Combines Gleaner K2

Being in the Seed Research business myself I know what our shop manager puts into the combines we run and the idea that being down a day or two with a bearing or chain in the middle of the season can cost research greatly. These older K2s that these companies have are generally much better maintained that the typical farmer's machine.

I have farmed with Gleaner k's since 85 as a Gleaner K and from 91-2003 with a Gleaner K2 we farmed 175 acres. They are great machines easy to work on and dependable GM 250 very low maintaince though very fuel hunger.

Some late model K2's have hydrolic swing auger, which is nice to have. If machine is raspbar, I agree with the earlier post. Put in a set of Clarence Trimpe high performance rasp bars, and you will think you traded combines. Machine may be a little thirsty, my K pushing a 13' head in soybeans will average around 1.5 gallons per acre harvested.

Wheatbreeder, How many hours do you think your K 6 cylinder GM260 had on it when you traded up to the K2IJ I wonder how many hours these engines will run before needing rebuilt. They do use more fuel than the 4 cylinder AC200 diesels, but at least the GM250 will start without ether when it gets cold. 6 cylinders are good balanced running engine also.

We ran a K for years, has over 4000 hrs, engine (250) still runs like a top, great machine in corn, short backs tended to lose some grain in a high yielding but light seed crops, such as oat_barely mix.

They quit making K2's in 81 as I recall. I have a 81 K2 Corn plus now and like it a lot. Hydro's were add ons for seed people. You would never make it clutching all those short plots all day! I agree with putting Trimpe cylinder bars in it for corn and beans. Easy to work on and parts are easy to get (at least at my Agco dealer). little gas guzzlers also. Maybe an F2 with you acreage you might consider too. Whereabouts are you locatedIJ Good luck

Correction I farmed with a K from 85 to 91 from 91-03 when we purchased an k2 the K likey had 4450 hrs with out engine problems other than routine maintaence.What a difference with the F2 disesel and AC

Thanks for the comments Rock and others.Those "tricks of the trade" (Trimp bars etc.) comments are very valuable to someone with no experience. Also it is good to hear the comments on reliability and parts being available.The machine was owned by the Ontario ag. colledge so I guess that's why it has hydrostat as they would be doing nothing but test plots.I have thought about a bigger machine.But it keeps coming back to the condition (998 hrs.)of this machine and the fact it has not been on a farm yet so I'm thinking it would be a good starter machine.Can anyone tell me aproximately how many acres per hour I can expect to put through.Say for 60 bushel wheat and beans and 150-175 bushel cornIJI'm located in southern Ontario about 10 miles inland from the middle of lake Erie,about 90 miles south of Toronto.

I do not know about wheat acreage through a K2, but the guys from Pennsylvania say they prefer a 10 ft. platform....too much stuff for a smaller machine or just drive really slow with a 12 or 13ft. head or take just 10 ft. Maybe somebody else has had experiences..I just run corn and beans here in Indiana. The chaffer will be your limiting factor on speed or bushels per hour. I run a 330 head and I set no speed records in good corn (175 Bu for us). Everything clicking I get 2-2500 Bushels in a day and about 40-50 gallons of gas! Sounds like a nice low hour machine!

I had trimpe bars in my k2 and could run 80 bu wheat in 2nd gear with variable speed in high position. It did an excellent job. I went to an f3 to get the hydro, if I could have found a k2 with hydro that would have been a great little machine for my needs. Buy it why you can.