Fold-Up 30 Ft Header Narrows Up To 12 Ft

Fold-Up 30 Ft Header Narrows Up To 12 Ft COMBINES Headers 10-2-16 "It lets you move easily down any road and floats easily over rough terrain boosting combine capacity 50% or more under some conditions," says Don Loveland, sales representative for the manufacturer of the first fold-up combine head built in North American. Key feature of the fold-up header, built by Rock-O-Matic, Minot, N. Dak., is the design of the 8-ft. wide center platform which allows the two 11-ft. wings to fold up for transport. Spring-loaded rubberized canvas straps replace solid reel bats. One strap runs between each of the 5' bats on the two reels at either end of the header. In operation the straps remain taut, pulling the crop in like a conventional bat, but when the ends are raised, they sag to make room for the raised wings. Each wing of the headers floats independently on castor wheels but all three sections raise to the same height. Loveland says the problem with most rigid wide headers is that you have to run low to be certain no part of the header rises above the level of the crop which results in too much straw running through the machine. "By raising the header to cut the crop at 14 in. high instead of 8 in., we can increase combine capacity by 50%," says Loveland, noting that by raising the header there's also less grain loss and less chance of rocks and dirt getting inside. He adds that because the straps at the center of the header are spring-loaded, the header wings can flex both above and below the horizontal on hilly ground to follow almost any terrain. Two 2¢ by 16-in. single action hydraulic cylinders raise and lower the wings. The header is completely hydrostatic and is equipped with its own self-contained 20-gal. reservoir power pack, and six hydraulic motors. There are no chains or belts. The header's pto drive simply attaches to the combine drive shaft. The double drive cutter bar is powered by a pair of heavy-duty wobble boxes. "This header lets you get full capacity out of your combine yet still have the versatility of a smaller machine," says Loveland, who says the header fits most combines. Because of the folded wings it's recommended for use on machines with a center cab. The 30-ft. fold-up header sells for $15,400. The company also has a 24-ft. fold-up version for pull-type combines and is working on a 40-ft. header that will fold twice. Only a limited number of machines will be available in 1986. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Rock-O-Matic, Box 1607, Minot, N. Dak. 58702 (ph 701 852-5833).

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