Corn:
Concaves: Large wire Concaves– No Wires pulled.
Grates: Keystock Bar Grates
Rotor configuration: For high volume corn, suggest 8 straight bars on the rear of the rotor over the grate area.
Vanes: Front vanes in the medium position.  You can run the back vanes in the medium position, but if you are concerned with rotor loss, a alternate suggestion is to put the back 5 vanes in the slow position (by slow, we mean the vanes will be almost straight up and down).  By having the back 5 vanes in slow position (along with the 8 straight bars on the back of the rotor), this will pretty much eliminate any chance of rotor loss in high yielding corn.
Rotor Speed: Baseline is 350 to 450 RPM.  A lot of folks like 380 to 400 RPM.  (If you slow the rotor in an effort to control rotor loss,  It is suggested not to run less than 300 RPM.  Because at this low speed, you do put a lot of torque/load on the rotor belt.
Concave module Clearance: Depending on the vintage/model of the combine, this can be different.  The new 88 series calls for 18 to 25 MM.  Other models might say 3 to 5 on the indicator.  The key thing is to run the thickness of a corncob at the pinch point. Running the clearance at the thickness of a corn cob will do two things.  1. It generally will allow the ears to roll through the machine rather than tumble (longer cobs out the back).  If you get the clearance too wide, the ears will tumble, and then you will have a lot of broken cobs to deal with in the cleaning system.  2. Running the thickness of a cob will put a certain amount of “rub” pressure on the concaves which can help prevent plugging of the concaves in green leaf varieties   It will provide a wiping action in order to keep the concave holes open and available for separation.
Front Section of Chaffer Sieve: Also known as the pre-sieve.  Baseline setting is 1/4 inch with the long cleaning system.  Maybe, just a touch more.   A good rule of thumb is to run the front section of the sieve half of what you run the main section of the chaffer.  If you ever get corn in the cleaning fan, the root cause is that the front section is too far open.  If you have the front section too far open, you may let too much corn through right away and actually create a pile on the front half of the shoe sieve.  You will than loss air flow to the top sieve-making the top sieve ineffective.  You have a lot of sieve, use the rest of it.
Main Chaffer Sieve: Recommended sieve is the 1 5/8 inch corn slat sieve.  A good baseline setting is 5/8 of a  inch between the louver openings.  If you like, you can run the very rear section the same, or just a little wider to prevent any sieve loss.  You want the top sieve to do over 90% of the cleaning.
Shoe Sieve: Recommended sieve is a 1 5/8 inch closz slate sieve.  Baseline setting is 1/2 of an inch. Keep a open attitude! Do not close too much because you will close air to the top sieve also.
Fan Speed: Baseline is 1100 rpm.  A lot of folks will use 1150 rpm or higher.  If you ever think you are blowing corn out of the sieve while running in the field.  Double check your front section of the chaffer sieve.  Too wide of a setting on the front top sieve can create a pile on the front of the shoe sieve blocking air in the front which will in turn create super high velocities of air at the rear of top and bottom sieve.
Chopper: Low Speed (always drop stationary knives for low speed. Never chop in low speed.)  It is a good idea to run the chopper in low for corn.  If you run in high, the cobs will bounce off the back inside hood of the combine back on the sieves.  The stain of the big cobs bouncing on the sieve will wear out the wires and sections can break out prematurely.

