The wheat harvesting season is the busiest and most critical time for farmers, who are eager to harvest their wheat smoothly and bring it home. However, many farmers often encounter the trouble of grass blockage when using harvesters for operation. It not only delays the working progress and the golden time of rush harvesting, but also easily damages the machine and increases maintenance costs. When facing this situation, many farmers can only stop the machine in a hurry to clean it, which is time-consuming and laborious. In fact, grass blockage is not terrible. As long as you figure out the tricks, find the right causes and use the correct methods, you can reduce problems and improve work efficiency. Today, combined with the years of practical experience of old farmers, we will talk in detail about the grass blockage of wheat harvesters to help you avoid detours and complete the harvesting smoothly.

I. Common Parts and Causes of Wheat Harvester Grass Blockage

Grass blockage of harvesters does not occur randomly; it mostly concentrates on several key parts such as the header, conveying device, threshing drum and concave sieve. The causes of grass blockage vary in different parts. We must find the root cause of the problem to prescribe the right medicine. Otherwise, if we only clean blindly, it will be blocked again soon.

(1) Grass Blockage at the Header: The First Obstacle in the Harvesting Process

The header is the first part of the harvester to contact wheat and is also the most prone to grass blockage. Parts such as the cutter, reel and auger are all "high-risk areas" for grass blockage. From my observation, grass blockage in this part is mostly caused by improper operation, improper machine adjustment and complex field conditions.

First, let's talk about the most common problem of stubble height. If the stubble is left too low, when the harvester moves forward, the cutter will not only cut off the wheat straw, but also bring up weeds, soil and even small stones from the field. These things will wrap around the cutter and get blocked in a short time. On the other hand, if the stubble is left too high, the wheat straw will be too long and will easily pile up in the header when sent into it, failing to enter the conveying device smoothly. Then there is the problem of the cutter. If the cutter gap is adjusted too large, or the blades are blunt or damaged, the wheat straw cannot be cut off completely, and the broken straw will easily wrap together and cause blockage. If the moving blade and the fixed blade are not aligned properly, it will not cut the wheat straw smoothly, which will also aggravate grass blockage. In addition, if the reel is adjusted too low or rotates too slowly, it cannot timely pull the wheat to the cutter, and the straw will pile up in front of the header. If it rotates too fast, it will break the wheat straw, and the broken straw is more likely to get stuck in the header auger. Besides, excessive weeds in the field, serious lodging of wheat, or driving the harvester too fast (making the header unable to keep up) will also cause grass blockage.

(2) Grass Blockage in the Conveying Device: Midway Jam in Straw Conveyance

The conveying device is like a "conveyor belt" of the harvester, connecting the header and the threshing drum, and is specially responsible for conveying the cut wheat straw to the threshing part. It mainly consists of the conveyor belt and the conveying chain. In simple terms, grass blockage in this part means that the wheat straw cannot be conveyed smoothly or at all, either because the device's capacity is insufficient or there is a problem with the wheat straw itself.

The main reason is that the conveyor belt is too loose. When it is loose, it will slip, making it impossible to convey the wheat straw, which will pile up and cause blockage. If the conveyor belt deviates, the wheat straw will deviate from the track and get stuck in the edge of the conveyor belt or the gap between the frame, resulting in more serious blockage. In addition, if hard objects such as stones and iron wires in the field are drawn into the conveying device, they will not only block the wheat straw but also easily cut the conveyor belt. Another factor is that the wheat straw is too wet. Wet wheat straw has high friction between each other and is easy to stick together, making it unsmooth to convey and naturally causing blockage. There is also a situation where too much wheat straw is sent from the header, exceeding the bearing capacity of the conveying device, and it will pile up at the entrance and get blocked completely.

(3) Grass Blockage in the Threshing Drum and Concave Sieve: Core Congestion in the Threshing Process

The threshing drum and concave sieve are the core components of the harvester for threshing. When the wheat straw enters the drum, the wheat grains and straw are separated by the high-speed rotation of the drum and the cooperation of the concave sieve. If this part is blocked, it will have the greatest impact, not only delaying work but also easily damaging the machine, so we must pay more attention when working.

