|
We currently use a NH68 and like it. There is a NH66 over in the weeds we use for parts. It's a wadboard type and I don't hate anybody that I know that is still alive to sell it to them. I started out with a Deere 14T and would rate it a notch or half behind the NH68. The hay pickup and transfer is not as good on the older Deeres in my experience, although they do work fine on level ground. NH stuff seems somewhat easier to adjust. The knotters don't seem a whole lot different on any of them, although maybe other folks would disagree with that. I once was acquainted with a couple guys who had IH 47's. The one guy had one that was like new, he kept it indoors when not in use, and he seemed to like it fine. The other guy had bent a needle on his and was told a new set was $500. This was about 15 years ago. About the same time I got a spare set of needles for the 14T and paid $200 total. The NH needles cost twice that, last I checked. You don't say what make the dealer sells or how close parts for any of them are. That is important, at least at first. In my experience Deere is the most reasonable for parts prices. IH seems to be the worst. Both Deere and NH are good about getting parts in, if they still support a machine. Dunno about IH. If they all were in the same shape, and the NH was a 68 or later, that's where I would go, unless and except if you were already talking to a Deere guy, and the nearest NH dealer was a long ways off.
| 
