September 30, 2010

View of the day-The wheels are off...well one was, anyway. The only way to get the shaft out to get the bearing changed was to get the big tire out of the way.

The guys from Chicoine Equip. showed up bright and early with the parts and immediately set to work. It seemed like the further they got into the job, the more things had to get removed. After they got the tire shifted, they were able to get started...until the jack and blocks started sinking into the soft ground. They made a road trip to get some steel sheets to put the jacks on, but then decided to put the tire back on so they could remove the pickup head and find some solid ground for the jacks.

It took the better part of the day, but they were able to get everything apart, and since they had it apart, they made a point of changing out both bearings. With things being beefier inside, they had to unpin the feederhouse and almost take it off to get enough room to get the larger rock beater drum out...but they did, and once everything was back where it belonged, it was test time.

While the combine was getting worked on, Marilyn started getting the broken disappearing fingers replaced. Even though there were a couple of openings to reach inside the drum, Al's reach was further than Marilyn's, so with teamwork, that job was accomplished.

The other two combines had finished the canola field and came back to the yard to see what was going on. We were ready to roll with everything running better than ever, so it was time to try the combine out on some canola swaths. We all moved north to the next field and started in...success! Big thanks to the guys from Chicoine Equipment, they did a hell of a job.

There were a lot of low spots that were wet but fortunately no one got stuck and once we finished the first piece, we quit for the day.

No point in starting a new, wet field in the dark...

September 29, 2010

View of the day-Getting the combines ready to hit the field...well, one of them anyway.

Al was out at the combine getting the feeder sensor changed out so we could get another productive day in. Unfortunately, after getting everything apart, we could see the problem was deeper than we originally thought...the bearing was gone on the shaft.

We called around for parts...nothing close, but the guys over at Storthoaks were able to order what we needed and they would be able to make come out and get the warranty work done. We tried to get everything apart and didn't have any success, about the only thing we did manage to get done was plenty of cursing. Not even 400 hours and we lose one of the best days for combining.

We went out to see about getting the grain car repaired...a job that we thought would be the toughest of the day. Terry had it welded up in no time at all and within and hour, we were on our way with a 'better-than-new' repair.

Kim's dad and mom had gone to Hostfest in Minot and his 9600 John Deere combine was sitting idle, so Al got to drive it for the day. There is no worry that there will be a permanent change of colors, even with the red one being down.

Kim ran the cart and hauled grain, while Gordie drove the other combine. Marilyn got to get our combine cleaned off and all the tools put away before getting some shopping done in town. When Marg got home from work, we made some lunch then went out to the field to feed the guys.

Marg gave Marilyn a ride out to get the General from the farmyard where it spent the night...this time the trap line was empty. About time, after catching 7 mice, one of which was almost due to give birth to another litter of rodents.

They guys quit combining around 9pm, when they had the semi and cart filled to unload in the morning...one of many jobs to be done.

Hopefully the combine is back on the swath tomorrow...

September 28, 2010

View of the day-the General goes it alone after the cart is down...

It was a nice windy morning we got out to the field about 9:oo AM. The General was full and the cart so Al was busy unloading while Marilyn serviced her rig.

She hit the field and well that was it the feeder house would cut out when engaged so a call to Ray at "Pro Harvest" he gave us a couple of things to look at. Well after spending about an hour getting a shield off we got to look at the sensor on the feeder house and it was not quite right. The feeder would shut off randomly and when you are picking up those fluffy swaths of canola at 4.5mph, there gets to be quite a ribbon that folds up before you can get stopped. We sort of rigged it up to work and though it got the job done, Marilyn had sort of a frustrating day...but you know how it goes...shut up and drive.

Around 4:00 PM Al called on the radio to say the cart auger would not go down, after further inspection a weld had let go on the hydraulic cylinder so a trip to the welder was in order. Fortunately we were right next to a farmer who has the technology and manpower to repair it tomorrow, so it will be good as new...or perhaps better, since Marilyn noticed that there hadn't been much holding on before it broke.