The most common cause is that the drum rotates too slowly. When the rotation speed is too low, the wheat straw cannot be thrown and separated quickly, and will pile up in the drum and cause blockage. If the gap between the drum and the concave sieve is adjusted too small, the wheat straw cannot pass through and will be squeezed in the middle, causing blockage. However, if the gap is adjusted too large, the wheat grains cannot be threshed completely, and a lot of grains will be entrained, while the straw is also easy to pile up and cause blockage. Secondly, if too much wheat straw is sent in, exceeding the processing capacity of the threshing device, the straw cannot be discharged and will pile up more and more in the drum. In addition, wet wheat straw has high toughness and is not easy to break during threshing, so it will also pile up between the drum and the concave sieve. Moreover, if the sieve holes of the concave sieve are blocked by broken straw and soil, the straw cannot be discharged, which will further aggravate the grass blockage of the drum.

II. Emergency Solutions for Wheat Harvester Grass Blockage

When you find grass blockage in the harvester, don't panic, and never keep driving hard. That will only damage the machine and even cause safety accidents. All old agricultural machinery operators know that we must follow the steps of "stop the machine, cut off the power, clean up and check". Step by step, it is both safe and can solve the problem thoroughly. I will tell you the specific steps in detail.

(1) Emergency Shutdown to Ensure Safety

As soon as you see grass blockage in any part of the harvester, first put the forward gear in neutral, park the machine in a flat and safe place, then turn off the engine, cut off the power and pull the handbrake to prevent the machine from sliding by itself. I must remind you here that before cleaning up the grass blockage, you must confirm that the engine has been completely turned off and the rotating parts such as the drum and conveyor belt have stopped completely. Otherwise, it is easy to be twisted or cut, and safety is the top priority. If you are working in high-temperature weather in summer, the machine parts are very hot, so you have to wait for a while to let the parts cool down before cleaning to avoid scalding.

(2) Identify the Part and Clean Up Step by Step

The cleaning methods vary according to different blocked parts. When cleaning, you must be careful and do not use brute force, otherwise it is easy to damage the machine parts, which is not worth the loss.

1. Cleaning the header: First, clean up the weeds, soil and wheat straw on the cutter. Loosen the cutter guard with a wrench, gently pry off the straw wrapped around it, and never use too much force to pry the blade. When cleaning the header auger, you can turn the auger shaft by hand, slowly pull out the straw piled inside, and at the same time clean up the sundries between the auger and the header bottom plate to ensure that the gap between them is normal, so that there will be no blockage in the subsequent operation.

2. Cleaning the conveying device: First, tighten the conveyor belt a little to pull the loose part tight, then clean up the wheat straw on the surface and edge of the conveyor belt. If hard objects such as stones and iron wires are stuck between the conveyor belt and the frame, pry them out gently with tools to avoid scratching the conveyor belt. If the conveyor belt deviates, adjust it in time to ensure that it can run smoothly, otherwise it will be blocked again.

3. Cleaning the threshing drum and concave sieve: First, open the drum cover, find a wooden stick, gently pry loose the straw piled in the drum, and then take it out slowly. Never touch the inner wall of the drum directly with your hands, as the residual straw is easy to scratch your hands. When cleaning the concave sieve, use a brush or soft cloth to brush off the broken straw and soil in the sieve holes to ensure that the sieve holes are unobstructed. If the sieve holes are blocked too seriously, remove the concave sieve, clean it thoroughly and then install it back, so that it can be used smoothly.

(3) Check and Adjust to Resume Operation

After cleaning up the grass blockage, do not rush to start the machine for work. First, check the relevant parts, make adjustments, and confirm that there is no problem before resuming operation. Check whether the cutter is blunt or damaged, whether the gap between the moving blade and the fixed blade is appropriate, and whether the position and rotation speed of the reel are correct. Then check the conveyor belt to see if it is tight, whether it deviates, and whether there is slipping. Finally, check the rotation speed of the threshing drum, adjust the gap between the drum and the concave sieve to meet the requirements of our harvesting. After all checks are completed, start the engine, let the machine run idly for 1-2 minutes, and observe whether each part runs smoothly. After confirming that there is no problem, slowly drive to the field, slow down first, and then gradually return to the normal operation speed.

III. Prevention Measures for Wheat Harvester Grass Blockage

In fact, compared with cleaning up after grass blockage, it is the most worry-free to take preventive measures in advance and reduce grass blockage from the root. It can not only improve the harvesting efficiency but also reduce the wear and tear of the machine and save a lot of maintenance costs. Combined with my years of practical experience, we can take preventive measures from four aspects: machine adjustment, standardized operation, field preparation and daily maintenance.

