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Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!
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bmcpherson
Posted 8/12/2009 19:06 (#808997)
Subject: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



The past few days we have been overhauling the heads on our cotton picker here are the pics. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Thanks for looking
Brad

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Best money every spent for working on cotton picker heads. Little impact sure beats torque wrench
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This is the job I did all weekend for the better half!!!
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Watching a storm come up on us Monday afternoon
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swcil
Posted 8/12/2009 19:38 (#809040 - in reply to #808997)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



Macoupin County IL		What drives the spining thing on the head I have seen one working on tv but never up close are there beveled gears behind each one, they look high maintenace.
The wife should be very pleased with you!!!
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bmcpherson
Posted 8/12/2009 20:05 (#809059 - in reply to #809040)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



Yeah, the spindles have beveled gears on the end and teh bar has beveled gears on a shaft that has a beveled gear on top. It is a very high maintenance machine.

Brad
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Virginia Veg.
Posted 8/12/2009 20:06 (#809062 - in reply to #808997)
Subject: RE: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



Eastern VA. No such thing as too many Magnums.		9996? or 9986? Are you checking for dead spindles or just replacing them all? Sure looks good when there's not stringy, nasty, lint all over the pads. Looks nice. Makes me laugh when people think combines are complex.

I was looking at Tractor House last night. Pickers keep getting cheaper and cheaper. They're advertising free delivery coast to coast. That's pretty bad. I haven't been watching cotton. What are prices? Can you even trust the merchants enough to want to book any? Very little cotton in VA now. Just a little down on the Carolina line.

Edited by Virginia Veg. 8/12/2009 20:09
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bmcpherson
Posted 8/12/2009 20:17 (#809080 - in reply to #809062)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



We still got our 9986 it has 1400 fan hrs on it and still doing the job. Plus we could not get what hte machine is worth and around here pickers are still high for the time being. I dont know if I would want one that has set on the lot going on 3 crops for the money they are asking for them.

We replace all moisture pads every year whether they need it or not. Pull all doffers and replace what is needed and grind all stacks and put back in. Had to replace 3 stacks this year, which I did not think was too bad. As for spindles i check and mark dead spindles and if there is only one in the bar I leave it till next year. I dont pull a bar out unless there is more then one dead one in the bar. As far as replacing them goes I feel every spindle and replace what is needed. Some replace all front, some go so many high. We even move some from front to back on some years. Did not this year but prolly will next year. I put 722 spindles in this machine this year. The case placed talked me into the BHC platinum spindles this year, normally run pro XL and get 2 sometimes 3 crops out of them. Wont know how well they last till this time next year.

Prices have been up and down his 65 cents couple weeks ago, still feeling the reinhart mess. We are will allenburg this year. Hope we have a chance to price it by end of month or it goes in teh load and take a 3 cent equity plus ups. Which means no LDP if there is any. So I hope I can price some in the 65 cent range as that is about breakeven with loan plus equity plus ups and be eligable for a pop payment if there is one.

Brad
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trailcutter
Posted 8/12/2009 20:15 (#809078 - in reply to #808997)
Subject: RE: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!


WC MO		What do you do with the old splindles? Can they be refurbished? How many are in a head unit?
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bmcpherson
Posted 8/12/2009 20:24 (#809087 - in reply to #809078)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



We haul them off for scrap. Sometimes a guy comes around and buys them to make lawn and garden attatchments. They make great ancors for deer stands and not much else. They break too easy for use as a punch. I have heard of a place that recuts them and rechromes them but dont know the cost or how they last.

This picker has 320 in the front drum and 240 in the rear drum for a total of 560 per head and 3360 per machine.

Brad
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tony2tall
Posted 8/13/2009 19:54 (#810213 - in reply to #809087)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



North East Arkansas
bmcpherson - 8/12/2009 19:24

We haul them off for scrap. Sometimes a guy comes around and buys them to make lawn and garden attachments. They make great anchors for deer stands and not much else. They break too easy for use as a punch. I have heard of a place that precuts them and re chromes them but don't know the cost or how they last.

This picker has 320 in the front drum and 240 in the rear drum for a total of 560 per head and 3360 per machine.

Brad

Curious to know & view what type lawn & garden attachments are made using spindles.
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bmcpherson
Posted 8/13/2009 22:10 (#810381 - in reply to #810213)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



They were making a thatcher, aerator, and a drag attactment for the garden.