Then the General wouldn't shut off...bad things come in three's, so Al worked on that and discovered if he just held his tongue right, he was able to start and stop it. One more thing to look at tomorrow.

From this point on it was just the General and it was a good thing we were dumping close by, this allowed Al to get back to the field before the combine was full. We got done on this job by 10:00 PM, then we fueled the combine at the farmer's yard and roaded it back to Kim and Marg's, so by 11:30 everything was where it needed to be.

Marg had picked up a new sensor in Estevan while at football practice for Gordie so it will get changed first thing in the morning, then we start on Kim's, the weather sounds good so we can make more dust.

Even with the late start and feeder house issues we still got 115 acres covered...

September 27, 2010

View of the day-Meeting the Massey round after round all day on the mile run in the canola field.

Another day out combining by 10:30 am and an excellent 140 acre day for Marilyn in her combine. The Massey was keeping up and only sat when he had to dump his truck, fortunately the bin he was dumping in was in the field.

Al was kept busy running the cart and hauling back to the yard site five miles away. He made it back in plenty of time so Marilyn didn't have to wait at all. It was a long day, but the weather was perfect and we covered a lot of acres which was easy to do with the mile long runs on a full section of canola.

The grain is dry and the weather is great...keep it coming...

September 26, 2010

View of the day-The dust settles on the canola field after the wind died down...it picked up later, though.

We were indeed able to get combining by 10:30am and it was a perfect day of combining. We finished the last of the field we had started on before the rain, then moved about 10 miles south to start another quarter of canola.

Al was kept busy hauling back to the yard and by the time 9pm rolled around we were done the field and ready to move everything to the next one. We got that done, then Al took the General back to the bins to unload so he wouldn't have to do it in the morning. The weather was perfect and the evening was so warm, we might have to have the windows in the camper open tonight...nice.

That was it for the day and more of the same tomorrow...

September 25, 2010

View of the day-Sunset at Carlyle, with the promise of some dust making tomorrow.

It was a gorgeous day, warm and sunny, unfortunately the humidity was still pretty high so there wasn't a lot of combining going on in the area. It seemed a shame since the weather was perfect.

Marilyn worked on getting a new floor cover cut out for the combine cab, then proceeded to give the windows a good cleaning. The squeegee had a notch right in the middle of the rubber blade and was a crappy unit anyway, so after trying to trim it down smooth enough...an impossible job...she gave up and chucked it in the dumpster. That squeegee sucked right from the store. Back to cleaning them the old way and Marg had a set of 'magic' cleaning cloths and they did a beautiful streak free job...even though Marilyn misunderstood the directions and used the wet cloth as the dry one and vice versa.

Marg had also been washer her Jeep with the hotsy pressure washer and had left it outside when she was done, so Marilyn decided to give the Dodge a scrub while she was in the cleaning mood. It looks just like new, except the magnetic signs didn't fair so well...we were due for new ones anyway.

As the insanity continued, Marilyn dug out the bread machine and decided to make a batch of cinnamon buns...or carmel rolls, if you prefer. While the bread machine did most of the work, Al watched the CFL football game and Marilyn worked on the computer. The buns turned out heavenly and the Riders won their football game and the Terriers won their hockey game...perfect.

Tomorrow, if the humidity stays down, we are scheduled to start combining at 10:30am...but even if we don't, we will be making dust at some point during the day.

And all week, by the look of the forecast...

September 24, 2010

View of the day-The old tandem sits in the field waiting for some action...maybe tomorrow.

We had a shower go through this morning...not forecast...again. It stayed cloudy until mid afternoon, then we finally got to see blue skies...off and on, at least. We knew there would be no combining today, even thought the wind was blowing.

Marilyn spent the day working on the computer while Al and Kim worked on the combines and headers, getting all the little things looked after...we're ready to go as soon as the grain is fit.

Since Marg and Gordie were in Estevan at football practice, we grabbed a pizza and had supper with Kim in the house. Al stayed in to watch the CFL game on the big screen and Marilyn went back to the camper to get some more work done.

We are over the hump now, the weather is supposed to be sunny and hot...relatively speaking...for the weekend, at least...