MacDon 742 HAY CONDITIONER - Manual (Page 35)

Form # 46290 Issue 09/05 33
OPERATION
REEL SPEED
• Reel speed affects feeding of crop into the
sickle and onto the drapers, as well as the
smoothness and evenness of the delivered
crop. Operating the reel too fast or too slow
relative to ground speed will cause bunching.
• In standing crop, reel speed should be just
faster than ground speed, sweeping crop
across the sickle.
• The more "down" the crop, the faster the reel
speed should be in relation to ground speed.
This can be achieved by increasing reel
speed, decreasing ground speed, or both.
• Excessive shattering of grain heads or crop
loss over the header back tube may be
indications that reel speed is too fast.
Excessive reel speed causes undue wear of
reel components and unnecessary load on
reel drive, resulting in uneven reel motion.
• A high speed reel drive sprocket (17 teeth) is
standard on 972 Headers. This is
recommended when operating at speeds over
6 mph (10 km/h). A high torque reel drive
sprocket (11 teeth) is available as an option.
The high torque sprocket is required for many
conditions such as rice and other heavy crops.
Two pitches of chain need to be removed
when converting from high speed to high
torque, or added when converting from high
torque to high speed. See your Dealer Parts
Department to order sprockets.
REEL HEIGHT
• Depending on crop height, adjust reel height
to carry material through the sickle onto the
drapers.
• Down crop will require a lower reel height to
wipe crop off the sickle.
• Bushy crop may require raising the reel to
prevent unevenness in delivery.
• Indications that reel may be too low are crop
loss over the header back tube, or disturbance
of crop on the drapers by the reel fingers.