combine for 800 acres.

benny6910

Member
Arable Farmer
I would think you may be lucky to get a big choice of new combines now to get delivery for harvest. If you chop most of your straw then definitely a rotary with a vario header. What combine did your contractor run? We’re you happy with the output that it had?
 

Spud

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
YO62
Can't argue with this- more money spent on additional combine capacity may save a lot of money in a few catchy seasons as you can avoid too much drying.
That never really plays out though does it?

What's just as important is having the infrastructure to match the output. Facebook is littered with pictures of big combines sat with the spout out waiting for a cart every harvest.

We cut 600ac with a 20' CX760 which is light enough to go anywhere in a wet time. Neighbour with a 30' monster cuts similar but is knackered in a wet time, it just goes down.

We're spread from winter barley to spring beans, so it'd cut double the area if it had to. If you're chopping a lot you'd want a 780 over a 760 though, pushing on in a decent crop the 760 needs every horse
 
That never really plays out though does it?

What's just as important is having the infrastructure to match the output. Facebook is littered with pictures of big combines sat with the spout out waiting for a cart every harvest.

We cut 600ac with a 20' CX760 which is light enough to go anywhere in a wet time. Neighbour with a 30' monster cuts similar but is knackered in a wet time, it just goes down.

We're spread from winter barley to spring beans, so it'd cut double the area if it had to. If you're chopping a lot you'd want a 780 over a 760 though, pushing on in a decent crop the 760 needs every horse

OP describes good harvest haulage and other considerations. The ability to tog on is invaluable IMO. I realise there will be a lot of people cutting more with smaller machines no problem but I don't know the OP's location. They also outline their cropping which includes OSR which can be a steady old job in some conventional machines.
 

Spud

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
YO62
OP describes good harvest haulage and other considerations. The ability to tog on is invaluable IMO. I realise there will be a lot of people cutting more with smaller machines no problem but I don't know the OP's location. They also outline their cropping which includes OSR which can be a steady old job in some conventional machines.
I saw that, but he didn't say wether the haulage etc is good for 50t/hr or 100
 

dave mountain

Member
Livestock Farmer
Actually couldn't see too many CRs for sale. That one was in North Yorkshire too.
True enough, something like this is a lot more machine for the money though

Combine overcapacity is half the cost of undercapacity. Even more in a bad year, less in a good year. Cheap enough as the ultimate insurance policy if you ask me.
 

goodevans

Member
I would think you may be lucky to get a big choice of new combines now to get delivery for harvest. If you chop most of your straw then definitely a rotary with a vario header. What combine did your contractor run? We’re you happy with the output that it had?
The contractor could be using the same combine on another similar sized job or 5/6 other little ones though,if the contractor was only doing the OP work it would definitely pay to have it in house
 

benny6910

Member
Arable Farmer
The contractor could be using the same combine on another similar sized job or 5/6 other little ones though,if the contractor was only doing the OP work it would definitely pay to have it in house
I was more meaning if the contractor had a big combine could they cope with the tons a hour it produces. I just think it’s a good starting point to determine what they are used to at the moment. I run a over capacity combine for what I do but this enables me to hold back if I can to cut more drier grain if the weather allows.
 

quattro

Member
Location
scotland
I wouldn’t get to hooked up on new or nearly new
you’ll get a could combine for 100_120k to easily do that and save some money for a start
theres combines up here worth 70k doing that acreage easily and I reckon whatever you can do up here you could double it Yorkshire
what dryer capacity do you have
 

dave mountain

Member
Livestock Farmer
depends on priorities. if i had big gateways i would get the biggest possible, then keep it for a very long time. if your combine can do your whole years harvest in a week, then if you cant get a part for a few days it isnt really much of an issue. less drying costs, lower stress on the combine so fewer breakdowns etc soon pay off a bigger combine several times over if kept long enough. even if your haulage cant cope now, can gradually upgrade over the next few years to reach the combines full capacity.
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
We bought a new cr8.80 to cut just 1100 acres. We share it with our uncle. That's total acres it cuts.

Capital allowance scheme was reason we bought new over used.

I'm sure you'll think we're crazy 🤪. If it was someone else I would.

Would be 95% malting spring barley. So all ready at once and quality important

The way the prices of new equipment has gone since we bought it, it now looks a good price. Had no idea that would happen when we bought it.

It replaced a 16 year old 570. Got to admit it was nice to have a season with no breakdowns.
 

T C

Member
Location
Nr Kelso
We do around that with a CX8.70 - it is on top of the job.
New Holland straw walker combines hold their value better than anything else.
Not expensive to run as parts are relatively well priced and tend to not need too many.
Our last CX8060 did not miss more that a few hours cutting in the 8 seasons we had it.
 

T Hectares

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Berkshire
B9330D7F-9351-4281-B3E7-368C5BEA3BDD.jpeg
I have a CX8.90 on 1500acres of OSR/SB/WW/WBeans

I’ve run CR’s in the past and love hybrids/rotaries but it was a bit of a revaluation going back to a Walker on sub 2000 acres, they are cheaper to run and hold their residuals better, they’re also better on fuel and more reliable

In Rape and Beans with a vario header where’s the output come from Walker v rotary as long as the Walker has enough hp, separation isn’t the issue ??

In Wheat and Barley a rotary may go faster but my logistics with two tractors and trailers and on on floor store perfectly matched the output the CX has so going faster means an extra tractor trailer I don’t have…a 5 Walker width rotary would add nothing with a higher purchase cost

Spring Barley is where I struggle but I’d be better investing in a Mac Don than a bigger combine ??

Anyway, I’m happy and the £££‘a add up !!
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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