For my sins I have just purchased a claas senator 80, don't know much about them but it seemed a nice clean example for its age. Any info, hints, tips & advice gratefully received!....... A hotline to a breakers yard may be in order!
For my sins I have just purchased a claas senator 80, don't know much about them but it seemed a nice clean example for its age. Any info, hints, tips & advice gratefully received!....... A hotline to a breakers yard may be in order!
Knifedrive can be a weakness, they dont like grass or damp, you really do need to keep on top of the setting of the knife along with the fingers & sections, if thats kept right it will save you heartache with the knifedrive.
Make sure the drum belts wear evenly, they are a matched pair.
Straw-walker blocks are worth checking, they shim adjustable oil impregnated wooden blocks, also have a clise look at the straw walkers for cracks where the blocks mount onto them.
The gearbox can give problems, wearing out 1st gear & bearings failing.
Thete are a few other areas but they were the main ones
The above is all good advice to which I would add that the front-end needs to be looked after really well. A very good friend of mine (also a Matador/Senator/Protector user) always reckoned that if you kept the front-end right then the rest would look after itself.Originally Posted by Gapples
The advice by Gapples about the knife is very pertinent. Keep those ledger plates in the fingers up to scratch (you can grind them back a couple of times before they need replacing) The knife register needs to be right as well. And the keepers need to be set so that they push the knife down on to the ledger plates in order to create the scissor action. The auger fingers will get very noisy if the plastic retaining bushes become very worn. They are easy to replace and it's worthwhile doing the little bearings on the end of the auger finger bars while you've got them out.
The cam track on the end of the auger will give some grief sooner or later, almost certianly it will have been replaced already. Some of the cam tracks had plastic inserts but I preferred those that didn't but kept them well greased.
Probably a detachable header on a Senny 80 but if it isn't they are easy to take off and rest on some pallets while you have a good look at the front elevator. Straighten/replace the bars and make sure that the three chains are in reasonable condition.
Enough for you to be going on with for the moment I think.
Thanks for that chaps, all good stuff!
Any pics?
If it's the one on ebay last week that was bang tidy.
Don't have it home yet but yes it was the one on Ebay, thought it was worth a punt as it appeared very original & tidy for age but time will tell.
I don't think that will do you any harm, it's obviously been somebodys baby. I was watching the auction as had just sold my 85 12ft, and thought you got a bargain.
Someone has loved that Senny. But look at the place. The mown grass, tidy fencing, sometimes you have to look at the surroundings as well as what you're trying to buy. I saw the combine but didn't make it a favourite. Since it is a public auction I think asking how much it made is a legitimate question.
That looks a little beauty. I'm sure she'll do the job for you.
Put some more pics on after you've fitted the twin beacons and cb twig
Don't itch for something if you're not prepared to scratch for it.
Very smart indeed, good enough to have as your Avatar??
Copy and save this for use under "settings/mysettings" if you do
ff
What a beaut.
As above, a tidy machine. Make sure you get grease into the spring-loaded halves of the variator pulleys on both the drum drive and the speed variator. the grease nipple will be between the coils of the spring and easy to miss. you may need to run it up and change the speed settings a bit, stop it and look if the grease nipple is more accessable. Also the big shaft that crosses through the combine under the engine, keep it greased as a bearing failure there can cut through the shaft, leading to tears
I had a Dom 80 that broke that shaft and I had to make one fit off a 85, as there were none available. possibly the worst job I have ever done.
A Dom 80 is a doddle to do compared to a Senator main shaft !!! Not that its easy by any means either :-)
Good day to you all and I am new and still learning, I am am trying to trace a RDS MK4 Combine monitor as I am doing up an old Senator 70 anybody know for one.
Bill
I would try manners first
Looking for unit or tubes?
unfortunately neither is likely to work now
Ixworth Solar Farming Ltd.
Looking for the unitLooking for unit or tubes?
unfortunately neither is likely to work now
Probably of no use at all, but there is a 'New monitor control box' being advertised in this months 'Farmers Guide'. Comes off a Dominator 85, so probably wrong but just in case, 01522 800080. It's in Lincolnshire.
Many thanks for the lead looks very hopefull.
Bill
Picked the old girl up from the ferry & drove her the 14 miles home....... Took a while!
As with any engine that has been working hard in hot conditions, thoroughly clean out the fins of the rad, as it needs all the cooling it can get as the outer rad screens can block in v dusty conditions. As previously mentioned drum speed pulley grease nipples are an issue and you do need to find ALL of them. Im not sure if yours has one but there may be a nipple on the end of the shaft of the returns auger in front of the drum. This I think was a `daily greaser` so you need to first take off the front drum cover. Often drum rasp bars are bent by stones that don't get cought in the stone trap. Replace the cleaning fan bearings, especially the side with the belts, these have no greasers, then suddenly brake up on you.
Avoid driving the machine at a set speed that has the variable speed belt lose as it will slip easily and wear out.
Conclusion. Keep all well greased and you will avoid most breakdowns.
All being well I should be trying her out this coming week. I have a question, the rams for raising/lowering the header have large spring on them. They are threaded and have a large cup/nut on them. What am I meant to do regarding this?
They are used to set the cutterbar float, it should feel like lifting an 8 stone bag at the end of a divider....give or take but i'm sure you'll get the idea.
Ps...thats with the bar about 4" off the ground.
So I take it I tighten the nut up to the spring at that levelish?
It is a good idea to get the float somewhere near where it should be as explained by Gapples. Then when you drop the header the springs start to take the weight before you have got down to the cutting height. If this isn't done the valve chest takes a bit of stick when the header is going down and you suddenly stop it. (if that makes sense) Not sure what size header you have got but if it's 14ft (or more) you will find the Senny a bit light on the back end unless you have a straw chopper on the back. If you don't I think they have a ballast box in the hood. If you have any banks it's a good idea to shove a bit of dry sand in there to even things up a bit.
No, you won't have enough compression on the sprig if you do it like that. As a suggestion, lower the header half way down and run the collar up to the spring and see what that feels like. You have a grub screw in the collar and it's a good idea to tighten that when you have it all set somewhere near right.
One thing I have forgotten to mention is that if you have to take the header off because it is wide i.e. 14ft or even a 12ft, I don't know your circumstances, you can't have too much compression on the springs or else in certain situations the header won't go down low enough to sit on the trolley. Nothing serious with all this spring job, you will soon get to know where the most suitable position is.
Thanks for the advice folks, all appreciated.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
