Combines repairs per acre

We still have our '89 9500 with real high hours. Some years, the repair bill has been real high, other years, it has been close to nothing. We have had it checked over by a dealer or a mechanic that used to work at a dealer every year. We have never had any outside problems from wear items except the brakes wore out. Over the long run it appears to be around $3. Remember, most of the stuff on this combine has been worn out several times. The clean grain elevator is supporting several patches and it is still the cleanest threshing combine in wheat I have ever seen.

Just a question for you. Have you ever replaced any walkers in your combine. Got a interesting conversation going on about how many walkers the green machines need replaced on a regular basis. It is totally news to me but just curious about your experiences. Thanks

I have never replaced a walker, nor do I know anyone that has on a Maximizer machine for anything less than running something major through the machine.

I can tell you I had a john deere 45 that I ran for eighteen years and I only spent about 2000 dollars in parts the whole time I owned her. I combined about 275 acres of corn and 300 acres of wheat a year and I would do 60 acres of beans every other year. And two years I did 98 acres of oats. And one year I direct cut some Milo(boy was that itchy) about 110 acres. What killed me on that combine was that clean grain elavator belt I burned that up about seven times that sucker was about 29 dolllars a pop. Did not have a cab so that cut way down on a lot of expenses. Mother did not mind though she never did like a cab. Boy that milo was itchy ,Mommas eyes were all swoll up and she was a scratchin all the time. You just couldnt help but laugh. I mean really does you wife love you enough to combine milo without a cabIJ I doubt it. She could cook like a banshy fast and tasty. She was not much of a looker though. But what the heck I couldnt see her for the dust most of the time anyway. I really do not know what it cost per acre to drive my 45 could you guys do the math for meIJ

I've accumulated over 14,000 hours within 5 Deere conventionals and I, too, have never replaced a walker. I've replaced a few blocks, though!

OK, then I have to ask, is it an issue with the crops that are being cutIJ Here in Kansas wheat and milo country there have been plenty of issues with broken walkers. Our neighbor replaced three walkers on his 9500 in one year. I personally helped him replace the last one because he was helping us finish after we lost our engine with one day to go.

Well out of all the green machines I have operated, there has never been a walker replaced. All the way from a 55 , 105, 6620, 9500 and now a 9550. With the older machines having in the area of 4000 hrs and still no walkers. Yellowfever on the NH page suggests that is a fairytail and is totally bogus. Several guys have said the same thing..lots of hrs and no walkers. Going to be the occasional one here and there but personally I have none to speak of. Thanks guys

We have been running JD walkers since 1981. Never have replaced a straw walker. In fact we have never replaced a walker on any combine we owned since WW II.

Don't forget "FRs" comments, "Besides doing a terrible job in corn the walkers fall apart just drive behind any shop and look at the stack". I've yet to take one out. From a 6601, 6600, 7721, two 7720s, and now a 9500 and a 9600, no problems yet (knock on wood).

The only trouble I have had with walkers was on a 7700. I finally convinced myself that one or both of the walker shafts was bent and making them work against one another. I finally started leaving the bolts a little loose and let them work in the slotted holes. Had to replace the bolts a couple of times because it would eventually wear the heads off. Finally pawned it off on someone else! I did let them know about the problem though.