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Ethridge, TN | I think some of this really depends on the "quality" of help you have as a cart driver. As with all operations, they seem to fall into one of two categories, operator or driver, with the latter class being that where you hold your breath most of the day waiting for the crash. Unfortunately, it seems with the other operations that need to happen all at the same time in the fall, "driver" class usually ends up running the cart. With that in mind, as combine operator, I really like to try and keep it as simple as possible. So I set a speed with the combine, have them match it, and that's what I hold while unloading. If something causes me to need to stop, then I have to be ready to shut down unload quick. I totally will avoid having to unload across any terrain that requires I slow to cross it, as we have a tarp kit on the cart, so if it rocks bad, combine auger could make contact with bows.
Now for my list of rules for cart driver.
1) You will service cart and tractor each morning, this includes sweeping out the cab. I ain't gonna do it for you.
2) You bring food or whatever, all trash leaves with you that night.
3) If you have the radio so loud that that you can't hear the two-way, the fuse for the radio will disappear.
4) The cart is always moving, or your going to fall behind. You don't have to fit that last kernel on before going to the truck.
5) During the day, you watch combine hoppers for who is getting full so they get unloaded first. During the night, auger out means you need to be there.
6) Run across the field with cart auger up, your done on the spot. No warnings, no ifs, no buts, you can walk home. With two combines in the field, there are to many chances of accidents. Along on this same note, if I see you folding auger while running high speed across fields, you also got yourself walking papers.
Tractor of choice for the cart "here" is a JD9120, PST transmission, pulling a Kinze 1040 with the row crop duals on it. Used to run an 8630, but got tired of having to rebuild/replace two speeds and putting gears in the tranny. Quad ranges really don't have a long life on cart operations with squirrel drivers. | |
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Grain cart drivers - new thread
