Massey Ferguson 8560 combine

I would like some info on a Massey Ferguson 8560 combine good bad I have a 750 right now that is pretty much worn out would like to know what other people think of thes combines good or bad

The 8560 was a little under powered using the 359 ci cummins and a lighter 3 speed transmission. I had an 8570 which had heavier drive train and the 505 cummins with much more power, they were a great machine that handled an 8 row head with ease. If you run 6 rows and dont push too hard the 8560 would probably be ok.

I would like to run a 20ft bean head were wide row corn yet so I was thinking 4 row wide head and I combine small grain right now that is in 14ft swaths do you think it would beable to handle that

Brian is right the 8560 is under powered. I would encourage you to look for a MF 8570 combine. I would find a machine with a straw spreader over the chopper. The choppers are not very dependable. Open the service access doors to the rotors and look over a few things. Open the concave overlap door. Inspect the rotor rub bars and cylinder bars. Count the number of rotor knives on the rotor. Look to make sure the concaves and separator grate have a nice square edge not rounded. The area of wear you really want to look over is the most difficult to see. It's on the right hand side of the inlet portion of the rotor. Check to see if the beater has been updated to the helical version. If it's still the bear claw design make sure all the components are present. Check the feeder chain and sprockets. Attached are a few photo's of some of the work I have done to my MF 8780 combine. I had a machine shop hard surface and grind the concaves and separator grates. I also had my rotor updated to the St. Johns Mods. E-mail if you have questions.

Masseypride

Thank you guys vary much for the information I think I will stay away from the 8560 being that it is underpowered I would rather have a combine that has enough power especially for a year like we had this year where the beans their self dried down way befor the stalks did I don't think that the 8560 would beable to handle it being underpowered

How many knives should their be on the rotor and is their anything special the 8570 should have for combining small grain

The rotor should have three sets of 7 knives for a total of 21. You can add more or less depending on the crop and condition. Just remember you have the same number on all three position or you can throw the rotor out of balance. You would want small grain concaves along with a solid inspection door for the rotor on wheat. I use small concave for wheat and pull every other wire for fall crops other than corn. I also have a perforated rotor inspection door for all fall crops. I have a set of high wire corn concaves for corn. Air foil chaffer works best for most crops.

I just bought a 8570 today with both heads and a rebuilt rotar for 29,500

Congrats Luke,

Now we need a few photo's.

Do you know how to install and remove the wires on the concave for going from oats to corn

The fastest way is opening the concave overlap door. Utilize one pair of long nose vice grips and one pair of regular pair of vice grips. Lower the concaves all the way down. I use the long nose grips down about three concave cross bars to pry the wire out far enough to get the regular vice grips on the end of the wires. Then I use a red handled pry bar and block to keep pulling the wire out. You usually relocate the vice grips three times then you can just pull the wires out. I always pull every other wire and make sure I pull them so I pull the least number of wires per concave. To put them back in the concaves you make sure the ends have a point on them and start feeding back thru the concave. You will have to align the wires as you go back in the concave. I utilize the red handle bar to align as many as I can reach on my side of the concave. I usually put as many as I can and as far as I can. Then you will have to find you some help to line up the wire on the other side of the concave. Which means you will have to open the other side and remove the concave deflector shield on the other side of the concave. You can pull the concaves for easy access to the concaves. It's just more work doing it that way. Most of the Massey guys around our parts run a combination of small and wide space concaves in their combines. Usually four small grain and three wide concaves in the combine. That way they are only pulling wires in the front four concaves.