Automatic Header Adjustment

Automatic Header Adjustment COMBINES Headers 8-6-33 "It's the first attachment that automatically adjusts combine headers from side to side," says Carl McNair, president, about Hart-Carter's new Field Tracker. "Used in combination with a floating cutterbar, it keeps the sickle closer to the ground than ever before. You can increase header width, yet move confidently through the field because the device automatically keeps the header ends from digging into the ground, or raising above the crop," explains McNair. He notes that the device will automatically tilt a 20 ft. header about 6? (12¢ in.) in both directions from horizontal. Thus, at maximum tilt on a 20 ft. header, one end will be about 25 in. above the other. The Field Tracker senses changes in ground contour at each end of the floating cutterbar. When the sensors call for tilting action, they activate a hydraulic valve on the combine. Oil from the combine's hydraulic system is sent to operate a two-way cylinder located on the Field Tracker attachment. As the cylinder extends or retracts, it rotates the portion of the heavy Field Tracker frame attached to the header, pivoting on a large pin located at the bottom of the attachment, explains McNair. The Field Tracker is currently available for Deere 6620, 7720 and 8820 combines and their flex headers, and Massey Ferguson 550, 850 and 880 combines (1980 and later) and their headers with floating cutterbars. "Within the next 12 months, we expect to have attachments for other makes of combines, including rotaries, and attachments for corn heads and rigid cutterbar heads," McNair told FARM SHOW. The attachment adds right at 1,000 lbs. of weight to the combine, and 12 to 14 in. to the feeder housing, which means the header itself is about that much farther forward. A powered paddle wheel transfers material from the header to the feeder house. McNair notes that the Field Tracker is compatible with the existing automatic header height control. Do-it-yourself installation, which takes about a day, involves drilling a few holes to attach drive brackets, adding a supplied hydraulic valve to the combine's valve stack, and modifying a few drive components. Once installed, it takes no more time to attach or detach the header than it did before. Equipping a soybean header with the attachment doesn't interfere with the attaching of a corn header without the attachment ù the Field Tracker and header are removed from the combine as a unit, and the corn head attached in the normal manner. When the combine is sold or traded, the Field Tracker can be removed for use with the new combine, and the old combine restored to conventional operation. Retail cost is right at $4,140 for Deere combines, and $3,995 for Massey. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Hart-Carter Co., 1501 1st Ave., Mendota, Ill. 61342 (ph 815 539-9371).

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