best age enhanced (old) combine

CORNKING

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I am a small (100 acre) Bean/Corn farmer . I want to start harvesting/shelling my own crop.I want an age enhanced (old) combine.I want to be sure it"s the right one. I"m told the Massey"s were great,but others say the old IH"s.EVERYONE say"s no JD"s. I"m a good mechanic and don"t mind being in the field.I"m a disabled Vet. and I have to convert foot pedals to levers.
 
dependable? Do a I need a traveling parts hunter to repair? AGCO owns them now do they ask for your first born child for oem parts like JD ?
 
A few people have said the 4420 would be perfect...They scare me cuz I'm not "rich".JD is really proud of their parts !haha!!!a neighbor said we'd only have alter the pedal the same way it's done on my pick-up.
 
I would think you would want some kind of hydrostatic drive machine to be easier to run. While the John Deere 4420 combine is a good machine they were only available in gear drive. You would have to go to the larger combines to get a hydrostatic drive. These larger combines are also easier to get in and out of do to having a "staircase" rather than a straight ladder. As far as parts prices go, all brands are pricey now, not just John Deere. Used and aftermarket parts are still plentiful for these machines as well. Others will have different favorites than I have and can tell you the availability of parts for those machines. Mike
 
Agree with SD Pete. A Gleaner F-3 Hydro would fit the bill nicely. Dependable and easy to work on, uses standard easily obtainable bearings and chains and belts will last nearly forever. As for parts, all makes are expensive now but there are many good parts in salvage yards.
 
Virtually any hydro machine would work well. Never use brakes on a hydro. Not sure what your limitations are but less mods would be better than more. I would think small gleaner hydro would be perfect. However, I am partial to JD machines. Good luck with your search.
 
Deere parts may be expensive, but you can have them tomorrow, if by some chance they aren't in stock right now.
AGCO? I don't know. I don't own any of their brands. The closest dealer is 50 miles away.
 
Don't have the cash for newer combine(hydrostatic) and don't want be on my knees every year praying I can make a combine payment.
 
I think you guys nailed it....I've been reading about the "F's" today as you suggested...they are mechanic/user freindly and farmers that had em really loved them.
 
JD makes very fine equipment it's just I had a 4020 eat my lunch...bad one maybe...but good parts killed me......FYI..I lost my legs....I love to farm and I don't like taking your tax money.
 
Thank you for you service. As to parts, I farm with Deere, Case IH, New Holland and Massey Ferguson (AGCO) in my opinion you aren't going to see much difference in parts prices in any of them anymore. For your goals an F2 Gleaner or a 550 MF with hydrostat would be good choices. A guy can run a 13' to 15' platform in beans and a 4 row cornhead and get a 100 acres done in 2 or 3 days with good trucking.
 
Thankyou VERY much all of you , from what I've read today and your inputs , the gleaner is the ticket. A friend of mine has the MF550 (for show).He's concerned about a few "quirks" Massey has if I had trouble in the field (belts mainly).I'm gonna drive to PA. next week ,there's 1 F2 and 2 F3's for sale. Thanx again ALL of you...Mike
 
Gleaners are by far the easiest to work on. Simple construction, not 2-3 pulleys on each bearing. I've had 4 in 36 years- K, F, F2, M2. If I could access my old Photoshop account, I'd post a pic of the angled steps I built to get into the cab...also extra steps and catwalk on the machine. I've also had mobility issues- built simple hand clutches for 3 tractors, cost about $5 each and don't interfere with anyone else driving the tractor. google 'Agrability" for farmer fixes.
 
One thing to remember is that a 550 will eat any F series Gleaner alive as far as capacity. Either is plenty for what you want to do. A gleaner may be easy to work on but they have alot more hardware to work on. A 550 will easily havdle an 18' bean head in heavy soybeans. The main thing is to get something that you can readily get parts for. Shoup is a good after market source.
 
We used to run Massey and a Massey would be the last combine I would get unless you have somebody around to fix it or help you fix it. Funny your friend mentions his 550 has "quirks". "Quirks" means they break down often to those of us that have moved on to something better. The gleaners should be fine since they are easy to work on and another combine that would be easier to work on and reliable would be an IH 14 AF series like a 1440.
 

Outstanding !!! Looked at a F-2 today ....gleaner is it..You gleaner enthusiast are right on the mark. I'm kinda the "poster child" for agribility here...unfortunatly their answer was a low intrest loan at farm credit for a upend combine. I can do that at the FSA.....I want it paid for....I'm still goin to look at the 2 f-3's and I know duetz diesels inside out. Thanks for Your Real understanding of my problem...God Bless.......Mike
 

That's what my freind said...He'd never forgive himself if that Massey left me in the field yelling "mayday" on the CB hahahaha!!!!!!!! And I'm a BIG Mr.Ferguson fan..I do all tillage and planting with a 8N.....If Mr.Ferguson isn't the sadest story in the history of farm machinery ,I don't know what is !!
 
I am biased towards Gleaners and I am pleased you
like the F2. Do yourself a favor and check out the
F3s. They have the electro hydraulic push button
controls for all the major functions. The late F2
"Golden Harvest" series were really the same as a
F3. Keep us posted on your quest. Ryan
 

Will do...Did the "Golden harvest" have the push button set up as well? Do you have to carry a voltmeter in the cab ? haha! ..Can't wait for Wed to see those F-3's!!
 
(quoted from post at 11:05:00 12/29/12)
Outstanding !!! Looked at a F-2 today ....gleaner is it..You gleaner enthusiast are right on the mark. I'm kinda the "poster child" for agribility here...unfortunatly their answer was a low intrest loan at farm credit for a upend combine. I can do that at the FSA.....I want it paid for....I'm still goin to look at the 2 f-3's and I know duetz diesels inside out. Thanks for Your Real understanding of my problem...God Bless.......Mike

To my knowledge, non of the F series had a Deutz diesel in them, that came later in the rotaries. I know they built them at the same time, but I haven't heard of an F3 with a Deutz powerplant. Did they make them? I thought they still had Allis engines.
 

They were mentioned (Deutz) a couple times in articles on google. so I assumed the F3's ?I've been zero'd in reading about the F2's so I see the diferences in the F3's Wed....Now I'm finding out these are hot items for combine demolition derby's in the midwest !! Jeez am I in the wrong part of the country ?! Heck I'm trying to bring my crop in !! hahaha!!!
 
JMS
Found this pic that you posted.

http://ytforums.ytmag.com/viewtopic.php?t=838877&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

Not the catwalk, but one with the change in the cab steps
 
JMS

How bout this one?

http://ytforums.ytmag.com/ttforum/viewtopic.php?p=2979897&sid=16ae0a61b0382a9873d30e14b2fbabaa
 
Allright Fella's...new twist for your combine minds to go...Ilooked at the F-3's , You were all right...nice set up...easy to work on....basic and both in great shape. The twist is they had a IH 1440 in prestine condition for 5k.I liked how the combine was laid out etc and it's well maintained, they told me it was a little underpowered compared to a 1460 but for what I wanted it should fly thru the job...what do ya'll recomend now ?
 
Just so ya'll know ,He (the equip. dealer)wasn't steering me off the gleaners...he wanted me to know here's another to keep in mind , and I remembered what "Green Envy" had said on the IH's.....
 
I grew up on Gleaners and they are all we have been telling you. But if you have a chance at a 1440 in good shape for the money I would jump on it for the same reasons I like Gleaners; Simple, easy to work on and do a good job.
 

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