Reviving an Abandoned Combine to Harvest Beans: A Junkyard Digs Adventure

Reviving the John Deere 6600 Combine

• 🚜 The team at Junkyard Digs aims to harvest beans using a revived John Deere 6600 combine, a machine that had been sitting for years.
• 💡 After a previous successful corn harvest, the focus shifts to addressing worn bearings, bushings, chains, and linkages on the combine itself.
• ⚡ A significant challenge is reviving a completely seized bean head that had been exposed to the elements.
• 🔋 The combine is successfully started using dual Honda Civic batteries, a testament to its old diesel engine.

Tackling the Bean Head Challenges

• ⚠️ Upon inspection, the bean head is found to be missing crucial sickle teeth and spike-like components, indicating it had been partially cannibalized.
• 🔍 The team identifies a potential solution by contacting a neighbor with a similar combine who might have a spare bean head.
• 🚚 They locate a John Deere 215 bean head on a trailer, which appears to be in much better condition than their original one.
• 🛠️ Extracting the trailer tongue and maneuvering the head out of the mud proves to be a difficult but ultimately successful task.

Mechanical and Electrical Retrofits

• ⚙️ The new 215 head is attached to the combine, with a focus on ensuring it sits low to the ground to prevent seed loss.
• 🔌 A major hurdle is the electrical incompatibility between the newer head (six wires, cannon plug) and the older combine (three wires, missing controller), requiring a retrofit.
• 💡 The team plans to salvage electrical components and a computer from a parts combine to bridge this gap.
• 🔧 Mechanical connections, including hydraulic hoses and drive chains, are made, with a significant portion of the effort dedicated to understanding and adapting the systems.

Harvest and Troubleshooting

• 🌾 The combine, with the retrofitted head and stock chopper, begins harvesting the bean field, encountering significant weed growth.
• ⚠️ Troubleshooting includes issues with the auto-leveling system, requiring cleaning of corroded circuit boards.
• 🚧 The team faces challenges with stuck components, including a seized concave, requiring creative solutions like welding and using a large breaker bar.
• 🚜 Despite numerous setbacks and repairs, the combine successfully harvests beans, though with some seed loss and a significant amount of foreign material.

Final Harvest and Financials

• 💰 The harvested beans are transported to the co-op, yielding a modest financial return.
• 📈 The video highlights the low cost of operation due to using salvaged parts and existing equipment, resulting in a positive ROI despite the low yield.
• ✅ The team reflects on the challenges and successes, emphasizing the fun and learning experience of reviving old equipment for a practical purpose.