you need a cupped paddle. It pulls material away from the side of the blower housing and also increases the air flow," says Luke. "Our new paddles and air inlet allow the forage chopper to blow haylage all the way to the back of a 20-ft. chopper wagon."
"Our paddle does a better job of sucking material away from the auger and eliminates the problem. Its wear is now comparable to that of the New Holland 900 series choppers."
On his own chopper, Keller cut a 1-ft. long, 8-in. wide hole in the top of the auger housing and tach welded an air inlet screen into it. The screen allows more air to flow into the blower.
Luke says he has sold several sets of paddles to farmers in his area and all are pleased with their performance.
The paddles sell for $59 apiece plus $10 S&H per set.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, High Performance Paddle LLC, 841 Burkettsville-St. Henry Rd., Ft. Recovery, Ohio 45846 (ph 419 375-4491 or 419 375-2608). (High Performance Paddle Inc. has not added any other information to their business profile page since 2006.)
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