Combine choice for 950ha

[Chieftain]

Hi all,

Just after your thoughts. Currently looking at changing our combine, farming 950ha with roughly 430ha in group 1 wheat looking to hit the highest premiums possible. Also growing spring linseed, borage, peas and beans. On the floor drying in every grain store, but no continuous flow dryer. Estate is essentially ring fenced so not hugely spread out. Everything for the most part is chopped other than what we require for the stock. Should also say estate is on fairly hilly ground, but not hilly enough to justify a hillmaster, just more of a horsepower requirement.

What are you running in similar circumstances? and anyone hiring their combine on this hectarage?

Thanks in advance,
Will

How many men have you got working for/with you? How many days harvesting do you anticipate each year? Which dealer is closest and most reliable? Budget? Carting capacity?

Lots more details needed to know what you're looking for exactly beyond acres.

Regarding Hillmaster, you may not think you need it but I would recommend a demo of one if you haven't already. It makes night and day to operator comfort even on the steadiest banks and you feel a lot safer swinging around on them with a tank full of grain. Also makes tight gates a lot easier to navigate with the header on, although I doubt you struggle with this down South much.

EDIT: Just realised it's 950Ha and not acres. Can't imagine why you're downsizing from a 780? Unless the weathers like Barbados where you are.

 

[Chae1]

I just can't believe someone with 2.5k acres of cereals and 1 combine is even considering downsizing!

 

[l'ordinary bonville]

I just can't believe someone with 2.5k acres of cereals and 1 combine is even considering downsizing!

That's cos youre from up north where the season is short. It's a different world when they are finished wheat before we even start

 

[Flatlander]

you can never have too much combine capacity. With it you have the option of delayed starts in the morning to have dryer grain or just getting it done on time in a tricky season to preserve quality. Logistics of moving the crop away will play a big part in productivity also available man power. Id say stick with your 780 as it’s a very capable combine. As for 12 meters,my 595 with 40 ft is tight to unload but doable with care. have looked at a controlled spout to push grain out further and supposed to give an extra 5 feet with same auger.

 

[Wilba]

I just can't believe someone with 2.5k acres of cereals and 1 combine is even considering downsizing!

I've gone from 3350 acres combineable to 2300 acres combineable with the same combine, I wouldn't be doing my job very well if I didn't look to see if it was possible to downsize at the next point of change.

 

[Wilba]

You need a fleet of maybe 20 New Holland 8040’s
With a good fleet of Ford 4000’s chasing them …

Lovely

Now this sounds like a plan!

 

[Banana Bar]

We've got a Claas 780tt with a 12m header, but have dropped our combinable area with more of a concentration on being a mixed farming estate now. Can't really justify the cost of the new 780 equivalent across our lower hectarage.

Keep the current one

 

[l'ordinary bonville]

Do one season with the old one and see how you get on. Demo a smaller model or 2 and persuade claas to keep you right in terms of breakdowns

 

[CPF]

I would be looking for John Deere
X9

 

[Wilba]

Do one season with the old one and see how you get on. Demo a smaller model or 2 and persuade claas to keep you right in terms of breakdowns

Yeah wasn't planning to change until harvest 23, just getting ideas of what to demo if we do

 

[KB6930]

Yeah wasn't planning to change until harvest 23, just getting ideas of what to demo if we do

You'll need to order now for harvest 23 from what I'm hearing round here . Couple of local farms might not see they're new harvesters for 22 harvest and were ordered in oct 21 !!

 

[Clive]

the only solution to mitigate the higher capital requirement of new machines is to run them for more years

its not realistic to suddenly expect small machines to cover same areas …….. despite what salesmen will tell you


tractors used to change here at 3k hrs - then 5k snd now 10k


run the same size machine but keep it a extra few years to mitigate that cost is my opinion

 

[Bossfarmer]

the only solution to mitigate the higher capital requirement of new machines is to run them for more years

its not realistic to suddenly expect small machines to cover same areas …….. despite what salesmen will tell you


tractors used to change here at 3k hrs - then 5k snd now 10k


run the same size machine but keep it a extra few years to mitigate that cost is my opinion

this makes sense although repair bills can increase, also remember to set some money aside for the eventual change as the gap can be huge now

 

[l'ordinary bonville]

Do you have much else to harvest at the same time as wheat? How many days must you get your 430ha milling wheat in? What daily/hourly rate are you comfortable with?

For me with feed wheat, spring barley and spring oats usually ripe together i aim for 12 days (good days) to get this in. Winter barley, rape and spring beans always less pressure on time so i don't worry about them.
For 12 days i work on 10 hour combine working so 120 hours at X ha/hour or Y t/hr gives me a sensible sustainable work rate. For me that works out at just over 30 t/hr driving in a straight line and i use a 6 walker Lexion to comfortably achieve this. We usually get more than 10 hours but turning, adjusting, moving etc all use up that 2 hours

 

[teslacoils]

I know what you're saying and it can be stressful at peak times. But we use to cut 1100ha with one 780 and managed ok. I'd be more stressed trying to chase after contractors I think

It's more for the milling wheat. We cut 1000ha with a NH 9080. It wasn't exactly pushed. But it would be a long day cutting 100ac of slightly green milling wheat. I'd not choose to chance I'd get 12 good days to get my milling wheat done in the UK climate. And 4t @ £30 premium pays for someone else to do it. You chase the contractor by making their life easy - give them the big square fields that don't need header on / offs, and you send it to a coop store. Then they come and cut yours because it's a pleasant job they can get done while it's 18 percent.

I think, in reality you already know what you want to do. Ask here and you'll get four or more answers. Then just pick the one you agree with.

 

[Tractorstant]

Nothing wrong with it, just would be wary of running such a tech heavy machine out of warranty. Plus want an extended auger on the combine to match the 12m CTF lines I have implemented on the estate. Unfortunately cannot extend our existing auger, as requires a lot of additional strengthening.

Could you not invest in a Chaser with a belt ( sorry don't know the right term ) that extends thus negating the need to extend the auger. might even smooth your operation out, full trailers, combine constantly moving.... just a tought.

 

[kiwi pom]

I've gone from 3350 acres combineable to 2300 acres combineable with the same combine, I wouldn't be doing my job very well if I didn't look to see if it was possible to downsize at the next point of change.

Has the current machine been reliable and do you or your staff have any mechanical sympathy/knowledge?
How many hours on the current combine?
I can't get my head around some of the UK thinking around combines. In a country where the weathers often shite and windows are small, some people seem to be obsessed with using the smallest combine possible, then drying everything.
A big combine will harvest your crop in fewer hours which will allow you to keep it for more seasons and if it does break down (warranty or not) you'll have the capacity to catch up faster.
If your current machine is worn out swap it for the same again and pay for it over more seasons.