Combines Young Farmer looking For A Good Combine To Start Out With

If I were you I would lok for an l or M series. The l and Ms would handle six 36 no problem and would pay for themselves quickly at todays harvesting rates and you can harvest at the right time.

Deere_Runner: I am in southeast Nebraska. From what I have heard from guys with 7720s, it is hard to keep them full with a six row head on it. I know it is hard to keep that 9410 full.

Thud: That's my objective though...to get AROUND paying for custom harvesting. Rates in our area are much lower than yours. All the custom work we presently do for others with our 9410 John Deere is billed at $20_acre. I don't know if guys in your area are that much more proud of their combines or what!!! And with an older machine, I don't know if I can even ask $20_acre. It's not going to have near the capacity or threshing_shelling quality of that 9410. Many things to consider in this game. Around our area there is a need for custom harvesters, as many of the older guys have gotten rid of their combines and have a lot of their farming done by custom operators.

MX270: What about an older conventional modelIJ Are the 915s worth owningIJ All I have ever been around are conventionals and am not a huge believer in rotaries. I hear they are a real dog in green soybeans. Anymore, if you want to get your beans out at 14-15% moisture, you have to get in the field when there are still some green stems. Anything you could tell me about a 915 would be helpful.

When I started farming over 20 years ago I didnt buy my first combine until I had over 500 tillable acres. And I still hired custom operators whenever they were available. In my opinion, you can't own a combine for $20-$25_acre for a small operation unless you can find a real jewel.

Hey Silverbullet, have you actually looked at the specs of the Deutz Era GleanersIJ Simplified is not the word, CHEAP is! Deutz bought and destroyed AC and almost Gleaner before Agco took over. Try and find an 82 or newer N or R in the salvage yard. Then the 2 series R's(Agco),not there! Early N's are everywhere as are the Deutz R series, most of them with blown or burned up engines and spun bearings on shafts. AC and Agco had_have them right, Deutz just made them as cheap as possible(remember they were in financial trouble from 86-90 the way they ran Allis). And the R50 is much lighter built than the 52 throughout the machine. I have been on 2 Gleaner tours and when Deutz was making them, the staff even mentioned they were downgraded from AC, and since Agco took over, the staff said they have been upgraded in quality. When my AC Gleaner dies of old age and use, it will be renewed with an Agco Gleaner.

New Holland TR86 or TR87 would be a good choice. I had a TR86 which I traded for a Gleaner R42, but I sometimes wished I'd stuck with New Holland. I don't want to start any "colour wars" here, but I found the New Holland far easier to setup and adjust for different crops, but the Gleaner is a simpler machine.

blv, You do what you want to - I am in SW MO where corn averages around 140 and every 7720 I have seen has a 643 stuck on the front, for that matter most 9500's have a 643_93 also. I'll agree a 7720 can walk past a 9400 - 10 - 50. With an 843 you will be using every bit of a 7720 and the fuel screw might be looking awfully tempting to turn up a flat or two. I don't know how long your rows_fields are, but with a 190 bu. hopper you won't be able to make it down and back on 1_4 mile rows or make it all the way if the rows are longer than .4 of a mile - than you're looking at having to dump on the go or pull out to dump. Also, your MOG in that good corn will probably make your walkers your limiting factor. Gg

Most guys in our area charge $28-32__acre for corn, with lows in the $25 range and as high as $35. Its got nothing to do with pride in their machines, it comes down to basic economics. Just think how many acres you are going to have to run thru a machine at $20_acre to meet repair and maintence costs alone, let alone fuel, labour, insurance,interest and principle payments. Its sickenly easy to spend $5000-7500 on a machine these days. Blow an engine, pick up a stone or hydro rebuilds are all insanely expensive. Now if you can find 500 acres of custom work you might just break even lOl.How many acres do you realistically think you will be doing on a yearly basisIJ.

Do yourself a favor. Hook up with a friend, relative , or neighbor and own one together. If you are just starting out a combine will drain your cash faster than any piece of iron on the farm. I truly believe that owning a newer_new combine doesn't cost that much more than an older one on a per acre basis. If you share you may get extra labor to help. It just makes more sense these days to keep iron cost as low as possible.