Combines 9600 or CTS Again

We have run th 9600's, CTS, and CTS11's. You can not go wrong on the CTS. Great combine, that is underestimated. CTS has same power as the 9600, but does a better job on wheat and barley. The CTS11 went 15 hp more to 275 I believe. Some fellows say that the 9600 is a bit better in canola but we never found this to be. Same. There is a kit sold for canola for the grate in back of rotors. I think this is not a John Deere kit, but try Nykolaishen Farm Equipment in Kamsack Sask. Canada. 306-542-2814. They sold a lot of CTS's in that area. also www.nykolaishen.com Both good combines, but the CTS got more bang for your buck.

We bought a 1997 CTS and ran it along side 4 9600's for 5 years cutting wheat and barley. It kept up with the bigger machines in the wheat and out cut them in the barley. The best thing about the CTS to us is the downtime. The CTS just runs and runs with virtually no problems. We roll out the twin rotors every year and measure for wear and roll them back every year without replacing any tines. And it seemed so much easier to set for cleaning and the job it did was always superior to that of the 9600. I'd go for the CTS and hope that you have the same great luck that we've had.

We run a 1995 9600 and a 2000 9650CTS. I find the CTS easier to set and I would put the performance in canola equal to the 9600. You do need the filler plates or the kit to close off the rear in canola.