OPERATOR

TROUBLESHOOTING
 MUD IN CANE SAMPLE

ROW PROFILE :
THE ROW PROFILE DOES NOT SUIT THE
CULTURAL PRACTICES OF A CHOPPER
HARVESTER. SEE THE FIGURE AT RIGHT.

BLADE HEIGHT
THE BASECUTTER BLADE IS SHAVING OR DIGGING INTO THE TOP OF THE ROW.
BEWARE OF THE BASECUTTER PRESSURE GAUGE AND ALLOW THE TRACTOR DRIVERS TO HELP
MONITOR THE BLADE HEIGHT.
CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TRACK FRAME AND HARVESTER FRAME: MUD HAS CLOGGED THE
AREA BETWEEN THE HARVESTER AND TRACKS AND AS A RESULT, MUD WILL BE MAKING ITS
WAY TO THE BASECUTTER INSTEAD OF FALLING OFF. TO ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM, TRACKS
SHOULD BE CLEANED DAILY AND IN BAD FIELD CONDITIONS THE TRACKS MAY NEED TO BE
CLEANED MORE OFTEN DURING THE OPERATING DAY.

DO NOT OPEN IN MUDDY FIELD CONDITIONS

IF POSSIBLE, MAKE ALL YOUR BREAKS-INS WHEN THE FIELDS ARE DRY. THIS WILL ALLOW THE
TRACTOR TO RUN OVER THE CANE WITHOUT SMASHING IT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE.
IF YOU HAVE TO BREAK OPEN BLOCKS IN MUDDY CONDITIONS, TRY TO KEEP THEM TO A MINIMUM,
OPENING FIELDS FROM THE EDGE OF THE BLOCK WILL CUT DOWN ON THE AMOUNT OF MUD YOU
WILL PASS THROUGH THE HARVESTER.
AFTER OPENING A MUDDY FIELD, YOU SHOULD CHECK THE CHOPPER FLAP, FEEDROLLERS AND
TRACKS FOR BUILDUP.
 MUD IN CANE SAMPLE ( CONTINUED)
BLADE ADJUSTMENT:
EXTENDING THE TWO BASECUTTER BLADE HOLES WILL HELP THEM WHEN CUTTING IN THE
MUD. THIS WILL ALLOW THE DISC TO BE FURTHER FROM THE TOP OF THE ROW.

GROUND SPEED :
STUBBLE IS PULLED FROM THE ROW EASIER IN WET FIELD CONDITIONS.
IT IS HARDER TO REGULATE BOTTOM BLADE HEIGHT WHEN OPERATING THE HARVESTER AT
HIGH GROUND SPEEDS.

CROP DIVIDER SETTINGS :

WHEN CUTTING LODGED CANE, DO NOT PLOW THE SIDES OF THE ROWS BECAUSE THIS
FUNNELS MUD INTO THE THROAT OF THE HARVESTER.

FLOATING SHOE ADJUSTMENT :

THE FLOATING SHOE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST ONE INCH OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN IT AND
THE TOP OF THE ROW.

TRACKS PUTTING SLUGS ON TOP OF THE ROW

WHEN CLAY SOIL BECOMES STICKY, THE HARVESTER MAY ROLL SLUGS OF MUD FROM THE
TRACKS ONTO THE NEXT ROW.
 EXCESSIVE LEAF TRASH

CHOPPER BLADE TIMING:

WHEN CHOPPER BLADES BECOME WORN OR OUT OF TIME, SHUCKS WILL NOT BE PROPERLY CUT.
IT IS CRITICAL WHEN CUTTING GREEN CANE TO HAVE SHARP AND PROPERLY TIMED BLADES.

GROUND SPEED :
EVEN THOUGH THE CHOPPER SYSTEM CAN HANDLE A LARGE VOLUME OF CANE, THIS DOES NOT
MEAN THAT THE CLEANING CHAMBER CAN. YOU MAY GET INTO SITUATIONS WHERE YOUR
GROUND SPEED WILL OVERLOAD THE EXTRACTOR SYSTEM. A QUICK SOLUTION MAY BE TO
INCREASE THE FAN SPEED, BUT A BETTER SOLUTION IS TO REDUCE THE GROUND SPEED
BECAUSE INCREASING THE FAN SPEED EXCESSIVELY WILL CAUSE CANE TO BE BLOWN OUT
WITH THE TRASH.

FAN SPEED :
EACH CUSTOMER WILL HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE ACCEPTABLE COMBINATION BETWEEN
CLEAN CANE AND BLOW OUT CANE. BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE SOUND OF BILLETS HITTING
AGAINST THE EXTRACTOR HOOD. WHAT IS TOO MUCH ?? WHAT IS NOT ENOUGH ??
THE PRIMARY EXTRACTOR IS VARIBLE FROM 0 TO 1275 RPM ON SOME HARVESTERS. TO
INCREASE FAN SPEED BEYOND THIS, CONTACT A CAMECO REPRESENTATIVE. MAXIMUN FAN
SPEED IS 1600 RPM, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR HARVESTING IN Louisiana, USA.
 EXCESSIVE LEAF TRASH (CONTINUED)

CHOPPER DEFLECTOR SHIELD ADJUSTMENT :

IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO LOWER OR RAISE THE FLOW OF CANE THROUGH THE CLEANING CHAMBER
IN ORDER TO GET THE CANE CLOSER OR FURTHER FROM THE EXTRACTOR FAN. THIS CAN BE DONE BY
ADJUSTING THE DEFLECTOR SHIELD LOCATED ABOVE THE CHOPPER DRUMS.

