newbie combine questions

[olivedrabflorida]

After hours of research online I haven't been able to find straight answers to my question's. Please help!!!
I am planning to plant sunflowers and I will be buying a combine. I only want a pto powered, tow behind tractor combine. I like the allis chalmers all crop models. Here are my questions.

1.What do I need to do to a allis chalmers all crop to make it harvest sunflowers?
2.How much horsepower in a diesel tractor do I need to operate the combine?
3.What combine does everyone else use for sunflowers?
4.Do I need a "sunflower combine head"?
5.Will a combine separate the seeds from the plants?

 

[JasG]

After hours of research online I haven't been able to find straight answers to my question's. Please help!!!
I am planning to plant sunflowers and I will be buying a combine. I only want a pto powered, tow behind tractor combine. I like the allis chalmers all crop models. Here are my questions.

1.What do I need to do to a allis chalmers all crop to make it harvest sunflowers?
2.How much horsepower in a diesel tractor do I need to operate the combine?
3.What combine does everyone else use for sunflowers?
4.Do I need a "sunflower combine head"?
5.Will a combine separate the seeds from the plants?

I only know 1 guy that did sunflowers. He used a Gleaner combine with a corn head, he only did a few rows around his corn each year. Yes he used it to take the seeds from the heads. I know they make special heads. Can't answer rest.

 

[D7E]

We've always grown 400-600 acres of confection or "stripe" sunflowers with a multitude of combines ..JD 105,MF 750,MF760,JD7720,IH1480,NH TR 95, now a IH 1688 . Most normal way is with a regular straight cut head with "pans" bolted in front of the knife and a different smaller style of reel . 9 inch pan was more common years ago as would fit any row width before 30inch pans became the norm . Pan is a long spike with curled up sides that catch any shedded seed which pitch up at the front to feed back into the head on a slope "if fitted correctly" to save shedded seed . I have cut flowers with regular straight cuts/corn heads but losses are too high .

Pans are not expensive i'm always buying spares on auctions , last summer i bought a 22ft set that were far better than what i am using now for $150 When combining at night or hired men occasionally some get bent or touch the ground

I have little knowledge of pull types but this might intewrest you ! All-Crop 72 Sunflower Harvest 2008 - YouTube

9 inch pans in the first pic and a complete unit with beater as i described ready to bolt on in the second !

 

[slowzuki]

1. Not sure, read the manual for speeds and clearance settings
2. Little pull type? 20-30 hp + some weight, more hp doesn't hurt
3. All kinds
4. No, I believe you use a normal grain table / direct cut kind of head
5. Yes, that is where the name comes from combined harvester and thresher.

After hours of research online I haven't been able to find straight answers to my question's. Please help!!!
I am planning to plant sunflowers and I will be buying a combine. I only want a pto powered, tow behind tractor combine. I like the allis chalmers all crop models. Here are my questions.

1.What do I need to do to a allis chalmers all crop to make it harvest sunflowers?
2.How much horsepower in a diesel tractor do I need to operate the combine?
3.What combine does everyone else use for sunflowers?
4.Do I need a "sunflower combine head"?
5.Will a combine separate the seeds from the plants?

 

[JLMissouri]

1. Set cylinder speed to 850-1000, can use 4-8 cylinder bars, 1-2 concaves, shelling plate and concaves set to 3/8-5/8", wind valves set to 1/3, chaffer 2/3, sieve 1/3, finishing sieve should not be used. These are the setting right out of the manual for my AC 72. Set the head as high as you can, normal cutting bar.
2. Manual calls for a full three plow tractor. Most videos I have seen were using a D17 or similar size tractor for the All Crops. I pulled mine with an 8N, so 30+ HP with 40 probably plenty.
3. Really depends, most people I know use what they got. I am using my 72 on black oil sunflowers this year.
4. On the All Crops there are two heads that I know of, regular grain and corn. Manual says to use the regular head. Corn heads are very rare.
5. Yes, you will get just seeds in your hopper when everything is set correctly. Might not be perfectly clean, but should do a fine job.

I chose the AC 72 as my pick for the best pull combine because it has no canvas, has a lever to adjust speed, is small enough for my tractor and has parts availability.

 

[olivedrabflorida]

Thanks everybody for all your help. I probably will be getting a 40+ horsepower John Deere tractor and the all crop 66. I considered the JD 650, but now I know it is too small.

P.S. welcome to the forum JLMissouri

 

[cowski]

i would get a utility size tractor like a jd 5200,5105 or a older model like a 2155.i had one of them all crop combines.i think 40 pto horsepower would be plenty.just get a utility tractor for the weight.