Do I Want This? Need Info FAST!

Bryce Frazier

Well-known Member
I have the option to buy this, maybe a little cheaper than advertised.

1. Will my Farmall H run it?
2. Is it a good machine? Parts? Reliability?

I WANT a swather and will be planning on using it on small plots for the next 5-10 years before I can afford to step up to a newer machine.

What do you guys think?
John Deere MoCo
 
Never tried to run one with my H, was told it wouldn't handle a haybine. But then by the time we were ready to step up from the sickle mower we had a Super M and used that on the baler and rotary scythe or haybine. But then I was also told I couldn't run a 24T baler with the H and pull a wagon, you can but don't get in a hurry and you'll really miss the horsepower.
 
Unless you are a collector I would look at something else such as a NH 469. Grandpa had one like the one you are looking at but I don't have the money to indulge my sentimental feelings at the moment.
 

Had a friend who bought one at an auction about 15 years ago and tried to make it run. Many parts were NLA from Deere then so I can't imagine keeping it going to be an easy task.
 
The size is not a problem for an H but I know nothing about that machine. The price seems very high to me for the shape it looks to be in. I ran a very rough New Holland 461 with my H for three years on hills and it did fine with the 9' cut. I got that haybine for $165 at auction in the fall and have had it now for 5 years. I would look for a better machine or a better price if I were you.
Zach
 
I think they were only made for a few years then Deere introduced the 1209 around 1970. Something 45 years old or more with low production numbers means a fair amount of unique to that machine parts NLA. I forgot to chirp in that a H would be minimal horsepower for 2 ton hay and unproductive with 3 ton grass/ legume mix. 50 horse tractors on 9 foot M/C's will talk a little in the heavy areas of such a field.
Hopefully, I can think clearly again with spring planting nearing completion.
 
Anyone have any idea what model it is? I am guessing late 1960's?

I e-mailed the guy. Going to at least talk to him about it and see what he has to say.. I am mostly concerned about the drive line "issues" and what ever bearings are slowing going out of the machine!
 
Bryce,IMHO an H doesnt have enough ponies for that machine.You need an M .Second,too much money.3rd,as was said parts issues. RUN!!!!
 
Well, I am soon to have an M.... :)

I agree that he is wanting too much for it,

and I am also a little leery of the parts..

My current train of thought, is that he has had it at this price for 2 months, and has been trying to sell it for 3 months, so maybe he would be willing to come down. And if I do get it, and it is in good shape. If I only get 3 or 4 years of cost free service out of it, then who cares!?

I am still looking for a NH, but these things are HARD to come by up here, and the red and yellow ones go for a LOT of money!!!
 
That is John Deere's first attempt at a haybine type machine and from what I have read they were not very good. I was thinking the model number was something like 480 but can not remember for sure. The 1209 and then the 1219 were the successor models and frankly they were not that great either but much improved compared to the model pictured.

Anyway, I have run a 9'3" Hesston model 1120 sickle based mower conditioner many times behind my bone stock gas model Farmall H. It does fine with it. Have ran it with my John Deere A as well. That said, The bone stock Farmall M is my favorite tractor to run it with but my H has ran it more for me. That said, I would not want anything less than gas model h either.
 
no to H and to MOCO lots of them traded into new holland dealer i worked for.
as to H you need something with live pto 300,350 400, 450 you will be much happier.
in tough mowing with the H every time you push in clutch you will be stopping the mower and having good chance plugging the mower
 
Bryce, run from that one. I find New Hollands for just a little more . If you want ,I will keep a look out around me for you. Sold a 479 that had set in a barn for 18 years for $1000.00 last year. Looked like new and cuts like new. Had a lot of extra parts with it.
 
Bryce: RUN from that JD mower!!! They where not a great machine when new and now 45 years later they are really bad new. Also running any Mower conditioner with an Farmal "H" is not going to work very well if your hay is very thick at all. Keep looking and forget this one.
 
I sure wouldn't give a thousand dollars for it. Unless it is just the u-joints wore out, you will probably spend another thousand just to get it field ready. The conditioner rolls are probably wore down too. Just talking from past experience, I used to buy and repair old equipment years ago. By the time I got done with a piece, I would have been better off to have bought new.
 
Bryce, a couple of years ago I was looking for a haybine. Ya, stay away from that one.

I found the 488 New Holland to be a good choice. There is also a seven foot model, likely would work with your H. Of course that depends on if you have big hills or not.

The 488 I believe was the last of a design family before they went to a floating head only design, I think this was the 489 and 14xx. I was advised to stay away from that design for a number of reasons. They still make the 488 today so parts should be no issue.

The neighbor had both a 7 ft and 9 ft IH 990. That was a pretty nice machine. The unique feature about that one is when you raised it the rollers separated so you could more easily clear a plug.

Paul
 
My neighbor retired a 990 last year, replace it with a 1120 Hesston.

I THINK looking at it that it might be a 7 foot cut, probably about 10 foot over all width?

They always had good luck with it, and they always have BEAUTIFUL smooth hay fields when they were done?!

I am thinking that I might be able to get it from him... I DOUBT he will sell it, but I might just be able to borrow it.... Never hurts to ask right?! :)
 
I forgot the H does not have a live PTO. Gosh, a live PTO seems like a must. I was trying to think what we did on the farm when we had MH 44's with no live PTO. Both the baler and combine had their own engines. The mower was a simple sickle bar. The chopper was a single row Papec.

When I was about 4 my dad bought a MH 444, it had live PTO on the hand clutch. That went on the chopper from there forward, and we upgraded to a NH mower and trailing crusher. So I'm thinking, life would be tough without a live PTO on those implements with heavy PTO loads and the potential for the crop to plug things.

Paul
 
Live PTO is not a must. Is it nice - yes. I mow and bale both and none of my tractors have live PTO. You simply learn to work around the handicap - and frankly it is not that hard to do.

Most important job in using a non-live PTO tractor in hay making is not the mowing or even the baling. Both of those jobs are easy even with no live PTO as long as the raking is done accordingly. Proper raking is CRITICAL. An idiot on the rake will make for a long day baling with no live PTO.

Hesston 1120 is 9'3" and Hesston 1110 is 7'3" cut.

Again my ole h which is far from a fresh motor handles the Hesston 1120, but the M does handle it better. I would have no reservation cutting with my ole h on flat ground or slight incline hills in anything short of record bumper crop type stuff. Major hills and record bumper crop hay then I would certainly want a little more tractor.

Simply lots more 9 footers out there to choose from.
 

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