Rake up for peas?

[freewheat]

So my peas went flat. Belly to chest high, to really, really flat! I have only a pull type mac don swather. I have pick up reels and lifters and roto sheer, but I can not do a good job swathing them. I was going to do 'em straight, but then green growth came just as they were nearing maturity. I also have no fancy flex head etc.. So I never sprayed them. Didn't think I needed to. At that point they were standing very well too. So I tried to swath them today, but I simply do not have the equipment to shave the ground well. They are too fluffy to fit through the swather hole, Come out in lumps and klugs, and they are shelling bad when the reels grab 'em, from the wet dry cycle, and are over mature from not having had a harvest window.

All that being said, you still with me? I do have a rake up pickup for the combine. Was wondering if any of you guys have used one to grab the peas from the field under these type of conditions? Apparently you need to add coulters to the pick up ends to cut the peas?

I think this may be my only option now. The plants are so brittle and you can pluck them off of the ground by simply pulling on the top pods, so I think the rake up would work well. I think it would also leave the volunteer wheat in the field that is just heading out.

Any tips? Thoughts? What should I use for coulters? I realize 14 feet at a time would be painful, but I watched a youtube video and they were cruising along well. And with a single operation rather than swathing like I thought, same difference really.

Thanks!

[wmoebis]

What kind of combine? how many acres? Maybe you can find a flex header to rent.

[agchat]

Years ago freewheat, I had a good farmer friend that said peas are a great rotation, but are meant more for the guys who can afford to trade equipment every few years. I know guys will argue that, but they are the ones who usually do trade on a fairly frequent rotation, and guys like me and you have to buy there ****in junk. That is why, i have never grown peas, and never will simply because i cannot afford to trade often enough. Like I have said on here before maybe it is because I am more a hobby farmer and should not even be in the game anymore.

[farmaholic]

Innovative thinking. Will likely lose what ever the pick up wheels drive over. Could the coulters be mounted in place of the wheels and would they support the weight of the pick up. Would have to stay alert. Could you adapt mid row bander coulters to fit?

[freewheat]

Farmaholic. You are thinking precisely along with me. Those fat wheels definitely have to come off. The coulters need to be mounted at the end of the pickup, so no grabbing/bunching/tearing will occur. I too was wondering about using mid row coulters, should be easy enough to mount, and I think they would slice the peas well, yet not sink too deep into the soil if mounted at the proper height.

Ag chat, I have grown peas several times before, but have never had them this flat before. Kind of like anything else these days: How did we ever get by before fancy machinery? Because folks have been growing peas for a long time: Varieties that never stood like the newer ones were harvested with old rigid headers, and no lifters, d****rs, pickup reels.

I dunno, I hear what you are saying indeed...

[freewheat]

220 acres. 1680 Case. In case it matters? The point is though, if I CUT the peas, I cut and combine the green growth of volunteer newly headed out wheat, wild oats etc. It isn't really thick, it is just there, and i fear will juice up the combine too much.

I think the rake up will pluck the peas and leave the rest???

[freewheat]

Which is cheaper, a coulter from a useless vertical tillage machine, or a bourgault or morris bander?

[freewheat]

Which is cheaper, a coulter from a useless vertical tillage machine, or a bourgault or morris bander?

[Klause]

Free wheat I left two passes last year and we harvested them with the rake up on our mf 8570... it works but there is shelling loss.


This year we ran a 36 foot agco 5100 d****r. Peas were 6" tall and we shaved the ground. Not a pod left. No dirt in the combine. Follows the ground. No shatter losses.


Text or call me tomorrow. Maybe we can trade combines for your peas

[dave4441]

We tried the rake up on Whero maple peas in 1997 and it didn't work that great. Better off even having it custom done or pick up a 25 foot case flex. Not that expensive

What variety is it?

[freewheat]

Yellow meadows. I do not have money to buy a header, or hire it done. Especially now with this frost.

[seabass]

If your gonna put the coulters on u need a disc with a ring welded around the disc but on a smaller circumference so the disc only sinks an inch or two into the ground and and hold some of the weight of the header. Will be painfully slow but will work. Good luck!

[bgmb]

I would try and rent a flex. What kind of combine do you have ?

[jamesb]

the 1020 case ih is the correct flex head for the combine. If set correctly those heads do a great job. Lots for sale here and there, especially in the US.

[seedsman]

See if you can find a Sund pickup. Go to their web site and see how they have coulters specifically for peas. There used to be many around, up to 30 feet. peas need to be totally dead, so they break off at ground level. Leaves all the rocks and green weeds behind. A Rakeup may be similar.