Combines R42 vs R52

We were looking at combines our local dealer told us he has never sold an R 52 mainly because there is no difference in performance and grain quality between the 42 and 52, and the R 42 would have as good as resale value as a R 52

I suppose in your situation you might be just as well off with the 42. Keeping a machine that long you wouldn't need to be as concerned with resale like you said. We also dairy and bale straw. You'll be happy to hear that you will be able to get very baleable straw from a Gleaner. We have learned enough tricks over the past 10 years or so that we can get straw from our R52 that you can't tell from a conventional. Ask your dealer to install the performance kit for you - it is a kit that extends the rasp into the discharge a bit further than the stock bars and helps to keep crop flowing through the rotor better. Any reduction in crop flow through the rotor will result in straw being chewed up. Ask him also to make sure there are All FORWARD rasp bars on the rotor - those reverse bars are evil things that slow crop flow down, will chew your straw up, and consume horsepower. Keeping the machine fed and running at capacity has a great deal to do with straw quality also - need new crop coming in to push old straw through. When we encounter oats that are down, and have to slow way down to allow the reel to pick them up, it will chew straw - not so much that the baler won't pick it up though (and not nearly as much as an Axial!). You are making a big jump in capacity from the 6620 so you just have to keep in the back of your mind to cut the beast loose and let her fly! The chrome cage in a 52 might help you some in straw quality, but probably not as much as the factors I listed above. Another idea - you may want to cut a crop of corn with the 42 before you tackle small grains - the corn will polish and smooth the cage making your straw flow through easier. Any more questions, just ask.... Best of luck, enjoy your Gleaner, and keep us informed! Tom langan

I would lean to the R52 a little more power. IJare R42 cages chromed.

CG Considering that good straw and low usage each year,wouldnt you be better off with a conventional machineIJIJ

That thought has crossed my mind! I currently run a Deere, but I have to trade all my headers since Deere has changed the drive mechanism on their heads. Gleaner has offered me a far better trade price than my local Deere dealer, plus I like the cab, controls, and simplicity of the gleaner over the deere.

Thanks Tom! Unfortunately, I'll be combining barley for the initial crop; - I guess I'll buy some straw this year! You mentioned to ask for forward bars as opposed to reverse bars. It may be a dumb question, but do they make a straight bar. Seems to me that if material was moving too fast through the cage, running a forward bar for every second bar would make sense. Also, what are feeder shocks and are they worthwhile to installIJ

Ding, Ding, Ding!! We have a winner. Excellent question, why wouldn't a straight bar be just what we need, instead of a half height or reverse. Ed in MT