August 31, 2012

View of the day-Spring wheat...no beards...seems strange.

Al wanted AIS by 10am, but Marilyn was way ahead of him and was ready to go by 9:30.  We moved the 25 miles over near Kisbey, swapped the pickup head for the MacDon and started combining.

We made pretty good time on the first patch...the farmer wasn't sure if we would get here in time, so he did some swathing of the outside rounds.  He runs a 914 International pull type combine from the 70's, so swathing is the only way he can go.

We got the first 35 acre patch lapped up, then moved the combine over to the next field. Al picked Marilyn up with the Dodge and went back to get the General so he could take it to the bin. Marilyn started back with the pickup but noticed something in the field...she thought it was a big bird, but then she realized...it was one of the spreaders from the combine. Great, here we go again.

After collecting the parts laying in the stubble, she went back to the combine to put it back onand start combining again.  Next, she gets a radio call from Al telling her the service guy from White's Ag was coming out to the field to see where the leak on the header was coming from...another work stoppage.

Alvin took the shield off where the leak appeared to becoming from and discovered the hydraulically filter had not been tightened all the way and the angle of it made the oil leak off the back of the filter and on to the hoses. Well, that was an easy fix.

Combine back together and back in the wheat. Marilyn had noticed a squeaking noise every time the separator was kicked in, but Al figured it was one of the spacer pipes rattling around. It got worse in the afternoon and after getting Al to start it up while Marilyn looked for the squeak...and found it.  The bearing had gone out of one of the stationary idler pulleys...time for a parts run.

We called to Estevan to see if they had the pulley and bolt we needed...yes, they did, so off we went the 50 miles SW to get the part.  Of course, when we got there it was the wrong part..and they didn't have the one we needed. But Weyburn did. Another 50 miles NW this time.

We got to Weyburn and they had left the part in the "will call" box for us and even did it on warranty...something that we find a lot of the dealerships won't do.  After picking it up, we stopped at Canadian Tire to see about getting a metric ratcheting wrench, although Al wasn't sure if it was 19mm or 20mm.  We found a set and the price tag for the 7pc set was $44.95, but when we rang through the cash register it came up as $14.93...we paid and went out in shock.  Should have bought two at that price. Now to drive the 60 miles back to the field.

We got back to the combine and by now it was dark, but with the lights of the pickup, Al was able to get the pulley and belt back in working order.  He tested it out on 2 acres of wheat that were left in the patch we had been working on, then we shut it down for the night.

Then drove 21 miles back to the camper...