Hi. This is the third year I picked corn with my one row New Idea. Not a lot of corn, between 1-3 acres per year. This year my stand of corn was less than optimal, wrong plates in the planter and a wet year. Anyhow, the picker is dropping A LOT of corn. The stalks go through the snapper rolls and roll right back out the front. I am assuming it's because there are not enough stalks entering the picker at regular intervals to push the ears up the snapper rolls? Also there is and adjustment behind the snapper rolls to bring them closer together or further apart. Any ideas where they should be set? These are big ears, (because of low population) and they are hanging about 2 feet off the ground. Just wondering if there is anything I can do to stop dropping so many ears.
Are your gathering chains OK? I am not familiar with a 323, but on the NI 2-row models, there is one gathering chain on the outside of each row and two on the inside of each row. If you lost one or more or your chains, that would contribute to your problem. I don't know if it would totally explain it, though. Another thing you might try (for this year's problems, anyway) is raising your snoots a bit. If your hydraulic setup won't hold the picker height steady, try a fixed rod in place of the hydraulic ram. Set it so the snapping rolls hit right under the ears.
If this is a 323 (There's a tag on the left side) it sounds like you're snapping the ears too soon.
If your rolls are set too tight, and the head too high, you'll snap the ears before they're near the transfer point to take them to the husking bed and they'll bobble around and bounce out.
If your ears are that big from planting problems I'd assume your stalks are large as well.
Try opening your snapping rollers since they open from the bottom and make sure you're running your snouts as low as you can.
Just my opinion, and it's worth every penny you'll pay for it.
Hey guys, thanks for the information. After looking at the picker today, I am missing the short gathering chain that runs closest to the snapping rolls. Funny thing is is I am also missing the front sprocket too. Must be the previous owner removed them? I tried to move one of the longer chains down, but the drive and idler sprocket have different teeth. Don't know what else to do, I just hate dropping 30 percent of the ears on the ground.
On the NI 2-row pickers, that sprocket and its assembly is held in place by one large carriage bolt that inserts from the bottom. Not sure about the 323, but knowing NI pickers, it is probably a similar design. Could be it vibrated itself out--I doubt anyone would have removed a gathering chain on purpose. Check a machinery graveyard near you for the parts. A lot of parts were interchangeable between different NI pickers, so you might have some luck looking for parts off of a NI mounted model.
