Combines looking to go red

I think it would help to know what year and model your current machines are and what year the 1660 is. What crops will you be harvestingIJ In general, a late model 1660 that has been well cared for could be a very nice machine, especially if it has a chopper.

I am running a later 7720 (not a Titan II) and when it broke down I rented a near new 9610. The JD is a great machine but can be very difficult to work on. In addition, the CaseIH is much easier to change over to a different crop (concaves and such). I normally only harvest wheat and high moisture corn but a 1660 would also be excellent for beans and seed crops-there is a good demand for custom work here for those. This particular machine does not have the chopper, but as I said, it is very straight and clean.

From my experience, I would prefer the 9610 in high moisture corn. The 1660 doens't have quite the hp, especially if you're thinking of custom work. A 1680 doesn't have enough clean grain capacity for the hm corn. From experience I think the 1680 as the 9610 are both easy to work on and about the same amount of work to switch from wheat to corn. What problems did you have with the 9610IJ

Besides the cab and Hp, the 21 and 2300 series have a completely new hydraulic system. Other than that, there would only be minor changes.

We went from a JD conventional and purchased a 1989 1660 with 2200 hours on it. It was also a very well cared for 1-owner machine. It has been a very good decision, as the machine is a pleasure. It is indeed very easy to work on and set, and our repairs through 2 years have been minimal.

The small hydraulic pump that runs off of the feederhouse drive lost a bearing in the pillowblock that supports it, the vibration broke the bracket that holds the upper feederhouse sheave and that shredded the belt. It took the dealer a few hours labor and a day and a half to get the parts. I am up and running again.

That is not an uncommon failure on a Deere 9000-series, however, it is not a fault of the design or combine. That is the reel pump drive bearing, and it's one of those grease zerks that seldom if ever gets greased, because of the location. After guys pay to rebuild one or two, the generally learn to start greasing them. I am JD tech (primarily tractors, though),and we replace several of those bearings per year, as we run a minimum of 70 or 80 combines through the shop on our combine promo. I'm also a little curious about your comment about changing crops. My grandpa and uncle harvest with a 9500, and it takes very little time to switch between corn, beans and milo, when they raised milo. There is no need to switch concaves or anything like that when switching crops. 9610s are pretty good machines, they just are a little different from your 7720, although very similar in most ways. Since you have Deere experience, you'll get it figured out in no time. Don't condemn the whole machine just because somebody else didn't service it correctly.

conventional deeres are all right if you want a corn grinder

depending on how old the 1660 is if it has a cummins motor it's a 90 or newer there are so many changes between a 60 and a 66 or 88 it would take a lot to write them all out. but the newer machines have a cross flow fan and longer cleaning system and if the 60 does not have a specialty rotor in it, get one. 1666's-1688's are the closest to the 2100's basically the same without the new cab.

I guess you'll have to take that up with the owners of the 300 or so conventional Deeres running in this area, as we grow a little bit of corn here in York County, NE. I haven't heard of a complaint of cracked corn yet. That's probably because they're smart enough to set their machines.