[AT] older combine straw choppers

[John Hall]

I've got to replace the blades on my combines straw chopper. According to 
the parts book there are different blades used on 2 of the 3 shafts, toward 
the center. They merely have weight reduction holes. These blades are listed 
in the parts book for balancing. I ran across a firm that specializes in 
rebuilding and balancing choppers on an industrial balancer--they have been 
at it for over 25 years. They recommend always balancing the chopper, but my 
local dealer says they never do it. What's the normal practice in your neck 
of the woods? I'm planning on marking everything and taking it apart and 
reassembling everything in exact order. I'll check the new blades to make 
sure they are all machined the same--if not I'll work off the pivot hole and 
trim the length accordingly.

John Hall