Combines McDon 960 vs McDon 972 vs 1020 for rice soybeans and wheatIJ

The weak point on the 960 MacDon is the gear box drive for the center draper. I have not been around it but heard only bad comments about it. We've had the 962s for four years now and love them. I've cut soybeans with it and the field looked nicer than the neighbours done with a row head. The result mainly depends on how level your fields are and how much residue you have from the previous year. I've had no chance to compare the 962 to the 972. MacDon claims that the C-shaped cutterbar on the 972 cuts closer to the ground. In my opinion the 962 shaves the ground already. MacDon has a sensor for height control specifically designed for CIH, mounted under the center link. You should be able to get your controls to work. If you can live without a hydraulic real for_after, get the hydraulic center link. I have also seen an additional switch mounted in the CIH cab to have both. The drapers get destroyed mainly by rocks, but can be patched easily. Our draper brake downs were all human errors. If you buy a used one, change all draper bearings and maybe the sickle bar. That should do. How high are your yieldsIJ I recommend the 36' size. Go at least with 30'. You'll be able to go the same ground speed as you do with a 25' auger.

Thanks for the response. I've been told by some neighbors that the 972 is a better all around header than the older 960 I looked at, but I am having a hard time finding a good used one for a reasonable price. $10 August soybeans do crazy things to folks! Our soybean yeilds are usually in the 50-60 bushel_acre range, although this past year we had a good many in the 70's. Wheat usually in the 70's or so as well. Rice goes from 140 to 180 bushels. I have no doubt I could run a 30' or larger in soybeans and wheat, as some around here run 30' flex headers. But 25' is about as wide as you can run in rice, for a variety of reasons. One is because the straw is still green when you cut it. Also the levees in some of our unleveled fields are too close to run a wider header. So to make one header work for everything except corn, 25' is the best all around size for us.

Take a look at the Honey Bee header. Give Corning Imp. in Corning, Arkansas a call. They have a lot of them in rice and beans in their area.

Yeah, I've thought about Honeybee, but Corning is the closest dealer and thats about 6 or 7 hours from us. I'm afraid getting parts would be a nightmare. Scott tractor, our local CaseIH dealer chain, sells and services MacDon headers, so it just seems simpler to go that route.

Give Corning a call, they are also a distributer for HB. They may have a dealer in the area. If you have any questions, email me: jbhughes@srt.com

The www.macdon.com will help you to compare the headers. The 960 is not made anymore but is very similar to the 962_963 that are currently made though your adaptors may be differnt as well. In general a 960 is a lighter header made more for standing crop while the 972 is alot heavier and can stand running on the ground and the heavy conditions you sometimes get with rice.