[John-in-Ga]

I’ve read about things like this in news papers and seen pictures on the internet never thinking that it could happen this close to home. I am told that something went wrong with the picker and caused sparks in the internals of the machine somewhere. The sparks caused the cotton on the picker to catch fire, in turn igniting the oil and fuel the picker was carrying. By the time the operator realized there was a fire it was really already too late.

1. This was not my cotton picker, I don’t own one, but is the picker shown in the Eli Whitney Legacy Post of a few days back. It is a total loss.
<IMG SRC=http://img57.exs.cx/img57/606/asicottonpickerburned38ho.jpg>

2. Another view notice the fire extinguisher on the ground in front of the picker. It was on the picker and the operator used it up and went and got the water truck but couldn’t put the fire out.
<IMG SRC=http://img57.exs.cx/img57/3778/asicottonpickerburned53ss.jpg>

3. They think that the problem on the picker caused this module to burn. The operator dumped not knowing there was a problem. Another picker even finished loading the module not knowing there was a hot embers down inside of the module. Module burned from inside out. I’m told that by the time this picture was taken fire was far enough along that attempts to extinguish it would have been futile. Module burned completely.
<IMG SRC=http://img37.exs.cx/img37/4429/asimoduleburning26tf.jpg>=

Y’all be careful out there. Keep you eyes, ears, and nose open when operating machinery large and small.

:cpu:

 

[MowHoward2210]

How unfortunate. The flammability of the cotton while in the machine never dawned on me. Has this always been a concern in cotton operations?

 

[John-in-Ga]

Actually, they tell me that it isn’t all that uncommon for a cotton picker to burn. This is the only one that I’ve had any connection to before such a happening.

BTW. Thanks for the reply. Was beginning to wonder if I had manage to only get the dread red x, (or <IMG SRC=http://img131.exs.cx/img131/9618/picture10sr.jpg>), to come up in this thread. Guess, there isn’t as much interest in this sort of thing as I thought there would be.

:cpu:

 

[parts man]

John, that's a real shame!! I hope they had insurance on it!! Those things run big$$$!:dazed:
The operaters manual for our round baler recomends carrying a fre extinguisher too, lots of bearings for hay to get wrapped in and get hot.:smoking:

(I think it's just a slow, that's why so few responses so far )

 

[MowHoward2210]

I've had TF up most of the day (I have a broadband connection), and it's been a slow day here at TF activity wise. I sure have enjoyed the pics and info so far.

 

[MowHoward2210]

Another thing, John-in-Ga, is a lot of the new members or non-regulars probably don't use the "view new posts" feature or the "search forum post from the last ( ) days" on the homepage like a lot of us regulars probably do. "Growing Crops" is probably not looked at as much as some of the others on the big homepage on this relatively new site. But putting it there makes sense, and that's where I would have put it.

 

[Argee]

John,

Nice documentary:thumbsup: There are a few of us on this forum that take a keen interest in anything farming...with that being said you can feel free to post this kind of info to your hearts content and you will certainly have my gratification:hooray:

 

[memmurphy]

John,
Thanks for taking the time to post the pictures and information. :thumbsup:

Mark

 

[jodyand]

Thanks John man i hate to see machinery burn but i guess there isn't much you can do once the fire takes hold.

 

[balmoralboy]

Looking at the way that burned makes me wonder if it was spontaneous combustion. Was the cotton wet or oily at all? Looks like what happens with fish meal if you let it get too oily. The oil oxidizes and the product is a good enough insulator, like cotton or hay, to keep the heat inside. It builds up the temperature over time and can take several weeks to get to flame breaking out. The only solution is air - have to conduct the heat away....

No, i suppose if it was spontaneous it would not have destroyed the picker, just the module. Must have been a hot box.