Owning and old combine

[Farmer mk1]

Evening folks,
Just wondering on a wet evening, how many people own and old combine like a 1990 machine to an early 2000 machine so like 20/30 year old machine. Do you find them reliable or just a pain as they are on the period when electrics started to come into the agriculture sector fast.
Has anyone had any breakdowns this season yet? On our mf 36 We have had hydraulic pump and header spiders fail. Not overly bad but stopped us for a few days when we could of done with getting something cut but with price of the newer machines is there any point in upgrading to something abit better for it to break down and still not get it done when you have spent your money.
Any one any thoughts or inputs? Anyone else had some bad luck or good luck finding an issue before it failed and caused you headache?
Thanks
Farmermk1

 

[ridger]

Used to have a 1969 clayson 135 and a 1975 new holland 1530. Had to replace an odd bearing or belt but never lost a days cutting , sorry we sold them to be honest. Use contractor now

 

[Dog&stick]

Run two old deeres,1974 , 960 & g reg 1055 bearings & belts , the worst is heater hoses this season so far.

 

[Renaultman]

I have an N reg, 1995, TX65. Not without it's issues, I sheared the rear wheel hub off the back axle last week. I was up at John Manners combines for 7.30 next morning and by 1pm my son and I had a new axle in, for the fraction of the cost of an annual service for a new one.
I would like to say this was a one off occurrence, but there is probably at least one trip a year to Alnwick.
If you are halfway handy with a set of spanners, or have a good local fitter, I have both. It's a cheap(ish) way to cut corn.

 

[Farmer mk1]

We are good with the spanners but with the weather how it is when you can only get 2:3 of a day cutting max and then a week of rain, that day we lose it gives you a kick. We don’t mind the 36 as it’s 18’ cut and seems to do a decent sample and hasn’t cost the earth but just wondered if people run newer combines and don’t get this down time for doing a few hundred acre a year.

 

[Renaultman]

We are good with the spanners but with the weather how it is when you can only get 2:3 of a day cutting max and then a week of rain, that day we lose it gives you a kick. We don’t mind the 36 as it’s 18’ cut and seems to do a decent sample and hasn’t cost the earth but just wondered if people run newer combines and don’t get this down time for doing a few hundred acre a year.

Unless you buy a brand new one, with dealer support, and who can afford that? You are always going to have breakdowns. I would probably look at buying a higher output machine than you need, to help compensate for any breakdowns, but as I said at the start, even new ones break down.

 

[boasley]

I've just upgraded to an early 90s TX32 from a 1979 NH8060, cutting 150-200 acres a year. The 8060 was always reliable and if it broke every local belt and bearing stockist could get you going as the parts were so common. I just felt it was getting a bit old - put quite a few bits to the "new" combine and so far so good. I reckon justifying owning a combine relates to the acreage it's got to cut, I'd suggest £100 per acre, ie 200 acres could justify a £20k combine... but that's just my opinion. And old combines don't really suffer from depreciation if you look after them!

 

[balerman]

APH and their fitters will tell you,it is possible to make an older combine just as reliable as a new one.But you have to spend on servicing,an independent NH guy I have used in the past said he does several older ones in the winter,doesn’t hear from them at all during harvest.He would be removing all belts and chains and checking every bearing.Doesn’t come without cost mind.Depends how much you can justify spending.

 

[goldeneagle]

Problem with buying newer is it could be someone further up the chain offloading their issues. We had a 36rs and when we got it it hadn't been maintained (price point was attractive) but after getting over the bits that needed doing it was a reliable combine that wasn't the worst to work on. Best thing you can do when you buy a combine is get hold of the workshop manual. Most things can be checked and replaced as necessary without a massive bill for labour (parts always cost but agrodoctor are good for 30 series MF spares) . If your machine is a DV2 (round cab glass) the 7200 series manuals are available to download for about £30 tops and give a lot of guidance that will help keep the thing tip top.

With any 'new' combine the first year is always worst for breakdowns usually as you learn what's not right and what the weak points are.

 

[ploughman1963]

We bought a 93(?) MF 38 in 2018 and ran it for four years. We are handy with the spanner’s and quietly sorted out one or two issues out of season and whilst we had a couple of breakdowns we managed to get them sorted fairly quickly- we were lucky with the weather at the time. It was very cheap to run over the 4 years and having our own combine was worth a lot financially as we coukd cut when we wanted not when we coukd get someone to come.
now combining over 500 ac, my sons persuaded me that an upgrade was needed. Swapped the MF in for a 2012 Lexion hybrid with Montana and 30’ header. Lot of folk would say massive overkill but the increased output and reduction in losses by being able to go across our banks is undeniable. It’s amazing how much time we’ve saved by not having to drop the header when moving fields - our average field size is probably 8-10ac so plenty of moves - all add up.
the MF was definitely the right decision at the time but the upgrade to the class has been the right move as well- if ever there was a year to upgrade, this was it - we’d be in a right pickle this year with the old MF

