Contractor for combining or buy one?

[Tom 12341]

Hi all,
We have a contractor cutting our crops and have been so for years. have been looking at getting our own and was wondering peoples thoughts.
We need the straw for the livestock so a straw walker combine. Around 6-700 acres to cut yearly, possibly and `little contract work.
Whats is peoples views on makes, models and any prices. crop storage isn't a problem for output and plenty of labour at harvest when needed.

Thanks in advance,
Tom

 

[Rowland]

Edit:- I’d buy one if I was in your shoes. We had similar amount of acres . In a dropy year it’s best to have your own and not be consistently calling a contractor to ask when they are coming and receive the answer tomorrow when rain is forecast

Go JD you get more bang for your buck than you would with NH or Class . JD probably sell more combines than any other makes so they cant be that bad . Personally id buy a Case Axial Flow the straw is ok we had them for over 20 years and used the straw ourselves . If its going thorough a bedding machine you might be better off anyhow.

 

[Hampton]

Hi all,
We have a contractor cutting our crops and have been so for years. have been looking at getting our own and was wondering peoples thoughts.
We need the straw for the livestock so a straw walker combine. Around 6-700 acres to cut yearly, possibly and `little contract work.
Whats is peoples views on makes, models and any prices. crop storage isn't a problem for output and plenty of labour at harvest when needed.

Thanks in advance,
Tom

Class Tucano 440-450 or lexicon 620 would eat that acreage comfortably

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just question why you choose a Sraw Walker for livestock bedding. 80 % of my customers prefer short straw,
And dont most farmers put it through a straw chopper bedder any how
The few who bed calf pens by hand prefer longer straw
Sorry if this drifts off point

 

[David.]

Maybe they like to roll out round bales in yards?
I'd be wary of supply of some parts for earlier generation JD combines, and some NH, for that matter.

 

[Hampton]

Just question why you choose a Sraw Walker for livestock bedding. 80 % of my customers prefer short straw,
And dont most farmers put it through a straw chopper bedder any how
The few who bed calf pens by hand prefer longer straw
Sorry if this drifts off point

Generally, if the straw walker has a pre rota such as the class APS, it shortens the straw anyway

 

[goodevans]

Just question why you choose a Sraw Walker for livestock bedding. 80 % of my customers prefer short straw,
And dont most farmers put it through a straw chopper bedder any how
The few who bed calf pens by hand prefer longer straw
Sorry if this drifts off point

Isn't it more the fact it is easier to bale in a wet season,we put the chopper knives in our baler in oat straw so it spreads easier

 

[M-J-G]

Just question why you choose a Sraw Walker for livestock bedding. 80 % of my customers prefer short straw,
And dont most farmers put it through a straw chopper bedder any how
The few who bed calf pens by hand prefer longer straw
Sorry if this drifts off point

Long or short straw make a no odds, until it rains and you have to shift rows to get them dry.

 

[Farma Parma]

Straw Walker Binders are easier straw to bale up as it dries out quicker if left for a day or so. the rotary Binders & there all pretty much the same leave a tighter swath.
If your DOWN south & get much hotter weather than us northerners then crack on with a Rotary.
Your at the acreage to even Hire a New or very New Binder poss look at it over buying one...
If you buy new & you aint got the dreaded BG concerns your allways gonna be much safer with NEW unless you get to keep the Hire one year after year.
Like everything else New ones are just overpriced, my neighbour looked at all of this & he was inc mine be at 750 acres & it didnt add up. Bought a low houred 10yr old Machine instead
and he says lets see where things are in 5/6years

 

[ollie989898]

What is more important, getting the crop off fast and avoiding the need to dry or your straw? They all crunch it up these days anyway.

Axial flow will be cheap and easy to run and you will get more cutting for your initial spend but check what a local contractor would want per acre you may be surprised.

 

[Brisel]

Hi all,
We have a contractor cutting our crops and have been so for years. have been looking at getting our own and was wondering peoples thoughts.
We need the straw for the livestock so a straw walker combine. Around 6-700 acres to cut yearly, possibly and `little contract work.
Whats is peoples views on makes, models and any prices. crop storage isn't a problem for output and plenty of labour at harvest when needed.

