Combines 9970

I think your friend is full of B.S. tj

isnt a 9970 a cotton pickerIJ

There are strong indications a model change is near. The 2006 models go into production soon, and some of the changes are becoming known. New cab roof and lighting package with distinctive new look. Solid RH side access panel with no louvers for radiator. Air is scooped in from top. Battery location near ground level. New belt pickup. Bullet rotor, sure to become buzz-word in new sales season. And for corn harvest, a heavy duty header drive train. There was no mention of new decals. Those may not appear until the last minute. So, its really anybody's guess about new model numbers, but the 2006 models will have significant changes.

Yipper. A quick google search comes up with a ton of hits as this being a cotton picker

It wouldn't be the first time Deere replicated numbers. 7410 tractors or self-propelled forage harvesters, 3010 high-profile and compact tractors, 510 tractors and discs, 930 tractors and flexheads, the list goes on.

9400 drills, 9400 tractor, and 9400 combine. Funny part was, you could buy all three at the same time.

from looking at the specs on the sheet and hearing other farmers the 9860 is the same as a 9760 the only thing really different is the engine. as far as a 9970 its doubtful anything with that number will be rolled out anytime soon. Its possible the 9860 will get beefed up things like shoe size sometime soon with the addition to the bullet rotor some time soon.

9660-9860 are the same combine. I've been told by JD that they have no intention of increasing the cleaning area of their combines. Take care, Nathan

I wouldn't worry about to much power, in fact we found the 9860 to be underpowered. I suspect the new rotor and 50 extra HP they are proposing for '06 will go a long way towards solving that problem.