[AT] Cockshutt 30 at auction

[Ralph Goff]

Greg Hass wrote:
> 
> A question for Ralph or anyone; In the auction with the Cockshutt 30, 
> they have listed a tapered swath roller. Exactly what does this do. My 
> guess would be to pack down a swath of grain or whatever so the wind 
> doesn't blow it around. On the other hand in our area that would be the 
> last thing one would do as we have all kinds of equipment to fluff up 
> the windrows for faster drying. Related; in our area for the last few 
> years, the last two in particular, people are buying big rollers up to 
> 40 feet wide and 3 or 4 feet in dia. to roll soybeans 
Greg, you are right on the field rollers although here we grow peas but 
its the same principal. Those combine headers literally have to scrape 
the ground to get the peas into the knife and you don't want any stones 
left in the way. The rollers seem to work well for this purpose.
The tapered roller you mention is for a completely different purpose. If 
you've ever grown canola you'll know that its a dense , bushy crop that 
when swathed produces a huge windrow very vulnerable to high winds. I've 
seen fields of canola swaths just devastated after a big wind hits and 
tears the swaths apart, shelling out most of the pods in the process. It 
doesn't happen too often but you don't have to lose too many acres to 
pay for a swath roller.
The one I use is a plastic roller mounted on two wheels and pulled 
behind the swather.

Ralph in Sask.

>