Combines silver to red

we run a 1680 with 12 row deere head and my uncle a 1998 r62 with only a 6 row. he doubles our speed but still the same acres per hour, after running both machines this is my observation. case ih is a much simpler design, no accelerator rolls, only one feed chain, no dist. auger,less drives on the sides, but if your want capacity a 62 would compare to a 2388, but still short on bin capacity. if you want to run 8 rows and 30 foot head, they would be very equal.

Keith, I now have a year and a half experience with a 1688 following an R50. Good things: turret auger is much better for filling grain cart on the go; Cummins engine starts much better but uses 50% more fuel than the Deutz; cab is better than the R50 series cabs; wear parts are bolt-in replaceable instead of fabricate and weld-in; Tracker is a nice touch for the 25' header. We still run 6x30" corn heads. Things I don't like: first year repair cost on the CIH is 50% over the highest Gleaner year but there is some indication we may be through a storm of repairs (one of the problems of buying used!); fuel consumption is high on the CIH; I find the CIH very awkward to work on; more drive mechanisms on the CIH to service; bin capacity is less than the R50; had to build a new shed for the CIH because door was too low; have yet to be convinced the 1688 is a larger capacity machine; small stone are really effective at bending the Case's feeder slats which are impossible to straighten; Gleaner has a simpler, superior feeder shain tightening system; I like the Gleaner header lock system better; Gleaner parts service was poor but am disappointed with the amount of not-on-shelf stuff for the Cases. Never really understood all the hyperyzing stuff for Gleaners but there is as much or more confusion around setting vanes and rasp bars and straight bars and Gorden bars and three section chaffers and concave clearance and concave shifting etc on the CIH. Maybe I am just too old to be changing brands. Regards, Ed

So are you glad that you went red or notIJIJ Would you recommend to switch or stay with the GleanerIJ Illinois Gleaner

Illinois, Gleaner combines are a thing of the past in this part of Ontario (I am an hour N of Toronto). The last new one was sold in this county in 1989 - that is the R50 I traded in 2001. All other AGCO franchises seem to be wilting like corn that hasn't seen rain for 60 days. My closest Gleaner dealer is 115 km one way. When I had a breakdown in midseason and discovered parts 'are no longer available' (broke some parts in a RWD hub)and enquired about renting something to salvage my crop, his response was, "You better rent it at home!" Well, now i can order parts at home. Case seems to have a much better pipeline of parts than Gleaner. Combines are a very high maintenance machine so dealer and manufacturer support are priceless, especially for someone like myself who must buy other people's trade-ins. If you have agood Gleaner dealer and can have a new machine every 1000 hours, a Gleaner is no mistake. I've heard lots of talk about low repair bills on Case machines. Ask me next Christmas how 2003 was. From Aug 2001 to end of wheat 2002, the 1688 outspent the Gleaner's worst year easily. Bean and corn harvest have been the cheapest ever. Tell me that will continue. Please!