Add-On Helps Reverse Combine Discharge Beater

Add-On Helps Reverse Combine Discharge Beater COMBINES Accessories “The discharge beater on Deere 50 60 and 70 series STS combines can get wrapped with tough soybean stems making it almost impossible to reverse ” says Kent Minn farmer Jim Miranowski “My friend Paul Dimmer and I made a simple hub that fits over the beater pulley so we can use the same tool that reverses the accelerator beater to reverse the discharge beater ” Miranowski and Dimmer made the hub in 2011 after plugging the discharge beater on their Deere 9770 3 times during soybean harvest “The beans were dry but the stems were tough and that made harvesting miserable ” says Miranowski “Those tough stems wrapped around the discharge beater and even with the chopper lowered we couldn’t turn the beater pulley backwards ” The frustrated Minnesota soybean harvesters made a special notched hub out of flat steel that uses the same 6 holes as the pulley but mounts with longer grade 10 bolts With the hub in place the same tool that Deere supplies to reverse the accelerator beater can be used on the discharge beater “When we used it to turn the discharge beater backwards it sure was a lot easier to clean off ” says Miranowski The inventors decided to patent their idea With a provisional patent in place they met with Deere but the company wasn’t interested in stocking their part They contacted Lankota Mfg of Huron S Dak and eventually signed an agreement to have Lankota manufacture and market the product The part has since received its full patent “The hub is a simple solution to a big problem ” says Miranowski “When it’s mounted to the discharge beater pulley on the 50 60 or 70 series machines it doesn’t affect the speed or balance of the beater and it sure makes reversing the beater easy ” Miranowski says Lankota has sold several of the hubs in the past few years and recently modified the design so it fits the new Deere 600 series combines Lankota sells the hub for $240 plus shipping and handling Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Jim Miranowski 1846 250th St Kent Minn 56553 ph 218 557-8709; jafarm@rrt net

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.