(1) Fine Adjustment of the Machine Before Operation

Before harvesting, you must conduct a comprehensive inspection and proper adjustment of the harvester to ensure that all parts are in the best condition, so as to reduce the risk of grass blockage from the root. First, adjust the cutter gap, control the front gap between the moving blade and the fixed blade at 1-1.5 mm, and check whether the blades are blunt or damaged. If the blades are too worn, replace them with new ones immediately to ensure smooth cutting of wheat straw. Then adjust the stubble height, control the stubble at 10-15 cm according to the growth of wheat in the field and the soil conditions, neither too high nor too low. Next, adjust the reel, the height should be such that the reel board can touch 5-10 cm below the wheat ear, and adjust the rotation speed according to the growth of wheat and the forward speed of the harvester to ensure that it can smoothly pull the wheat to the cutter. In addition, tighten the conveyor belt to ensure that it is not loose or deviated. According to the variety and dryness of wheat, adjust the rotation speed of the threshing drum and the gap between the drum and the concave sieve to ensure smooth threshing and timely discharge of wheat straw.

(2) Standardized Operation Process During Operation

Standardized operation during work will greatly reduce the occurrence of grass blockage. When working, farmers must strictly follow the operation specifications and reasonably control the forward speed and the feeding amount of wheat straw. First, do not drive too fast, adjust the speed according to the growth, density of wheat in the field and the working capacity of the machine. If you drive too fast, too much wheat straw will be fed, and the machine will be overwhelmed, easily causing grass blockage. If you encounter areas with serious wheat lodging and excessive weeds, slow down a little and reduce the cutting width to reduce the burden on the machine. Secondly, try not to work in bad weather. It is best to harvest on sunny days when the wheat straw is dry. If the wheat straw becomes wet due to dew or rain, wait for a while until it dries a little before working, as wet wheat straw is easy to stick together and cause blockage. In windy days, try to work with the wind, so that the wheat straw is not easy to pile up. In addition, pay more attention to the running state of the machine during work, focus on the header, conveying device, threshing drum and other parts. If you find signs of grass blockage, stop the machine in time to deal with it, do not wait until it is completely blocked, which will be more troublesome. Also, do not let the harvester run over stones, iron wires and other hard objects in the field to prevent them from being drawn into the machine and causing grass blockage and part damage.

(3) Good Field Preparation Before Operation

Doing a good job in field preparation before harvesting can also greatly reduce grass blockage. Before harvesting, first clean up the stones, iron wires, plastic films and other sundries in the field, and do not let them be drawn into the harvester, otherwise it will not only cause grass blockage but also easily damage the machine. If there are too many weeds in the field, clean them manually in advance to reduce the impact of weeds on harvesting. In addition, if the wheat is seriously lodged, adjust the harvesting direction and try to harvest along the direction of wheat lodging, so that the wheat straw is not easy to pile up in the header. If the wheat is too lodged for the machine to harvest smoothly, cooperate with manual assistance, which can reduce the probability of grass blockage in the machine.

(4) Daily Maintenance to Extend the Service Life of the Machine

Like humans, harvesters need regular maintenance to keep in good condition and reduce failures such as grass blockage. After finishing work every day, clean up the wheat straw, soil and sundries in all parts of the machine in time, focus on cleaning the header, conveying device, threshing drum, concave sieve and other parts that are prone to grass blockage, and do not leave sundries inside, otherwise it will be easy to block in the next work. Also, check the wear of each part, and replace the blades, conveyor belts, bearings and other parts that are too worn in time. In addition, regularly apply lubricating oil to the moving parts of the machine to reduce friction between parts and ensure smooth operation of the machine. After the end of the harvesting season, conduct a comprehensive inspection and maintenance of the harvester, clean up the sundries inside the machine, replace and repair the damaged and severely worn parts, and prepare for the next harvesting season.

IV. Summary

Grass blockage of wheat harvesters is the most common problem in our harvesting operation. In the final analysis, it is mostly caused by improper machine adjustment, non-standard operation and complex field conditions. In fact, as long as we find the right parts and causes of grass blockage, clean up according to the correct methods, and do a good job in machine adjustment before operation, standardized operation during work, field preparation and daily maintenance in advance, we can greatly reduce the occurrence of grass blockage, improve harvesting efficiency, reduce machine wear and tear, and save a lot of maintenance costs.

The wheat harvesting season is tight and the task is heavy. Every day is very critical and directly related to our annual harvest. The experience shared with you today is summarized by old farmers through years of practical operation. We hope it can help you solve the trouble of harvester grass blockage, make the harvester work more smoothly and efficiently, and help you finish the wheat harvesting smoothly to achieve a bumper harvest with every grain in the barn. Finally, I remind you again that you must pay attention to safety when working, operate the machine in a standardized manner, and finish the work safely.