Simple Fix Solves Wobble Box, Cutterbar Problems On Case-IH Headers

Simple Fix Solves Wobble Box, Cutterbar Problems On Case-IH Headers COMBINES Headers 25-2-29 "Anyone who runs a Case-IH 1010 grain header knows about this problem," says Rick Schanz, Langdon, N.Dak., who, along with his father LeRoy, came up with a simple solution to wobble box and cutterbar problems on the popular headers. LeRoy and Rick have been custom harvesting for over 30 years now. They have 1988 and 1991 model 1010 30-ft. headers. "The wobble boxes on these headers continually need repair and broken sickle bars are a common problem. you go into some Case-IH dealerships and you'll see a pile of these wobble boxes lying around. It costs about $800 for a new wobble box and some dealers no longer rebuild them because the repairs don't last. And a new wobble box still doesn't eliminate the problem of breaking sickle bars," says Rick. He and his dad started looking for a solution. "We had noticed that older IH 810 headers did not seem to have as much of a problem so we looked at one and noticed the differences between the sickles and guards on the two headers. We figured out that the problem is the way Case-IH makes the sections for the 1010 header. The serrations extend too far back on the sections so that crop material catches at the base of the guards, causing stress to the entire cutterbar and therefore the wobble boxes. "Sickle sections from 810 headers do not fit on 1010 headers, but we discovered that 900 Series Deere sickles fit perfectly and totally solve the problem. The key is that the serrations on the Deere sickle sections do not run back as far. They cut beautifully, even in tough, high moisture crops and green weeds. We used to have to rebuild our wobble boxes 1 to 2 times a year but after two cutting seasons use with the modified headers, we haven't had to rebuild once. They cut beautifully, and we have definitely increased our cutting speeds in tough conditions," says Schanz. On the older 1988 header, they had to change the hold-down brackets to install the Deere sections. But on the newer 1991 header, the sections just bolt in place with no changes except to turn the sickle section nuts so the tapered side is down. Schanz says Case-IH has a new-style wobble box on their newer headers, but they still have the same sickle section setup. "I think if you're having any of these problems on a newer header that switching to Deere sections should help," he says. He adds that you can use sections from any manufacturer as long as they are for 900 Series Deere headers. "I have tried the coarse serration sections, but I have a lot smoother operation with the smooth serrations. "We still can't believe how well these headers work now. We do wheat, barley, and even soybeans and the modified header works great in all of them," he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Rick Schanz, 1419 11th St., Langdon, N.Dak. 58249 (ph 701 256-3554).

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