"Four Finger" Sickle Guards COMBINES Accessories 21-4-39 "Our new four-finger sickle guards are the strongest on the market and will last five times as long as conventional two-finger sickle guards. They reduce grain loss by narrowing the gap between guards which keeps the crop from falling forward onto the ground," says Andrew Davis, Mid-Continent Mfg., Inc., Colby, Kan. Manufactured in Australia, the "Primary Guard" sickle guards are made from double heat-treated ductile iron. Nylon extension fingers can be snapped onto the guards, allowing you to adjust the width of the gap between guards according to crop conditions. "They save grain by stacking it into a narrower gap which keeps it from falling for-ward onto the ground," says Davis. "They work much better than conventional two-finger sickle guards which have no way to keep the crop from falling forward onto the ground. Yield losses can range up to 40 percent under poor conditions. These new guards are especially valuable in light crops which have a greater potential for loss at the cutterbar. Another crop-saving feature is that both the guards and extension fingers are recessed on top so they'll catch shattered grain. "Both the guards and finger extensions are virtually unbreakable. The extension fingers will flex, but they always return to their original shape. The four-guard design puts only half as much wear on each sickle as conventional two-finger guards so the cutting edges remain sharp much longer. The guards are about three times as expensive as conventional ones, but they'll pay for themselves in increased grain recovery, reduced guard wear and breakage, and less sickle wear." Guards and extension fingers for a 30-ft. header sell for $2,195. The company also offers the Australian-made "Vibra Mat", a 1-ft. wide, reinforced vinyl mat that attaches to the back of the sickle and moves with it, providing a "live" surface behind the sicklebar that helps the crop to feed evenly into the auger without bunching up. The mat simply attaches to sickle bar hold-down bolts. "It moves back and forth so fast that there's no chance for the crop to bunch up between the cutterbar and auger," says Davis. Vibra Mats are available in lengths of 20, 25, and 30 ft. A 25-ft. model sells for $435 and a 36-ft. model for $611. The mats can be cut to the size required. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mid-Continent Mfg., Inc., 510 E. Pine St., Colby, Kan. 67701 (ph 800 262-5267 or 913 462-7581; fax 7745).

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