Soybeans
Concaves: Large wire Concaves– No Wires pulled.  Alternate note or tip:  In hard thresh rubbery green pods, some folks like to put a small wire concave in number 1 position with large wire concaves in number 2 and 3 position.  This can help clean up a hard thresh variety.  (Remember, you need all large wire concaves for Corn.)
Grates: Keystock Bar Grates
Rotor configuration: We usually leave it that same as the corn configuration listed above.  However, if you don’t have corn, you would not need the straight bars for soybeans.
Vanes: Front vanes in the medium position.  The back 5 vanes can be left in the medium position, but an alternate suggestion for green vine stems is to put the back 5 vanes in the fast position (by fast, we mean the vanes will be at the flattest angle possible).  By having the back 5 vanes in fast position, you will get the green stems out faster.  You will also find that it takes less power and fuel.  (It doesn’t take long to move the vanes, maybe 10 minutes once you know how to do it.)
Rotor Speed: Baseline is 550 to 650 RPM-sometimes even 700.  In damp viney soybeans, an alternate method to finding the best rotor speed is too start out in the field with a empty grain tank.  Start out at 550 rotor rpm.  Keep bumping the rotor speed up 20 rpm at a time and looking back in the grain tank.  Bump up the speed 20 rpm at a time until you see the soybean actually crack/split in the tank.  Once you see them start to crack, look at the rotor speed and back it down 70 RPM.  You have just found the sweet spot to run rotor speed without cracking the beans.  It will take less power and you will have better fuel economy.   Of course if the soybeans dry down during the day, you will reevaluate rotor speed.
Concave module Clearance: Depending on the vintage/model of the combine, this can be different.  The new 88 series calls for 15 to 25 MM.  Other models might say 3 to 4 on the indicator.  If you were to visually look at the clearance, it would be about 3/4 of an inch at the pinch point.
Front Section of Chaffer Sieve: Also known as the pre-sieve.  Baseline setting is 1/4 inch with the long cleaning system.  A good rule of thumb is to run the front section of the sieve half of what you run the main section of the chaffer.  If you ever get beans in the cleaning fan, the root cause is that the front section is too far open.  If you have the front section too far open, you may let too many beans through right away, and actually create a pile on the front half of the shoe sieve.  You will than loss air flow to the top sieve-making the top sieve ineffective.  You have a lot of sieve, use the rest of it.
Main Chaffer Sieve: If you also combine corn, you probably will use the same 1 5/8 inch corn slat sieve.  Long sieve systems call for baseline setting of 1/2 inch distance between the louver openings.   The nice thing about the 1 5/8 corn slate sieve is that if you want to run a little tighter, the sieve almost will act as a hole sieve due to the long fingers and bigger openings.    You want the top sieve to do over 90% of the cleaning.  Note: Some folks will run a 1 5/8 closz type sieve.  Just be aware of what sieve you have, as this can effect what setting to use.
Shoe Sieve: If you also combine corn, you probably will use the same 1 5/8 inch closz slate sieve.  Baseline setting is 3/8 of an inch. Keep a open attitude! Do not close too much because you will close air to the top sieve also.  Some folks will run a 1 1/8 shoe sieve which will also do a nice job cleaning the pods out.
Fan Speed: Baseline is 1050 to 1100 rpm.  If you ever think you are blowing beans out of the sieve while running in the field.  Double check your front section of the chaffer sieve.  Too wide of a setting on the front top sieve can create a pile on the front of the shoe sieve blocking air in the front which will in turn create super high velocities of air at the rear of top and bottom sieve.
Chopper: High Speed with stationary knives engaged.

Soybeans:
Modules: Large wire modules for the concaves – No Wires pulled.  Recommend skip wire modules in the grate area.
Rotor configuration: You probably will leave the same configuration in that you have for corn.  However, you would not need straight bars on the rotor for just soybeans.  It is still ok to use 8 spike rasps on back of rotor
Vanes: Medium position
Rotor Speed = 600 to 650 RPM  (Many of us usually like to take rotor speed up until I see the soybeans actually crack in the grain tank and then, back the rotor down 70 RPM’s to find the sweet spot!  We then get no crackage, but can run maximum sweet spot rotor speed)  This is a nice way to use for different varieties and moisture levels.
Concave module Clearance = 6 on Cab indicator.  If you have newer V21 (or higher) pro 600 software, use 15 to 20 as concave setting (setting is millimeters).
Pre Sieve = 3rd or 4th Notch
Chaffer Sieve = Cab indicator 16 or 5/8 inch. Perhaps down to 12.  If you have 1 and 5/8 long finger corn sieve, you can even use a cab indicator setting less than 16 (maybe even down to 12).
Shoe Sieve = Cab Indicator of 12 or 15/32 inches. Perhaps, down to 9 with 1 and 5/8 inch shoe sieve.
Fan Speed = 1000 to 1050 RPM
Chopper = High Speed with stationary knives engaged.

**For operators in the Dakota’s, Montana, Canada: For best Wheat Samples, it is suggested to use the cover plates on the upper cage above the #2 modules.  It is also suggested to use the cover plate over the chopper pan grate.  Pictures and part numbers are listed below.

Other Notes for High Performance Settings:
1. Some folks can use a number 3 (20 series would be about 10 mm) setting for the concaves and then drive faster in order to add more material to thresh the grain (more material on material threshing).
2. Some folks like to put covers on the upper side of the cage over the number 2 module. This can reduce the amount of broken straw and chaff on the cleaning system. There are also covers for the upper cage over modules 3 and 4.
3. Another little trick is to put cover over the chopper grate to reduce broken stems and chaff from coming down and overloading the sieves. Any of these covers are available from Case IH dealers.
4. Make sure to check levelness of the combine front to back (Keel angle). The rear of the combine should not be anymore than 3.5 to 4 degrees Max, higher than the front. This can be checked by putting the combine on a level floor and using a angle finder on the Main frame.