 

[glasshouse]

Upgraded my 95 claasmega last yr on 4000 hrs to a 2004 model
Cost £7 per hour to change

 

[Renaultman]

Problem with buying newer is it could be someone further up the chain offloading their issues. We had a 36rs and when we got it it hadn't been maintained (price point was attractive) but after getting over the bits that needed doing it was a reliable combine that wasn't the worst to work on. Best thing you can do when you buy a combine is get hold of the workshop manual. Most things can be checked and replaced as necessary without a massive bill for labour (parts always cost but agrodoctor are good for 30 series MF spares) . If your machine is a DV2 (round cab glass) the 7200 series manuals are available to download for about £30 tops and give a lot of guidance that will help keep the thing tip top.

With any 'new' combine the first year is always worst for breakdowns usually as you learn what's not right and what the weak points are.

Exactly, you are buying someone else's trouble, normally.
My previous 34 was getting better and better, until she wasn't, I expect the TX65 will be the same, just what and when to change it for?

 

[glasshouse]

Trouble with the post 2004 combines is they are full of wires and sensors, which can defeat the best mechanic and are usually unnecessary

 

[neilo]

I was pondering this on Friday, while I was sat on trailer cart while my contractor cracked on combining my Winter Barley.

A neighbour, who runs an old combine rather than pay a contractor, started on his barley at about the same time as us. We cleared 25ac in the same time as he cleared 5 (of a crop that I suspect wouldn’t have yielded half), with rain forecast overnight.

I have a contractor’s bill to pay of course, but he has a small pile of barley and lots of acres still stood out in the rain.

Who’s better off? Likely a difficult calculation with the current price of barley.

 

[glasshouse]

I was pondering this on Friday, while I was sat on trailer cart while my contractor cracked on combining my Winter Barley.

A neighbour, who runs an old combine rather than pay a contractor, started on his barley at about the same time as us. We cleared 25ac in the same time as he cleared 5 (of a crop that I suspect wouldn’t have yielded half), with rain forecast overnight.

I have a contractor’s bill to pay of course, but he has a small pile of barley and lots of acres still stood out in the rain.

Who’s better off? Likely a difficult calculation with the current price of barley.

If your contractor was cutting elsewhere rather than yours, your neighbour would have 5 ac more than you cut and less stressed

 

[workin f nowt]

Through what I hear about main dealer pre season service charges I'll stick to running my own old (modern by my standards). Ran last one for 10 years got back what I gave and put 400 acres of contractor cutting to it. This is its 5th season for me and other than re sectioning knifes a few broken finger and knife drive belt it's only been oil and filters. Do hope this isn't the kiss of death. Contractors can cut alot of wheat in a short time at 15. But as a man I know who uses contractors for combining when they put 2 or 3 lexions in first thing on a morning you cut a bloody lot of 20%. Whilst Mr Claas still makes parts for the dommy I'll run her. I do think that's the issue with old combines parts availability. You can service yourself as good as the dealer but in reality I don't change cat walk chains or clean and return elevators because they've done 4 seasons or whatever the service book says I do it generally the winter after they cause issues. That's how I keep my running costs lower and yes I have humour overloads when it breaks down but I will say my 23 year old 108 runs just aswell as anybodies 2023 new machine from the end of harvest until next year's start. Oh yeah and she's paid for the day she landed. Happy harvesting everyone when you can get going again.

 

[icanshootwell]

If your contractor was cutting elsewhere rather than yours, your neighbour would have 5 ac more than you cut and less stressed

Been on both sides of the fence, I remember combining with our MF 855 on flat wheat, very slow job,, neighbours newish class working next door eating the acres, that was until the driver hit the unloading auger off on a telegraph pole.

Saying that I use a contractor now, down to labour shortage, can't be everywhere, moving the header, hauling the grain etc. Save,s on storing an old combine when space is needed in the winter as well. Vermin do a lot of damage in my opinion, not running an old combine has reduced my blood pressure.

 

[Renaultman]

I was pondering this on Friday, while I was sat on trailer cart while my contractor cracked on combining my Winter Barley.

A neighbour, who runs an old combine rather than pay a contractor, started on his barley at about the same time as us. We cleared 25ac in the same time as he cleared 5 (of a crop that I suspect wouldn’t have yielded half), with rain forecast overnight.

I have a contractor’s bill to pay of course, but he has a small pile of barley and lots of acres still stood out in the rain.

Who’s better off? Likely a difficult calculation with the current price of barley.

IF I had a contractor, sat waiting for my call, with a high output machine, and he could be here within hours of my call, I would definitely do that.
Boots on the other foot here though, as I am the contractor and not happy knowing customers have crops ready that aren't cut yet.

 

[L P]

21 year old cts here, probably less trouble than new equivalent.

 

[Farmer mk1]

What combine would people run if you had the chance to buy any combine at the age of 20 year old ish and why?