Combines lateral tilt

You guys have any tips for set up or operationIJ Our 62 had 30.5s, the 72 has duals so we think that will add a bunch of stability. Both our platform and 8 row corn head will be set up. We did run a 9650STS a bit with lateral tilt and found it to be pretty nice. We did like the JD's height control functions. 1 to raise part way for turning, the other to raise all the way and a 3rd for return to cut. Wish AGCO had that. Any comments on FieldstarIJ If you have it.

As far as set up goes read the operators book it does a pretty good job of explaining how to set it up. Sensitivity and cutting height are infinantly adjustabel. Fieldstar is pretty good the only thing I don't care for is that you can't preload all of your fields in the com unit ahead of time so that you have a list of fields to chose from. As of now you have to have a note book and write down what field you are in and then the date and job number.Other than that I like it very well. Tim

The ability to preload fields with names that make sense is coming with new software upgrade coming very soon, so I learned from the AGCO guy. AGCO does listen, I guess.

Gleaner has had return to cut feature on the auto- header height since 1998

Curly, I have a 98 R 72 and my dealer told me somewhere around 5000. I dont know if that is close or just ballpark. Can you find a Gleaner stripperhead I'm sure that it would work with the lateral tilt. John Ferguson

Dealer got back to me today and you are pretty close. The only way is to go with a lTM system at $5500 plus around $750 for adaptors for each head. Have to change entire feederhouse to go with the newer style controller (smarttrack)IJIJIJ That controller works with anything after 1998. looks like I'll just wait and trade up (if we raise a crop and if it is worth anything) How about the rest of you are you as pessimistic as I amIJ looks to me like without continued and even incresed levels of government subsidies we are faced with even lower profit potentios in the future. lots of banks in this area are keeping operating loans at last years level with a lot of restucturing going on. Everyone seems to be raising someone elses alternative crop so those prices have tanked. Contrary to what I learned in economics class we are not like a factory and can't (or wont because you will be the only one) idle capacity to increase prices. Overhead continues and kills you. The only name of the game is to produce as many bushels as you can with as many rotations as you can and hope that your neighbor has a crop failure. My 2 cents

I know you are probably gonna disagree with me here but i think the worldwide subsidy situation is one of the major causes of the current farm crisis. Farmers are their own worst enemies. What do most guys do when those big subsidy cheques come inIJ You guessed it, they go out and start driving up land rents, buying new equipement which if they put a pencil to it they would know they can afford to own ( unless of course the next subsidy cheque is as big as the last one). Hell we have guys in our area running 800 acres and they own 12 row planters,class6 combines( sometimes 2 of them !)huge 4x4 tractors and of course the token new pickup in the driveway. A guy thats running 1000 acres can get away with a 6row corn planter,15ft no-till drill and a class 5 combine with little problem ( i know because we do it ! and have done it for years) BUT they dont because its a race to keep up with the neigbours.I know im ranting but its just time to vent lOl..

I heard somewhere that the amount of government subsidy was about half of the net farm income. The subsidy is about half of the profit in farmingIJ!IJ! I think thud hit the nail on the head. Seams to me that a lot of farmers forget about one of the factors they have the most control over, and that is the input costs. It seams to me that we should look close at getting more efficient rather than getting more yields. Profit is not measured in bushels per acre but in dollars per acre, and the two aren't the same thing. Buying too much equipment, putting on more N than the crop can use, spraying too much herbicide in order to have spotless fields, not taking advantage of mother natures own way of growing plants are all ways we spend more than we have to spend. I am guilty too sometimes. Just my 2 bits.

Why would you want to run a 15 year old head on a 3 year old machineIJ I would guess with some labor and material you could make it work. 525 heads are plentiful for $10,000 so you can't stick much in an old 324. Even a new 830 will cost you less than 20K.

It's paid for! Seriously the transition from the cutter bar to the auger table on the 300 series is much more flat than the later models. There is not the hump. This allows for easier feeding of some very vertically challenged lentils on some vertically challenging terrain in the PNW.