spitz

Member
What are your thoughts for this combine for small grain? It is a diesel and would use for oats and rye.
 
It's at least 40 years old had 410 and 550 parts from Agco can put you in the poor house if still available.Can be a pain to work on.
 
If it's cheap in good shape and you don't have a lot of acres it might be alright if any of the 3 are a no I'd look for something else.
 
We had one and four of the neighbors had one. They require constant repairs. I would never buy one again. We replaced it with a Gleaner LII. That was a very good machine. Owned it for 23 years and could count on one hand how many times it broke down. The 510 I couldn't count how many times it broke down in one afternoon.
 
they aren't the easiest things to work on, but in there era they were a good machine, if it's stored outside the sheet metal is most likely rusted out, some of the points to check are grain tank unload lift auger gear box,tank and auger housing at that point, rusted or worn out clean grain pan, clean grain auger, chain and elevator housing, return auger,chain and housing, screens, cleaning fan and housing, be sure to check the 2 speed cylinder drive gear box if equipped for oil and loose motion on the variable pulley shaft, check for broken concave mounts, there are many other parts but these are places that I can remember having issues with, as for harvesting grain if it's set up correct and the machine in good repair they do a real good job.
 
I have put in a lot of hours in a 510/550. They don't bring much any more, $1000 should get you a decent one with s few heads if you shop around. not many combines will clean small grain as good as a Massey, they don't require "constant repair" as stated(I think they have them confused with those bearing burning tin can gleaners with a thousand chains and belts!) They just need some preventative maintenance just like any other combine. The Perkins 354 runs very cheap and has plenty of power. A 510 has good capacity but the cab is hot without ac. They are tight to work on underneath the cab and often it's about as easy to remove the wheel. There is some aftermarket parts available and Agco has quite a bit available. It wouldn't hurt if you had a parts donor in the neighbor hood. Some of the bearings are metric but if you have a 203,204,205,206 on hand you will have most of the bearings used on the combine.
 
I had one, bought it one year old with less than 300 hours and ran it to around 3K hours.

Very few days it would run all day with out breaking down.

I'd run the other direction as fast as I could.
 
If you have the "pound on it til it plugs", then back off a little mentality running a combine, a 510/550 isn't for you.

If you run it sensibly, listen to it, get used to the sounds and feel when it is happy, they will do a lot of work for not much money.

Back east a jockeys will still run a good 550 up to over 5K without batting an eyelash, then resell at 8 to 10K.

A&I(JD), has most wear repair parts available reasonably.
 
How many acres do you plan on cutting? If 50 or less acres you'll probably be fine. 500 acres you might still be fine. But you will then be wrenching on it and learn what it takes to overhaul a combine. Use ear plugs too. Part of that Perkins is actually inside the cab with you and is the loudest damnest combine you will ever run.
 
Hey tractor guy,

What exactly was breaking down on your 510 and your neighbors every day ?
 

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