Combines N SERIES

Could go into asking about wear issues, but you would have to look at it or else have a qualified service man look at it. If its in decent shape without everything wore out, yes it would handle 100 acres with ease.

My N5 shelled 500 acres of corn and 450 acres of beans this past year.

Got any proud pictures of your N-5 in the fields KevinIJ I kinda collect picture of the N series out in the fields yet today.

I would say you are paying to much. I have two N5 for sale and nobody wants them. I want only $4000. to $4500.for choice depending on what head_s goes with them. As for what was wrong with an N5. I would say the RPM runs too fast for the heads, you can have a lot of sickle head problems on the bean head or regded head. The corn head or a row crop head where you can slow down the head did not seem to bother. They are under powered compared to N6's. If you have your combine ready for harvest you should be able to cut 75 acres or more a day if you have the trucks to get it to town. If you want more info on what to look for on wear on the combine email me at kriv961@yahoo.com post subject n5 combine.

Before I begin, I just want to say I have no problem with current Gleaners and I think they are good combines. Reason we run JD is because the support and service is better, they have always been reliable for us, and have always done a great job. Plus Machinery link doesn't have any Gleaners. Now, I'm sure if everybody had your experience with the N series, Gleaner wouldn't have fallen off the face of the earth and become an afterthought in the combine market. During the 60s and 70s Gleaner was everywhere and thats what every custom cutter I knew operated around here. My regular custom cutter started with cabless Gs. last Gleaners he owned was N7s. Had so much trouble with them, he actually told he would have been better off dropping them off at the nearest Gleaner dealer, taking the hit, and getting a different combine. Support from Gleaner was just horrible. He still makes the run today with the JD STS which he likes. Had another custom cutter with N7s that cut for us or tried anyway. They worked fine until they got to our farm. They could not handle our solid stem wheat. They guy tried everything. Spent more time in the back fooling around with the rotor then cutting. Even took the cage sweep off. Then he tried going fast, going slow, taking just the heads and taking it all. Did a real crappy job too and that was the end for us on hiring cuttom cutters. I helped a farmer I know last year for a few days that operates a TR 98. They went from an l2 to a N6. Spent so much time working on it they traded to a NH TR 86.

Rockpicker, your comments and opinions are just as welcome here as anyones. Glad to here what you have to say.

Rockpicker, I would really like to talk to you sometime about your solid stem straw, I have a friend that preaches it and just wondering what your crop nutrient program is. I am assuming this is wheat I do see some solid stems from time to time on our high calcium soils but not the whole field.

We really like the N 7's 1981-1985, they are the best value for the money. No other combine will give you that capacity in wheat for the price but I don't know about other crops. We cut 3500 acres with two and spend minimal money on them but you have to have some mechanical sense and listen to the experts on this site thats how we do it.

Wouldn't say they are much different than the rest. Doesn't help the latest one off the line was 21 years ago. The reputation from the first couple years doesn't help. Just like some new model introductions of late there are some guys having nightmares and some getting along fine. If all the divisions of a company involved with bringing and keeping a machine in the marketplace would work together we would be all better off. I find this very disapointing at times. If there wasn't so many newer machines with reasonable prices for most farmers the old N series would be worth alot more. Another problem is many Ns have not been kept up at all which hurts the reputation for the ones that have been. If you can find alot of Ns around I would look for a '82 or newer which will have the much improved rigid and flex heads, slowed down engine on N6, and many improvements that were offered to prior machines. Check and compare cage conditions, see if they have tailing return to cylinder package, plus all the normal things you would look over on any used machine. Now most important to capacity in the crops we all raise today be prepaired to shim helical bars or install channel iron helical kit. These machines can kick and take names of many machines much newer if helicals are set up to flow the straw. Good luck

Sure do Silver Shoes, some shelling corn with 830 head, and some cutting beans with 320 head. I have one with it cutting with a l2 and a 7580 pulling a grain cart. Send me a email and I will try to send you a copy.