Combines 7700 advice

The green boys aren't going to offer much help, so I'll give you some hints with a silver slant on things. A combine, ANY combine is a high maintenance piece of machinery. As they get older and lower in price there will be more and more stuff that needs to be replaced or repaired. The first thing to do when looking at a machine of the calibre you're considering is to try to find the absolute worst bearing and shaft there is to work on on the whole machine. Chances are, you are going to get to work on that one. Pay particular attention to the shafts that run length-wise to the machine. Not a lot of room to swing a hammer or attach a puller when you're on your back in the guts of the machine. Not real pleasant to fire up the 'smokey wrench' while you're laying in there either. Next thing: look at belts and chains and how easy they are to change. The more belts and less chains a combine has is a plus for the machine so equipped. Access to the engine is also something to consider. Designs that are ashamed of the engine and hide it way inside the bowels of the beast should be avoided, but designs that are so proud of it, that they want to place it where you can hear the growl right next to you and be comforted by the heat it gives off should also be avoided. In my opinion, a combine engine belongs in the open, behind the grain tank. Good luck with your search. If you find a silver candidate I can maybe offer some better hints on what to check. Ed in Montana

Ed i have also looked at gleaners as well. i really don't consider myself color blind i just run whatever works. i have an 82 massey right now and know what its like for the company to be ashamed of there motor. i think the gleaner N's might be alright but don't know anything about them. maybe if you do you could give me a little advice on what to look for with those machines well thanks and take care Red

I kind of skipped over the Ns in my career. I bought a new l2 in '77 and ran that for 20 years. Then bought a couple of the later Rs with the new style processor. I've seen real disasters and real successes with the Ns. The guys that understand them and keep them up, do real well with them. Others have nothing but grief with them. One thing for sure: the early Ns are sure priced right, and with a little TlC and some work, a guy can have a real high capacity machine that's fairly simple to work on.