IMPROVE MACHINE EFFICIENCY

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IMPROVE MACHINE EFFICIENCY

• John Nowatzki
• Machinery Specialist
• Vern Hofman
• Professor Emeritus
• Ag Biosystems Engineering
• 2006

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Increase Machine Efficiency

• Fuel Use in Equipment
• Tracks, Radials and Bias Tires
• Strip Till
• Precision Farming
• Remote Sensing
• Guidance Systems

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Seeding and Harvesting Operations Gallons
Diesel Fuel /Acre

• Grain Drill .5
• Row Crop Planter .3
• Combine 1.1
• Baler .7
• Forage Harvester 1.5

NDSU Data
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Fuel Use For Field Operations Gallons Diesel
Fuel /Acre

• Chisel Plow .8
• Moldboard Plow 1.6
• Tandem Disc .9
• Cultivator .6
• Ammonia Applicator .6
• Sprayer .3

NDSU Data
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Managing Fuel Costs

• Limit Usage Easier Said than Done
• Major Fuel Usage in ND is in the Fall. Harvesting
  and Tillage.
• Buy Large Storage Tanks and fill when prices are
  lowest This costs a lot of Money

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Managing Fuel Costs

• Use Futures and Options to lock in Price. Can be
  Risky. A Future contract is 42,000 gallons.
  Farmers may need to work together.
• Lowest Fuel Price is usually in Dec. or early
  January.
• Use Waste Oil to Heat Shop
• Trade Up to New Technology? Can You afford It?

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Is Deep Tillage Necessary? This Requires a Large
Tractor and Diesel Fuel.
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Bias and Radial Tires
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Tires or Tracks?
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Power Delivery Efficiency for Bias and Radial
Duals
Alberta Farm Mach. Res. Center
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Power Delivery Efficiency for a 27000 lb. Tire
Tractor
Alberta Farm Mach. Res. Center
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Power Delivery Efficiency at Noted Tractor Weights
36000 lbs.
32000 lbs.
Alberta Farm Mach. Res. Center
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Radial and Bias Tires

• A properly Ballasted Radial will usually be 6 to
  10 more Efficient Than a Bias Tire.
• Radials can Operate at Tire Pressures Down to 6
  psi. Do not Operate Bias Tires Below 14 psi.
• Do Not Exceed the Load Carrying Capacity of a
  Tire at the Selected Tire Pressure. Follow the
  Tire Company Load Charts.

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Radial and Bias Continued

• Increase Tire Pressure if Mounted Equipment is
  Carried on the Tractor.
• Soil Compaction will Decrease at Lower Tire
  Pressures.
• Tires Should Slip Between 8 and 15. Four wheel
  drive tractors will usually be at the low end of
  the slippage range.
• Check Tire Pressure Regularly.

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Tracked Tractors

• Slippage is Usually near 2.
• Power Delivery Efficiency is Equal to Tired
  Tractors.
• Turning may be more Difficult for Tracked
  Tractors.
• Tracks Produce a Narrower Print in the Soil.
• Soil Compaction is about equal for low pressure
  Radials and Tracks.

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Soil Compaction of 4 WD and Tracked Tractor Under
Various Loads Ohio State

• Tired tractor had the highest and the lowest soil
  compaction. An 8870 JD - 350 hp. Tire pressures
  were 24 psi and 7 psi.
• Two Cat Challenger tractors, a 65- 270 hp and
  a 75- 308 hp caused soil compaction loads between
  the two tired tractor tests.
• Operating radial tires below 10 psi can reduce
  pressure on the soil.

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Iowa State University Studies

• Corn yields have shown significant increases when
  tillage passes were done with a tracked tractor.
• The soil pressure under the tracks were about 3
  and 6 psi.
• Soil pressures under the tired tractor were near
  16 psi.

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Strip Till
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Midwest Plan Service
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Variable Rate Fertilizer Application
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Variable Rate Flow Controllers
Hydraulic Motors
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Remaining Fertilizer I-4 93.6 lb/ac I-5 26.4
lb/ac I-6 14.6 lb/ac
Winter Wheat 16 bu/ac
Sunflowers 1768 lb/ac
Spring Wheat 50 bu/ac
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I4 SF I5 SW (Dry
Weather) I6 SW Yield
2112 lb./ac. 6.7 bu./ac.
14.8 bu./ac.
Applied N 45 lb/ac
125 lb/ac 125 lb/ac

Fertilizer Remaining I-4 13.5 lb/ac I-5
111.9 lb/ac I-6 74.3 lb/ac
Sunflowers 2112 lb/ac
Spring Wheat 7 bu/ac
Winter Wheat 15 bu/ac
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Remote Sensing MSEA Site Oakes,ND
See Things From a Different Angle Ask Questions?
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GPS Guidance/Auto-Steer
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Efficient Field Operations are Important !