Just did a road trip to look at combines...

Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member
And here is the results. The only one I did not see was the F3. Guy thinks it is gold and it was too far out of the way. These are in reverse order from the worst to the best and in last place we have:

Gleaner N2. This machine was not listed in my last post. I found it on the trip. Dirty, kind of beat up. When I climbed up on it I immediately remembered someone using the phrase "head banger cab" because here it was in the flesh. Cab was rough. Some of the rocker switches were pushed down inside the console. Not for me. No one around to start it.

IH 1660 - A reasonably nice looking machine cosmetically. Clearly shedded. Clearly the shed was infested with rodents, but I will come back to that. Engine dripping oil, cannot tell from where. Several oddities...belts that were just hanging behind pulleys but the pulleys had belts on them. Wires replaced but the old ones still there. The lower part of the conveyor that takes the product to the top was wrapped several times around with electricians tape in two places. Then I opened the cab door and the smell of rodent urine nearly had me step back off the platform. Worst I have ever smelled and that is saying something. I explained to SWMBO that there are a lot of wires in there and likely half are stripped and shorting. The seat had no upholstery on it...just foam. This once had been a really nice combine...but no more. No one around to run it.

IH 1460 2WD - Very nice cosmetically, shedded, starts and runs nice. Cab solenoid bad but being replaced. Header lift cylinders dripping fluid badly. Has rigid grain head with it, not sure I want one. Cab good for age. Tires good all around. Been cleaned and looks pretty good.

IH 1460 4WD - This one has been out in the sun a bit and the sheet metal looks like maybe we ran up along side the woods a bit when working cuz there are scratches and dents of a tree like nature and some of the lower edges of the sheet metal have been crunched. Not a trace of a leak anywhere on this machine. Everything seems to work. Last fall it froze a rear hub combining soy and it was left in the field all winter. Hub was replaced but he had forgotten to put oil in it and froze up the replacement after a few hours. SO it was replaced again in the Spring (his story, not mine). Starts right up but when you engage the axial flow mech there is a squawk like a chicken was caught in there and then it sounds fine. Some eggs did come shooting out the back so I had him stop...no chicken...and restart the drive. It made the noise again and they looked at each other kind of funny so I asked what it was and was told it was the main drive belt for the axial flow (big flat belt under the hood up top) and that it was stiff from sitting. Does this sound right??? Anyway, cab reasonable, tires good but fronts better. It is 4WD. That about covers it.

Todays winner is:

Gleaner R52 - I would rather own this than an Italian sports car. 'nuff said. SWMBO has given me permission to go long on this one, but I still won't be able to afford it.

So the top two are the Gleaner R52 and IH 1460 4wd. I love to hear opinions if anyone cares to weigh in. Hitting the shower...never gonna get the smell of that 1660 off me.
 
Dave, the "squak" you referred to is normal. Our 1660 does that too. As for the rodent smell, and the wiring......I know the smell. Its hard to get rid of. I have had one wiring problem in the cab as well. Having said that, if you can't swing the Gleaner, did you ask the owner of the 1640 if he changed final drive oil ever?? Just a thought. Rob
 
No. No owner present. It was sitting in the back lot of a business and they knew nothing about it. The wiring issues I worry about relate to the rodents. Too strong to be mice...likely rats. Honestly, I have never smelled anything quite that bad. Closest was a bat infestation. The seat was completely shot also...nothing left. Tape and JB Weld all over the place holding things together. This combine has no head with it and is already up over $5K. Not getting that from me. I could see it was nice at one time though.
 
don't let those recessed rocker switches concern you in the future,they were installed that way purposely to prevent unintentional movement
 
OK...not sure if you are joking or not. They aren't recessed they are down inside the console! I cannot tell you for sure, because the smell drove me out in literally less than 10 seconds, but I believe the panel was broken and the switches had fallen down in. I could see then down there, but I wasn't about to stick my hand into any dark places with that stench in the air. I really liked that combine from the pics too. But there were a lot of cheaply done repairs and I just don't like the looks of it. The 1460 was a very nice machine...just ugly. Like it was driven thru a woodlot and rubbed a lot of trees. Ran good though.

I have a curious problem today. The tendons in the back of my ankles are sore to the touch from climbing up and down those things yesterday. Never had the like of it before.
 
Dad had an R52, darn good combine.
Before that we had an L3, also liked thattun but the R was better in some conditions.
 
Either one of those is fine with me. Being an old equipment kind of guy the L3 actually has a look I like better. The R52, if I could swing it and I know I can't, would make me a lot more relaxed the rest of the summer because it is a lot less likely to give me a lot of grief tweaking, tightening, and replacing. But...whatever...I'll do what I gotta do.
 
Recessed switch is for the unloading auger. You don"t want to start that accidentally when the auger is not extended. There is a fail-safe on the auger (two micro switches) that should prevent that, but some people bypass rather than fix that. Starting the auger will break the yoke inside at the pivot.
 
Much better IH combines around of that vintage that are cheap. Doesn't the R52 still have the air cooled Deutz? Good engine if cooling system is maintained, but expensive if it wasn't. Don't believe I would attempt fate and own one. Personally would give them all a pass and look some more. IH 1460/1480; JD 6620/7720 probably the newer Titan II or if you can afford it jump to the JD 9400/9500 or the CIH 1660/1680. Made a mistake a few years ago and didn't buy a low hour 1688 with long sieves and Cummins engine that was reasonably priced; but will if I ever come across another one.
 
But they are also on YOUR list!!! Give me a break will you? I'm confused enough!

You are telling me to pass on two 1460's and a 1660 to go look for 1460's and 1660's?

Someone just shoot me now.
 
Sorry to confuse just believe the machines on your list other than the R52 aren't in good enough condition to purchase unless they are priced really low or slightly above scrap value. Good models to look at but need to be in better condition.
 

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