Cleated Sickle Guards Save Soybeans

Cleated Sickle Guards Save Soybeans COMBINES Accessories 16-5-25 "It saves soybeans by keeping the plants from falling off the sickle guards and onto the ground," says Dan Mulsow, Yates Center, Kan., who welded wedge-shaped steel cleats on top of each guard on his 1967 Gleaner E combine's sickle. He says it's a simple idea that works on other, newer models as well. Made from 1/8-in. thick strap iron, the cleats are 1 1/4 in. long and lain. high at the back and angled downward toward the front. "I got the idea because when the platform is lowered on older model Gleaner combines, the guards slope downward causing soybean plants to tend to slide off. The cleats catch the plants and hold them on the guards until other plants can push them in. Mother problem is that the distance between the sickle and feeder auger on older Gleaner combines is shorter than it is on most other combines, and the auger runs faster. As a result, the auger tends to kick soybean plants away from the header, especially in thin stands. The cleats catch plants that the auger kicks back. "In thin soybean stands the cleats decrease losses 50 to 75%. In good stands, where crop flow through the combine is better, the cleats also help but not as much. "It works better than mounting bean pans on the guards because we switch back and forth between milo and soybeans and don't want to waste time installing and removing the pans. The cleats don't interfere with milo or small grain harvest. The same idea might also help on headers equipped with flexible sicklebars," he notes. Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Dan Mulsow, Rt. 4, Yates Center, Kan. 66783 (ph 316 625-3419).

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