New Air Reel Creates A Solid Wall Of Air

New air reel creates a solid wall of air COMBINES Accessories 14-6-27 "It creates a solid wall of air that moves stalks and shattered grain into the header, saving 1 to 6 bu. of grain every acre. Makes all other methods of feeding crop into combines out-of-date," says Leon Gullickson, Keho Alta Products Ltd., manufacturer of a new-style air reel that uses a "vortex" type blower that runs across the entire width of the header instead of individual "fingers" as on other air reels, including Keho's own "Windreel". Gullickson says the company was looking for a way to make use of hydraulics already on the combine. They wanted to get away from the high-speed blowers - up to 6,000 rpm's - on conventional air reels. The new vortex reel uses existing reel hydraulics and runs at a maximum 2,000 rpm's with a standard speed of 1,500 to 1,700 rpm's. "It takes less than an hour to install and you use your existing controls for the reel to adjust airflow. Requires no modification to header and it's easy to put the reel back on, if needed, or for resale. It's also a lot quieter than finger-type air reels, and visibility is outstanding," says Gullickson. The new reel has just one moving part - the small-veined blower fan that runs across the full width of the header. It's positioned so it's just above the back of the cutterbar. Height is adjusted according to the condition and size of the crop. Gullickson says that even though the horsepower required to operate the new reel is less than half of what's required with finger-type air reels, the new vortex blower actually creates 2 1/2 times as much air flow. Because it creates a solid curtain of air, there are no dead air spots along the cutterbar and it also eliminates the need for drive belts and pulleys. Hydraulic oil flow requirement is 9 gpm at 2,000 psi. Can be built to any length - a 30-ft. prototype was used on farms across the U.S. and Canada last summer - and weighs approximately 18 lbs. per linear foot. "It works great in soybeans because it virtually eliminates the shattering caused by normal methods of feeding crop into the combine. Heads and kernels are `air swept' onto the cutting table and into the combine. At the same time, there's excellent visibility of the crop and ground right in front of the combine," says Gullickson. A 17-ft. air reel sells for $5,500 (Canadian). For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Keho Alta Products Ltd., P.O. Box 70, Barons, Alberta Canada TOL OGO (ph 403 757-2444).

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