MacDon HC10, Operation And Parts Manual

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OPERATION
4.9 Conditioner Operation
WARNING
Keep hands and feet away from discharge opening. Keep everyone several hundred feet away from your
operation. Never direct the discharge toward anyone. Stones or other foreign objects can be ejected
with force.
WARNING
To avoid bodily injury or death from unexpected startup of machine, stop engine and remove key before
adjusting rolls.
4.9.1 Roll and Feed Draper Speed
The roll and feed draper speeds change whenever the header knife speed is changed since the drives use the same
hydraulic circuit. They cannot be independently adjusted.
4.9.2 Adjusting Roll Gap
Intermeshing steel rolls condition the crop by crimping and
crushing the stem in several places. This allows moisture
release for quicker drying. The degree to which the crop is
conditioned as it passes through the rolls is controlled by
roll gap (refer to illustration at right). The gap is factory set
at 20 mm (3/4 in.) or at 1.5 line on gauge. Gauge readings
should be the same at both ends of the roll.
Correct conditioning of alfalfa, clover, and other legumes is
usually indicated when 90% of the stems show cracking,
but no more than 5% of the leaves are damaged. Use only
enough roll gap to achieve this result.
Grass type crops may require less gap for proper feeding
and conditioning. A larger gap (up to 25 mm [1 in.]) may
be desirable in thick-stemmed cane-type crops; however,
too large a gap may cause feeding problems.
Figure 4.31: Roll Gap
A - Crop Direction B - Roll Gap
If required, you can adjust the roll gap by loosening nut (A)
and turning adjuster (B). Retighten nut (A) after adjusting.
IMPORTANT:
When adjusting roll gap, be sure that the gauge (C)
reading is the same on both sides of the conditioner roll
to achieve consistent intermesh across the rolls.
Figure 4.32: Roll Gap Gauge
214033
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Revision A