Brad
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smithgrow
Posted 8/12/2009 20:24 (#809090 - in reply to #809078)
Subject: RE: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



Its nice to see that someone else gets greasy too! We've got two 4 rows in the shop right now doing the same thing except our aren't quite as nice as yours. I think we pulled 15 bars on one machine just to fix dead spindles and leaking/broken grease tubes. (mostly leaking grease tubes) We have our own doffer grinder which has proven to be a good investment. I like your idea of putting the spindle socket on a 18v drill. I think I'll try that.
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bmcpherson
Posted 8/12/2009 20:33 (#809097 - in reply to #809090)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



I wish I had a doffer grinder, would make it a lot easier on me. Take one out grind it put it back in while someone pulled another one. Instead of pulling all taking them off, waiting a day sometimes 2 then putting them all back in. I had messing with those grease tubes on our ole 9965. We got a extra long pair of needle nose pliers in both crooked and straight to fix those without pulling the bar. It is a little tricky but can be done. you have to a little patience to do it.

That is a 3/8" john deere cordless impact. wont bust all of them loose all the time but is great to put them in with. hits them at 45-50 ft/lbs when it first hammers.

Brad
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Adrian
Posted 8/12/2009 21:00 (#809131 - in reply to #808997)
Subject: RE: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



South Georgia		Unless I forgot something, I got mine ready to go before I put it up last year. I don't know what's worse, working on it in December and January, when it's cold, like I did, or working on it in August, when it's hot, like you're doing. Either way, I could do without it.

Best thing for the grease lines on the older pickers is a long set of vacuum hose pliers, with about a 45 degree bend to the end of the plier. Works great, I can probably change a grease line in about five minutes.

Adrian

edit: You just changing the spindle, and reusing the same nut and bushings? We haven't had a picker for all that long, but I changed a bunch of spindles a couple of years ago, and I just replaced the whole assembly. I got them from the Deere dealership, and I don't remember what I paid, but I think I got a pretty good deal, since I was buying them in January.

Adrian

Edited by Adrian 8/12/2009 21:03
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bmcpherson
Posted 8/12/2009 21:09 (#809145 - in reply to #809131)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



Yeah, 2.49 is a lot cheaper then 7.95 for the complete assembly. Yeah we have a press were we can change our own bushings if we need to. We replace the spindle and the retainer nut only replace bushing if we have to. If we have a lot to do we replace bushings. If it is just a few we just buy a new nut. Did that on a few this morning. We normaly dont want to look at a cotton picker when we get done clean it up and up it up. We dont have a enclosed heated shop so we dont like to work in teh cold if we dont have to. can get a breeze this time of year.
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Adrian
Posted 8/12/2009 21:40 (#809182 - in reply to #809145)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



South Georgia		Heh, who said anything about a heated shop? Work in the afternoon, when it's warm enough. Heck, my 'shop' don't even have a roof, at least where I have to park equipment to work on it. I reckon it might get a bit colder where you're at than where I'm at, though.

If memory serves, I think I only paid around $4.00 for the whole assembly, but I don't remember what the price for just the spindle was, at that time. Like I said, it's been a couple of years ago.

Cotton picker maintenance: Much big fun!

Adrian

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msb
Posted 8/12/2009 21:01 (#809134 - in reply to #808997)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!


Lapel, In		Would the old spindles make good chipping hammers? Seems like I saw one made from an old spindle years ago.
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bmcpherson
Posted 8/12/2009 21:10 (#809148 - in reply to #809134)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



Yeah they would be great for that. Just not good as a punch. I got both this years and last years pullout in a barrell. Prolly close to 3000 spindles if anybody needs some.
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TJG in MS
Posted 8/12/2009 22:12 (#809237 - in reply to #808997)
Subject: RE: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!


Itta Bena Mississippi		I see you cheated too Brad. Goes much faster with the bars left in. We did both of ours last month during the monsoon.
Tom
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bmcpherson
Posted 8/12/2009 23:51 (#809431 - in reply to #809237)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



I never take out a bar unless I absolutely have too. Too much work and these things are hard enough to work on. Still no feeling in my thumbs after feeling all those spindles. LOL
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7110mag
Posted 8/12/2009 23:19 (#809374 - in reply to #808997)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!


Owens Cross Roads, AL		I hate leveling the bars, it seems it takes me along time to get them shimmed correctly. With this said, I seldom have any wrapping on the spindles. I own a JD 9965 and a Case IH 2055, the red picker will make you a good mechanic if you do your own work. Wilson
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bmcpherson
Posted 8/12/2009 23:52 (#809434 - in reply to #809374)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



We check bar height about every three or four years. We never worry about bar height unless we have to remove a bunch of bars.

Brad
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canaan
Posted 8/13/2009 08:21 (#809602 - in reply to #808997)
Subject: Re: Cotton picker head overhaul with pics!!!!



Pocahontas, Illinois		The Christmas Tree stands I sell at my farm use old spindles as the spike in the middle of the stand. I get the stands from this guy:
http://www.timmitchellsyulestand.com/product_pages/stands_container...
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