Rebuilt Rotors For IH Rotary Combines

Rebuilt Rotors For IH Rotary Combines COMBINES Accessories 7-5-26 Over the past year, Gary Baxter, St. Louis, Mich., has developed a growing sideline business rebuilding rotors on the popular and already highly productive IH Axial Flow combines. Baxter developed his modified rotor on his own farm when he had trouble with tough crop residue in edible beans and heavy straw in his wheat crop. His rebuilt rotor has curved helical rub bars on the rear half of the rotor rather than the straight factory-equipped bars. "The Axial Flow is already the Cadillac of the combine industry but the curved bars provide a more even flow of heavy residue, boosting capacity and doing a better cleaning," Baxter told FARM SHOW. "We remove the straight bars and bolt on our curved bars for use in edible beans, soybeans, and small grains." In corn, Baxter removes the curved bars and installs his version of International's straight bars, which he says also work better than the originals. The factory bars have a slight incline to the rear while Baxter's are perpendicular to the rotor, which he says makes for less friction against the concave, reducing the power requirements while doing as good a job or better. "Factory combines are equipped for average conditions. Our improved bars equip the combines for all conditions," says Baxter. He notes that the new bars are particularly good in edible beans, which are a big crop in Baxter's part of Michigan, because seed quality is extremely important in determining marketability. He says the crop material follows the curve of the bars, harvesting more gently without having to force material back along a straight line. Baxter says that the more than 100 farmers who have had their IH rotors rebuilt for soybeans, wheat and other small grains have had good results. "We have been told that International plans to introduce a new rotor design that will incorporate similar new design changes. The company already has a rotor for rice that has some of the same benefits of this rotor," he says. Baxter rebuilds the rotors on his farm. Farmers should ship the rotors or bring them in themselves. He's had farmers drive in from as far away as North Dakota and Nebraska. A rebuilt rotor for the mid-size 1460 costs $977. The smaller 1420 costs more at $1,016 and the 1480 costs $1,233. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gary Baxter, 6434 N. Royce Road, St. Louis, Mich. 48880 (ph 517 463-5508).

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