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Van Wert co. NW Ohio | Last Thursday was a day that
i would like to forget. Was cutting soybeans at 2pm on a hot and windy day when I looked in the mirror an all I saw was a huger cloud of black smoke and dark red/orange flames about 5 feet high coming from the engine compartment of my new[to me] 9670 combine. The combine shut off and I ran for the fire extinguisher only to decide that that was a really bad idea when something exploded from the fire area and I decided that the captain going down with the ship was a little over rated. Called 911 waited what seemed like forever while watching the combine be completely destroyed in front of my eyes. Only 500 hours on it,what a waste. From here on the news is nothing but good. JD dealer busted his a$$ and got me a 9770 same age as mine with 50 less hours to use and had it on my farm by noon the next day,insurance company has been incredible has offered to pay full and I mean full value of the 9670 including fuel in the tank,beans in the bin and tools in the toolbox. Dealer has offered to sell me the 9770 at a very fair price so it looks like I have or soon will have a very nice machine. Here's the point to this whole rant. I've met with two insurance investigators in the last several days trying to figure what the he// happened. One man is an ag engineer from Iowa who makes a living looking into machinery fires for Grinnel [sp?] insurance that I think is based in Iowa. He said that there are theories that these rotary combines generate huge amounts of static electricity and with rubber tires and plastic skid pads under the header there is no way for this charge to be discharged unless you have a metal strap or chain dragging on the ground. You can bet that I put a chain on the 9770 before it ever went to the field figuring that it might help and if not, so what. Here is my question; how many of you drag a chain to discharge the static buildup, do you think it helps and has anyone ever had a fire of unexplained origin while dragging a chain? Also, any stories of fires in 70 series Deere combines and what causes them? I REALLY do not want this to happen again. TIA | |
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combine fire