AMOUNT OF WEAR ON THE FAN ASSEMBLY :

EXCESSIVELY WORN EXTRACTOR BLADES WILL NOT CLEAN PROPERLY AND WILL BECOME
UNBALANCED. IF THE BLADES ARE NOT REPLACED, DAMAGE TO THE EXTRACTOR HOUSING MAY
RESULT.
 HARVESTER CHOKING
GROUND SPEED :
HIGH GROUND SPEED IN HEAVY TONAGE CANE MANY OVERLOAD THE BASECUTTER, FEEDROLLERS,
CHOPPERS OR ELEVATOR CIRCUITS.

WORN OR CHOPPER BLADE TIMING :

THIS CAUSES THE CANE TO WRAP AROUND THE CHOPPER AND WILL SPLIT BILLETS, FURTHER
DETERIORATING THE BILLET CUT INTEGRITY.

SLUG FEEDING :
IN LODGED SITUATIONS, CANE MAY COLLECT IN FRONT OF THE BASECUTTER AND FEED THROUGH
THE HARVESTER IN “SLUGS”. LOWERING THE KNOCKDOWN ROLLERS IN ORDER TO FEED THE CANE
THROUGH EVENLY. THE KNOCKDOWN ROLLER MAY HAVE TO BE REPOSITIONED ONCE STRAIGHT
CANE IS RESUMED.

FLYWHEEL SLIPPAGE :
A LOOSE FLYWHEEL WILL CAUSE THE CHOPPER DRUMS TO CHOKE.
TO CHECK FOR SLIPPAGE, MARK THE FLYWHEEL AND HUB. CUT BETWEEN 50 TO 100 FEET AT A
NORMAL PACE. IF THE MARK MOVES MORE THAN 2 TO 4 INCHES, THE FLYWHEEL NUT MUST BE
TIGHTENED. IF THE FLYWHEEL CONTINUES TO SLIP, THE FRICTION DISC MAY NEED TO BE
REPLACED.

FOREIGN OBJECTS :
OCCASIONALLY, A FOREIGN OBJECT MAY STALL THE HARVESTER.
 HARVESTER CHOKING (CONTINUED)

CHOKING UNDER THE CHOPPER DRUMS :

CANE AND MUD MAY BUILD UP UNDER THE CHOPPER DRUMS. THIS ADDS A LOAD TO THE CHOPPER
CIRCUIT AND MAY CAUSE IT TO STALL.
IN MUDDY CONDITIONS, IT IS NECESSARY THAT THE CHOPPER FLAP IS CHECKED PERIODICALLY
THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS FREE OF MUD.

FEEDROLLERS CLOGGED WITH MUD :

MUD CLOGGED FEEDROLLERS WILL CAUSE THE CANE MAT TO SLIP AND CHOKE.

FORGETTING TO TURN ON THE ELEVATOR :

FEEDROLLERS TURNING TOO SLOW :

IF YOU TRY TO CUT A BILLET SIZE 7 INCHES OR SMALLER, THE FEEDROLLERS WILL BE TURNING
TOO SLOW AND WILL CAUSE A CHOKE IN THE CIRCUIT.

TOP FEEDROLLERS ARE NOT FLOATING :

MAKE SURE THE TOP FEEDROLLER ARE FLOATING FREELY
 HARVESTING IN MUDDY FIELD CONDITIONS
AVOID OPENING FIELDS IN MUDDY CONDITIONS :

CHECK THE CHOPPER FLAP PERIODICALLY :

DO NOT ALLOW THE MUD TO BUILD UP IN THIS AREA.
ALLOW CLEARANCE FOR MUD TO FALL OUT BETWEEN THE TRACKS AND HARVESTER FRAME.

CONSIDER ROW PROFILE WHEN CULTIVATING YOUR CROP :

YOU DO NOT WANT A SHOULDER OR RIDGE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROW. THIS PROVIDES
AN AREA FOR THE CANE TO HIDE AND IT DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO TOP OFF THE ROW
WITHOUT SENDING MUD THROUGH THE HARVESTER.

BASECUTTER BLADE ADJUSTMENT :

IT IS HELPFUL TO EXTEND ALL BLADES OUT AS FAS AS POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE SEPARATION
BETWEEN THE BASECUTTER DISC AND THE TOP OF THE ROW.

KEEP THE FEEDROLLERS FREE FROM MUD :

AVOID PLOWING WITH THE CROP DIVIDERS :

USE THE ELEVATOR FLOOR AS A KEY TO DETECT MUD :

IF MUD IS BUILDING UP ON THE ELEVATOR FLOOR, IT IS ALSO MAKING ITS WAY TO THE
WAGON. WHEN MUD STARTS TO BUILD UP, GO THROUGH THE CHECKLIST TO DETERMINE
THE CAUSE.