22 FALL HARVEST IS imminent — but is your equipment ready to go? If you have not already done so, now might be a good time to take a closer look at both the digital systems and analogue parts of harvest equipment. REVIEWING THE COMBINE Combines are, for obvious reasons, front and centre during harvest. Featuring a slew of moving parts, breakdowns in any one place can cause delays, if not damage, to other parts of the machine. Speaking in the summer of 2022, Jim Franceschetti, parts and service product marketing manager for harvesting, hay, forage, and crop harvesting at CNH Industrial, encourages operators to start with cleaning and maintenance fundamentals. Afterwards, he suggests focusing on all parts of the threshing process. The feeder house, chains, sprockets — the constant movement and vibration of these parts necessitates extra attention. "If you do notice something, make a note. That way, you have a list of things when you go to your dealer," he says. Franceschetti later adds parts supplies have generally recovered from the shortages experienced in recent years and should be more easily accessible. Equipment readiness roundup REMEMBER TO CHECK DIGITAL AND ANALOGUE COMPONENTS Matt McIntosh CALIBRATE MORE THAN ONCE Calibration is also critical as crops and conditions change from year to year. Franceschetti says assuming the same fan speeds, threshing and rotor speeds, and other component settings will work optimally without adjustment from the previous season is not ideal. Yield monitors can be another challenging piece. If not calibrated properly, the information they generate can be messy and less than useful. This applies to both preinstalled proprietary monitors, as well as aftermarket systems. The aftermarket system FarmTRX, for example, measures volumetric flow rather than grain mass — or, more specifically, the height of the grain on each paddle in the grain column. Calibration for different crops moving on different-sized grain paddles, the thickness of which varies between different makes and models, is required. For Peter Gredig, a London-area grain farmer and technology consultant, checking whether yield monitor settings are working as you harvest other crops is also important. Different corn hybrids, for example, may have different test weights, which throw off the previously accurate monitor. "You have to be aware of anomalies too, like if you're going up a hill as opposed to down a hill. The data can be skewed," Gredig says. "Look for fliers and odd patterns. It's not a 'do it once, and it's good for the rest of harvest' type of thing." ARE DIGITAL PARTS PROTECTED? There are plenty of other electronic toys on modern machines as well. Whether the combine, tractor or otherwise, most digital systems include more and lessvulnerable components. Franceschetti says equipment designs usually include covers Agronomy
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