Thanks in advance,
Tom

So many questions....

Are you happy enough to tie up capital in a machine that sits in the shed for 10 months of the year?
Have you got the time & skills to maintain it?
Are you getting good service from your contractor?
Relatively new machine that works harder for longer by being matched to your area or a bigger older one that has spare capacity in case of a breakdown or enables you to catch up with the work around harvesting e.g. straw carting?
How many crops do you have? If you bought a combine, you may wish to spread the maturity dates out with a more diverse rotation. Farmers who wish to work their combines harder have several crops that keep it going from July to late September. Some potato growers prefer to get harvest done quickly so they can start lifting.
How time critical is harvesting - are you growing malting barley, milling wheat, seed etc?
Are you concerned about contractors' machines bringing weed seeds in? Balers are just as bad as combines for spreading blackgrass, if not worse as they move around more farms every day.

A wider spread of crops to suit the combine might not suit overall profitability & storage logistics. At least one of your crops each year will be poor and at least one will have a good year. You'd also tie up 2-4 operators for a long time in the summer.

Lots of older New Holland, John Deere and Claas combines running around here on your kind of area. An Axial Flow would be cheaper but the straw is badly broken. I'd steer clear of any rotaries if you want to bale the straw.

 

[goodevans]

The OP surely knows what a local contractor charges

 

[snarling bee]

Do you mind what you drive? Are you handy on the spanners? Have you a budget in mind? Tight gateways/roads?
I would say find a good NH TX66, or tidy CX. Avoid top of the range of any colour.

 

[quattro]

Hi all,
We have a contractor cutting our crops and have been so for years. have been looking at getting our own and was wondering peoples thoughts.
We need the straw for the livestock so a straw walker combine. Around 6-700 acres to cut yearly, possibly and `little contract work.
Whats is peoples views on makes, models and any prices. crop storage isn't a problem for output and plenty of labour at harvest when needed.

Thanks in advance,
Tom

If you’ve the time and ability to use and look after a combine, I would say buy one especially at that acres,as regards model depends what area your in and local dealers, pick a machine what’s popular in your area there’s probably a good reason why!!

 

[Brisel]

The OP surely knows what a local contractor charges

Odd question - the OP has been using a contractor for years - if he paid the bills he'll have a fair idea what it costs

 

[Tom 12341]

If you’ve the time and ability to use and look after a combine, I would say buy one especially at that acres,as regards model depends what area your in and local dealers, pick a machine what’s popular in your area there’s probably a good reason why!!

We have a claas dealer local and john Deere dealer. Both reliable. Have scorpion loaders and john Deere tractors.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Long or short straw make a no odds, until it rains and you have to shift rows to get them dry.

Could that be an advantage with owning a combine, you can go in when conditions are ideal . Or if not ideal better than when the contractor wants to do it ,
Depends how important the straw is to you i suppose

 

[Farma Parma]

Odd question - the OP has been using a contractor for years - if he paid the bills he'll have a fair idea what it costs

Tell me about it!!! but its still better for myself whom using my neighbour for last 9 seasons has worked brilliantly for both overall id say.
We both gained extra output from this arrangement now onto 2nd combine just last season.
thats us at 24ft header & as big as either wants too be at, both have fields from 3ac to over 30 & everything inbetween.
Its not for nothing, but you dont buy a good one & run it for free neither.
If i had a perm member of staff id have possibly considered one of my own like we used to have but i havnt.

600/700ac is where the hire job poss is still better than owning one? unless you plan to change the NEW one every 5years but hey its a lot of CASH tied up.

I know of another 1500ac farming setup where they have run older combines & only finally had to do something when i big bill was looming on a 22yr old machine

its been finally changed for a ed demo single unit now.

 

[Brisel]

I hadn't considered hiring. It would be a good way of getting a feel for DIY for the first couple of years while you look for one to buy.

https://aphltd.co.uk/ These guys are probably the biggest UK hire firm.

 

[goodevans]

Odd question - the OP has been using a contractor for years - if he paid the bills he'll have a fair idea what it costs

I was replying to ollie in the post in front of yours with the very same view you as yourself