Farm Progress Show 2006 Recap

2006-8-29
I went on Tuesday, the first of the three day show. It rained Monday and it rained a little more Tuesday morning. Needless to say, it was muddy. The Iowa DOT was turning away 2wd cars from the parking lots since they were getting stuck. The parking lots are really just grass fields. Earlier in the morning, before the grass had been torn up, some 2wd vehicles made it in, but they couldn't get back out. There was a fleet of kawasaki mules, deere gators, and yamaha rhinos that were pushing vehicles back to the road.

The fields were also wet. They canceled the field demos for today, and they weren't sure about tomorrow. Prior to the rain, the combine guys had been working on setting the machines. They said one field was 35 percent moisture, and another they only tried was at 47 percent.

The one thing I walked away from today with a "wow" impression is the simplicity of the unload auger on the new MF/Gleaner/Cat combine. It is just a straight shot from the hopper out to the end of the auger. No divers helmit or 90 degree angles to force the grain through. I think they said 4.5 bushels per second. On the other hand, it disappoints me to see a belt drive going to the header. When you've got a 16 row chopping corn head on the front of that machine, there is a lot of HP going to the header. Everyone needs to do what they did on the 8010 and just start using a PTO shaft drive.

Another thing that I strongly dislike anymore is the electrical connection for the header height sensors. This new MF/Gleaner/Cat machine has an all-in-one connection for the header, including the electrical. What I see is a connector with spots for probably 30 pins, about 15 of which have connection in them. Now I'm going to have to speculate that the people who thought this was a good idea, either they haven't spent very much time in a combine, or have limited exposure to other industries. I'd like to introduce them to a concept widely known as "digital". The more pins you have, the more problem you are going to have with dirt on just one of them, which in turn causes the header to do some really freaky stuff. Maybe it will go up, but not down. Maybe it tips left, but not right. Whatever, this can all be done with just 2 pins. Power, two-way data, heck even the turn signals all on just two conductors. Now this goes for all you combine manufacturers, within your departments, there has to be a group that does the electronics. Ask them if any of them has a model train, and from there, you're looking specifically for a DCC system. Google it, whatever, just use that technology to do all this.

Now why do I say to put all this digital electronic stuff in the way of something even as simple as a turn signal? Well, because I've had dirt on just one of the contacts for the header height sensors. On more than one occasion, I've tried to cut soybeans, but couldn't because one pin didn't get a good contact. That caused the head to keep tipping one direction, and one side starts digging in the dirt. Now imagine that I'm trying to get into a new field, and can't. Now image 6 more combines right behind me still sitting on the road. Now imagine cars and trucks getting upset since the road is being blocked for a few seconds. You get the idea. It's 2006 and we have the technology to work around silly issues like this. I'd like for the computer in the combine to know when there is a header attached. I'd like for the connector between the header and combine to also have a green LED to tell me that it's connected. If that light is on, then both pins are working. Simple really. In addition, this opens you up to a ton of diagnostic possibilities to assist the operator when things aren't quite right.

Alright, on to Deere, Nice shiney new tractors. Whats up with that brown, dried-crap looking, interior color. I'm telling you, the 70s are over, and we lost, bad. Change to gray, tan, black, green racing strips, I don't care, just give me something other than dog crap brown to look at while I'm in the seat.

I saw a nice demo of the orbit reel. I love the simplicity of the design on this one. No complex cams or chains, just a poly guide that a roller follows.

Kinze's big planter is freakin huge. Period. I think it was 36 rows wide, and makes for a long walk around it. Oh, and their 800 bushel cart doesn't look so big when it is sitting on a pole 40 feet above you. Then you realize it's way up above you.

Balzer has a 1800 bushel grain cart, or at least some pictures of it. Thier 1200 bushel cart is there, which actually has power steering. They said you usually just leave that hydraulic line in float though and it just follows along. I don't know how much HP it takes to unload it though, since they claim over 1000 bushels per minute. Brent has a 1500 bushel cart this year too with a very complex steering mechanism. Power steering on that one too. Honestly, I don't yet see the point of grain carts in excess of 1000 bushels. Once you have enough to load a semi, the rest is just more compaction.