Reel adjustments play a huge role in how crop feeds into small grain platforms. Here are 5 examples:
1. Reel height relative to the cutterbar influences how the crop feeds into the cross auger or draper belt. Too high and the bats and tines can’t gently lean the stems so that they fall toward the rear as they’re cut. Too low and the bats catch the lower half of the stems and start carrying them around with the bats.
2. Reel fore/aft position controls where the bats and fingers contact the stems. It’s generally preferred for the lowest point in the bat’s rotation be directly over the cutterbar. With the machine off, lower the platform to cutting height. Rotate by hand the reel and adjust reel fore/aft so the lowest point of the reel is directly over the cutterbar.
3. Reel/cross auger alignment is critical on grain platforms with cross augers. The auger and reel must be parallel with each other. Make sure the distance from the front edge of the auger’s flighting to the reel’s bats is the same at both ends. A difference of even an inch or two in that clearance can create a situation where crop feeds evenly from cutterbar to auger on one end of the platform, but bunches and gobs at the other end.
4. Reel tines should be vertical or slightly to the rear as they pass over the cutterbar. Tines that are tilted forward as they move over the cutterbar will not feed crop to the auger well. Tines that tilt excessively to the rear will grab stems and tend to “wrap” them around the reel.
5. Reel speed is perhaps the most challenging setting. Most manufacturers recommend that reels operate at 10% faster than ground speed. Too slow and the reel’s bats push and lean stems forward before the cutterbar cuts them. Too fast and the reel either rakes stems before they’re cut, causing shatter-loss, or flips the stems around with the reel. Reel speed is a visual judgement call; experiment by speeding up and slowing down the reel and watch how the feeding of stems to the auger or draper belt responds.
