Monday, October 24, 2016

The cleaning of the equipment continues today.  Even if it’s a little cool, Brandon is out there washing up the CIH 8230 combine.  The machines didn’t get too ‘crusty’ this fall, because we didn’t have to work in muddy fields.  Even so, there is a lot of areas to get cleaned on a combine after harvest.  Not only the outside surfaces that you readily see need washing, there are even dirtier interior surfaces that must be cleaned, too.  So, it is a lengthy task to get a combine ready for putting away in the storage building.  He’ll probably finish the CIH today, and work on the JD S680 tomorrow.

That’s a lot of machine to get cleaned up.

Brandon is washing around the back of the engine.

John is working on some repairs to the grain cart.  During its clean-up, he discovered a leaky hydraulic cylinder, and a shaft and bearing in the lower vertical auger that required attention.  He has acquired the necessary parts, and I think he will get it put back together today.  It will then be ready to be placed in back corner of the storage building to await #harvest17.

The cylinder that needed a seal kit was the one that operates the pivoting spout at the top of the vertical auger. It’s all put back together and operating properly.

John reassembles the bearing and carrier for the upper part of the lower vertical auger. No cracked parts now!

John guides as Brandon uses the forklift to lower the auger into place.

Meetings with seed reps begin later this week.  We’re already engaged into the 2017 crop.

A good way to start the week.  It’s quite sunny today, but temperatures will be in the mid 60s.  Yesterday, we hit 73F for a sunny and most beautiful Sunday.

Have a good week, everyone.