Combine for 50 - 70 acres of barley a year

[ollie989898]

40k on 50-70 acres!!!!! I thought I was being extravagant spending 17k on 400.....and I’m expecting to last at least 10 years!

The man will be spending several thousand quid a year on a contractor, IF he can find someone to do it. He will save that sum and more by being able to cut what he wants and when he wants, not least because the grain will be dry and the straw will be fit. Easy to justify as well once you bring drying charges into the equation.

Whilst I agree entirely with your sentiment, that kind of thinking gets on a slippery slope really fast. You could say on that acreage why bother at all? If you can't justify a combine, can you justify your own labour etc etc etc. ultimately the man grows 50+ acres for a reason. I'm guessing he needs the straw as much as anything.

A simple but up together combine will be easy to find work for because as others have said, a lot of contractors don't have the ability to turn up and cut anything unless its serious acreages.

EDIT

I can't help but notice you have 400 acres and yet appear to own a Magnum?!!

 

[Hjwise]

The man will be spending several thousand quid a year on a contractor, IF he can find someone to do it. He will save that sum and more by being able to cut what he wants and when he wants, not least because the grain will be dry and the straw will be fit. Easy to justify as well once you bring drying charges into the equation.

Whilst I agree entirely with your sentiment, that kind of thinking gets on a slippery slope really fast. You could say on that acreage why bother at all? If you can't justify a combine, can you justify your own labour etc etc etc. ultimately the man grows 50+ acres for a reason. I'm guessing he needs the straw as much as anything.
[/Q

The man will be spending several thousand quid a year on a contractor, IF he can find someone to do it. He will save that sum and more by being able to cut what he wants and when he wants, not least because the grain will be dry and the straw will be fit. Easy to justify as well once you bring drying charges into the equation.

Whilst I agree entirely with your sentiment, that kind of thinking gets on a slippery slope really fast. You could say on that acreage why bother at all? If you can't justify a combine, can you justify your own labour etc etc etc. ultimately the man grows 50+ acres for a reason. I'm guessing he needs the straw as much as anything.

A simple but up together combine will be easy to find work for because as others have said, a lot of contractors don't have the ability to turn up and cut anything unless its serious acreages.

EDIT

I can't help but notice you have 400 acres and yet appear to own a Magnum?!!

I agree with all of that - I must be a bit tight! You’ve got to make a margin on each and every bit.
Magnum - I try to buy tractors that don’t depreciate, plus I consider the arable to be part time so need to do it in good time.
Edit
Ok I can see how that looks now.

 

[quavers]

should you not be thinking of the value of the crop that you are cutting ? 70 acres x a conservative 2.5 tonnes x £170 for malting barley £29, 750 do want to put that chance of a contractor turning up or running a classic , the weather now days does not often give you a second chance , got a neighbour who helps out sometimes and would put your crop before his , but not alot around like that now.

 

[Will 1594]

Contractor bill would be circa £2500 pa and job would be done in a short day ?

Can you own, run and maintain even the cheapest of combines for £2500 pa ?

Maybe you can ?

Where is he going to tip 60 acres worth of corn , it might be all going up a six inch auger and into bins . And small fields and gateways
And farmer pickle is Ireland , best having his own , so can do it when he wants and pick his days , no drying what is that cost . Worth

 

[Clive]

Where is he going to tip 60 acres worth of corn , it might be all going up a six inch auger and into bins . And small fields and gateways
And farmer pickle is Ireland , best having his own , so can do it when he wants and pick his days , no drying what is that cost . Worth

you didn’t read my other reply then

I agree

 

[Will 1594]

you didn’t read my other reply then

I agree

Will look busy roasting nuts

 

[Farmerpickle]

Where is he going to tip 60 acres worth of corn , it might be all going up a six inch auger and into bins . And small fields and gateways
And farmer pickle is Ireland , best having his own , so can do it when he wants and pick his days , no drying what is that cost . Worth

I'm not from Ireland. I'm on the Somerset/Devon border.

 

[jamesy]

I'm not from Ireland. I'm on the Somerset/Devon border.

So, southeast of Dublin

 

[vantage]

What are you using your grain for? If it’s for livestock feed why not crimp it? No drying costs, higher DM yield, easier storage and if contractor is cutting, more chance of getting him when you want. If not livestock then disregard all this!

 

[Farmerpickle]

Livestock feed. Fattening and finishing store cattle.

 

[Wombat]

you might be cheaper buying a mobile drier?

Then I need a grainstore which is a bit more that the drier

 

[2wheels]

Then I need a grainstore which is a bit more that the drier

do you deliver direct to the merchant off the combine at present?

 

[Wombat]

do you deliver direct to the merchant off the combine at present?

Straight into a local store in tractor and trailer and that’s the last I see of it.

Pay weigh bridge, drying and storage but no buying into the store. Just turn up with a much or as little as we want, same price

So the biggest cost to me is drying, if I can get it dry then costs of harvest are pretty low

 

[BuskhillFarm]

Very interesting thread as I’m in a similar position. Small acreage and either need grain drying or own combine. Combine seems to be a better option but I’ve always been afraid of the moving parts. All the sites I’ve looked at have a lot of New Holland’s in the 80s/90s and a few Claas of similar age but very few jds? Why is this is the nh cheaper/better/worse/reliable? I’d like a JD due to dealer but so few about sub 3k hours.

 

[Flat 10]

Very interesting thread as I’m in a similar position. Small acreage and either need grain drying or own combine. Combine seems to be a better option but I’ve always been afraid of the moving parts. All the sites I’ve looked at have a lot of New Holland’s in the 80s/90s and a few Claas of similar age but very few jds? Why is this is the nh cheaper/better/worse/reliable? I’d like a JD due to dealer but so few about sub 3k hours.

Isn’t going to be much sub 3k hours due to the age.

 

[spin cycle]

don't look at hours...look at paintwork

 

[balerman]

Very interesting thread as I’m in a similar position. Small acreage and either need grain drying or own combine. Combine seems to be a better option but I’ve always been afraid of the moving parts. All the sites I’ve looked at have a lot of New Holland’s in the 80s/90s and a few Claas of similar age but very few jds? Why is this is the nh cheaper/better/worse/reliable? I’d like a JD due to dealer but so few about sub 3k hours.

You will get more for your money with a JD,and parts are nearly all available at reasonable prices from main dealers,but a lot of them caught fire and that could be why there are less around.Hydraulic pipes running under the grain tank are the main culprit i think.I would still go for an NH tho.

 

[2wheels]

Very interesting thread as I’m in a similar position. Small acreage and either need grain drying or own combine. Combine seems to be a better option but I’ve always been afraid of the moving parts. All the sites I’ve looked at have a lot of New Holland’s in the 80s/90s and a few Claas of similar age but very few jds? Why is this is the nh cheaper/better/worse/reliable? I’d like a JD due to dealer but so few about sub 3k hours.

the contractor who used to cut ours had 4nh and 1jd. he said the jd cost more in repairs than the 4 nhs put together. that would have been in the 1980s .

 

[Rowland]

the answer is always an old case axial flow

This would be spot on

1990 case axail flow

Case Axial Flow 1460 18ft Dromone Header Has cut 125 acres of Spring Barley this season Engine Fully serviced Rebuilt inside workings approximately 3 years ago. Lots of new belts and parts, well...

www.facebook.com

 

[Deranged peasant]

The purchase price is an opportunity cost, these combines don’t depreciate.
Fix yourself., can’t afford a fitter for this acreage.
2 biggies engine and hydro unit
What will you wear out on 70 ac
keep vermin out, got somewhere nice to park it?
Anyone local that can do it?