Here are some Part Numbers on Hard Thresh kits, cover kits/plates:
- 87748389 This is hard thresh Rotor Kit. (It includes #1R & #1L concave modules with concave covers.) It also includes 2 upper cage covers that go in the upper cage above the #2 modules both left and right side . If you want just the Hard Thresh module. #1R is 87741400. #2L is 87741402. This is a great kit if you have hard thresh wheat. A lot of folks can get by with just the #1R module (P/N 87741400).

-87584185 is the part number for the upper Cage filler plate service kit.  (kit includes both L.H. and R.H. cage filler plates)  These plates would go above the #2 Module section.  See Picture.

/

/

/

/
/
- Chopper discharge Grate Cover Kit for 20 series combines and 10 series combines after HAJ202001.   Use Parts Service Kit 73340388.   This is the cover and the hardware.   (For model year 2008 and newer)
/

/

/

/

- Chopper discharge Grate Cover Kit for 10 series combine before HAJ202001: Use 84083460 Beater Discharge grate cover kit.

-Upper cage cover plates above separator area: This would be in real brittle straw conditions in which your are trying to keep broken straw off the sieves.  Cover plate kit is 84084762. (This kit includes 4 small covers and hardware.) Usually only need one kit. The best place to install plates in the upper cage is above #3R module toward front and above #4 R module toward rear. Then, same on Left side, above #3L toward front and above #4L toward the rear. Make sure they go in upper part of cage above these modules.

-Manual Adjustable Residue Deflector Kit: An adjustable deflector is available as a dealer installed kit (part number 87328003) for 20 Series combines.  This  kit is used where you may have wet damp straw or damp soybean straw loading on the right side of the rotor and notice more residue on the right side than the left side.  It goes on the right hand side between the back of the rotor and the chopper.  The deflector is adjustable, allowing you to better direct straw through the chopper and to the spreaders.   (In order to get more even spread pattern from right to left side.)   The kit is available for machines  after serial number HAJ202001.  20 series combines equipped with the Magna cut chopper have this as standard equipment.  In normal straw moisture conditions, the residue can be managed very nicely without it.  However, for those folks that may have to  combine in extreme tough straw conditions and want the ultimate residue management spreading, see your Case IH dealer about this kit.  It’s pretty easy to put in too! (provided it is after above serial number.)

Take Note: Always check with your Case IH Parts dealer to make sure part numbers are correct and up to date!

My name is CJ and I work with the Case IH combine group. I hope this web site is useful to you.

I would like to here your good experiences with your Case IH combines. In paticular, I would like to hear from from 1st year owners of 5088, 6088, 7088, 7120, 8120, and 9120 operators. Please write a note reply/Comment below and tell me what you like. Then click the submit box.

What is your new model combine and what did it replace?
What kind of increase in productivity did you get?
If you would, please list the crop you were in, bushels per hour, or MPH/head size, yield — That would be awesome. Also, let us know what state/providence you are from.

I know what these machines can do, I want to compare notes with what other operators feel. Your information would be very useful. Thank your for your time!

Email at:  combineman@caseihharvesting.com

Thank you,
CJ

The combine was running a 12 row chopping cornhead at a speed of 4.3 mph.  The 8120 was doing a excellent job!  In the same field there was a JD9870 running with a 12 row chopping cornhead.   The JD 9870 was set by the local dealer.  The JD operator said they were also driving 4.3 mph.  However, we double checked the speed with a handheld GPS and found speed reading was off.   They were only going 3.9 to 4.0 mph.  We double check the 8120 speed and found that it’s tach speed was correct.  It was interesting to note that the 9870 could not go any faster without trailing a yellow ribbon of corn out the right side.  The JD had the self leveling sieve bays, but the rotor was loading heavily on the right side.

I usually carry some 1 foot by 1 foot loss check screens with me.  I can run alongside the combine and throw them underneath and then evaluate the kernels loss behind the combine.  I have to admit that the 8120 combine was dialed in and doing a outstanding job with the wet corn!  In checking with the screens about 10 times, we could only average a 1/2 kernel loss at best (uniform spread).   We also did a loss check with the JD9870.  It always had 4 to 5 kernels (uniform spread) in the 1 foot screens (that did not include the broken and flour kernels also being thrown out).

I did some quick calculations and found that the JD was losing 2 bushels more per acre.  In making a round in a half mile field, that equates to 3.6 acres per round, or 7.2 bushels of additional loss.  7.2 bushels times $3.60 corn is $25.92.  On this day the JD9870 was losing $25.92 every round.  The sample in the tank also have a much greater amount of fines (which meant more drying cost to push air through to dry-extra cost there too.)

One nice thing about the Red combine is that it has adjustability.  The vanes can be adjusted, the concave position can be adjusted along with the pre-sieve.  It was really nice to have these features to really dial it in.