Forge Harvesting

Question 1

What is the ideal moisture content of long stem silage?

Answer 1

40-50%

Question 2

What happens if silage is cut with to high of moisture content?

Answer 2

It can lead to pit seapage , freezing issues and it could rot

Question 3

What will the issue be if silage is cut to dry ?

Answer 3

It will not pack properly which will lead to the intrusion of air and will be exposed to aerobic bacteria and will destroy the silage

Question 4

What is ideal moisture content of shot steam silage?

Answer 4

60-70%

Question 5

What are the advantages of silage over dry feed?

Answer 5

There is less leaf loss because it is processed at a higher moisture content -There is less issues with weather when harvesting because it takes less time to harvest and doesnt have to dry as much - cattle needs less water than cattle dry feed -Early cutting removes many weeds before they have a chance to release their seeds into the field.

Question 6

How long does a swath usually sit before it is chopped?

Answer 6

4-24 hours

Question 7

What are the two common types of forage harvesting equipment?

Answer 7

cut and blow, cut and throw

Question 8

What two functions does the cutter head serve in a cut and throw forage harvester?

Answer 8

It both chops the silage into small pieces and moves the crop out of the chute at high speeds.

Question 9

What capabilities can a cut and throw machine not accomadate?

Answer 9

They can not use recutter screens or kernal processors

Question 10

on a forage harvester how can the length of cut be increased

Answer 10

increase the feed roll speed, remove knives from the cutter head, remove a recutter screen

Question 11

What are the four types of header attatchments that can be used on a forage harvester?

Answer 11

Straight cut, pickup, corn row, non-dircetional corn

Question 12

On what roller is a scraper installed?

Answer 12

The smooth roll has the smooth roll scraper.

Question 13

What is the scraper clearance on the smooth roll set to

Answer 13

0.015”

Question 14

In which roll is the metal detection sensor usually found?

Answer 14

In the lower front feedroll

Question 15

What is the function of the recutter screen?

Answer 15

It slows down the exiting material and allows the material to be further chopped up to decrease the overall length of cut

Question 16

explain the crop flow through a forage harvester?

Answer 16

The crop is either cut or picked up by the header attatchement and moved into the feedrolls. The metal detection system prevents ferrous material from proceeding any further than the feed rolls. The feedrolls move and compress the crop mat over the shearbar where the knives on the cutter head chop the crop into small pieces. It is then moved out of the shut by either the cutter head or augered to a blower.

Question 17

What is the main adjustment that must be done on forage harvesters?

Answer 17

Sharpening the knives

Question 18

What will be the effect of running a unit with dull knives?

Answer 18

The ground speed will be reduced, more horsepower is required, accelerated wear of the knives and shearbar, the crop will tear rather than cut producing a poor product.

Question 19

What direction is the cutter head run when sharpening the knives?

Answer 19

In reverse

Question 20

What dircetion is the cutter head run when adjusting shearbar clearance?

Answer 20

Reverse

Question 21

When sharpening the knives what speed should the tractor be run at?

Answer 21

At about 3/4 throttle

Question 22

When checking shearbar clearance what speed should the tractor be run at?

Answer 22

low speed

Question 23

When sharpening the knives at what point do you know they are completely sharpened?

Answer 23

When the grind across the whole length of the knives sounds even

Question 24

How is the shearbar clearance adjusted?

Answer 24

Run the unit in reverse at slow idle. Move the shearbar toward the cutterhead a 1/4 turn at a time until slight ticking is heard and then move the cutterbar away from the knives until the ticking stops. Tighten the screws a 1/8 of a turn to remove the slack form the mechanism. should be approximately 0.020”

Question 25

How is balance of the cutterhead maintained when replacing knives?

Answer 25

When one knife is replaced its running pairs must be replaced as a set to ensure that the balance is maintained

Question 26

What can be used to set a new knife to approximately the right position?

Answer 26

The sharpening stone can be set to the olds knives and the the new knife can be set to the stone to get fairly close to the correct position.

Question 27

What is the clearance that a blower can be set to?

Answer 27

0.040” pick a nickle leave a dime

Question 28

Where will the spout and blower lining see the most wear?

Answer 28

Where the crop direction is changed such as in the curvature of the spout or the bottom of the blower housing.

Question 29

What is the special about the material of the front feedrolls?

Answer 29

They are made of non ferrous material such as stainless steel to prevent them from setting the metal detection system off.

Question 30

What is the purpose of a kernal processor?

Answer 30

Whole corn kernals are hard for cows to digest so the kernal processor breaks up the kernal so it can be more easilly digested.

Question 31

the rolls in a kernal processor rotate at what speeds?

Answer 31

They rotate at slightly different speeds than one another to rip the kernals apart.

Question 32

the stop pawl solenoid in held ____ by electrical power and is normally ______

Answer 32

open, closed

Question 33

When the metal detection system is activated what happens?

Answer 33

The header stops, the pawl falls into the feedroll drive, the drive is switched to nuetral for the machine, an alarm is sounded on the monitor.

Question 34

What can contribute to metallic noise in the metal detection system?

Answer 34

damaged feed rolls or bad bearing, loose chains.

Question 35

How does the metal detection system work on a forage harvester?

Answer 35

There are electromagnets that create a magnetic field over the front feedrolls. When metal disrupts this field there is a change in the power required to make the field and this sets off the system

Question 36

Approximately how much more material can a self propelled handle than a pull type?

Answer 36

double