Hillside or self leveling combines of yester year?

[john432]

Farming in the Welsh hills, was just wondering what self levelling type combines were ever sold in the UK. Be they rear lift axle,or side to side . Laverda had some amazing hillside combines,even in the 70's, did they ever reach the uk? Thanks John

 

[Selectamatic]

Never seen one in Wales...

 

[Kevtherev]

John deere did a hill master combine

 

[Richard Devon]

there was the Laverda 92AL and Deere 1065 Hill-sider that I can remember from the 70s & 80s

 

[mikep]

Deere 965H 1065H and 1068H may be others but familiar with these. Newer Deeres also have this option. Was a distinction as these were side hill combines as opposed to hillsiders. The Deeres ran along the side of the hill and a pendulum leveled the front wheels hydraulically to compensate. Was a good system and took some getting used to but did not want a lower wheel blowout!
Others ran up hill with the back wheels jacking up to keep machine level. New holland and others had a system of sieve levelling but not machine.

 

[Richard Devon]

Deere 965H 1065H and 1068H may be others but familiar with these. Newer Deeres also have this option. Was a distinction as these were side hill combines as opposed to hillsiders. The Deeres ran along the side of the hill and a pendulum leveled the front wheels hydraulically to compensate. Was a good system and took some getting used to but did not want a lower wheel blowout!
Others ran up hill with the back wheels jacking up to keep machine level. New holland and others had a system of sieve levelling but not machine.

NH offered a 1540S which jacked the entire back-end up, I am not sure if it made it to UK, but was in their product offering

 

[Northdowns Martin]

We have run hillside combines on the northdowns since roughly 1984. started with a JD965h followed by another two newer 965h's, replaced 2 JD for a NH TL58i (Lavarda in yellow) Next came a MF 7278 AL, looked at a JD cts hillmaster but couldn't quite stretch to it which turned out to be a big mistake. Got rid of MF soon as could afford to and moved on to Claas 570 Montana which I have to say is a lovely machine.

 

[Campbell]

Laverda [AGCO] auto levelling combines in any colour, MF, Fendt, Challenger. They have a concrete demo hill at the factory to scare/impress potential customers.

 

[balerman]

NH have made a very good simple system for years,starting with the TX30 series,it only levels the grain pan,sieves and fan up to 17 degrees side to side,but unless you are on a mountain that should be all you really need.Obviously to get the best from it,you need to cut across the slope,lateral float header is also available to make this easier.

 

[limestone brash]

We have run hillside combines on the northdowns since roughly 1984. started with a JD965h followed by another two newer 965h's, replaced 2 JD for a NH TL58i (Lavarda in yellow) Next came a MF 7278 AL, looked at a JD cts hillmaster but couldn't quite stretch to it which turned out to be a big mistake. Got rid of MF soon as could afford to and moved on to Claas 570 Montana which I have to say is a lovely machine.

You sound like a hillside expert- I looked at an MF but ended up going for a JD
If it's not a rude question - how did you manage to afford a Montana if a JD was too much- for me it was the other way round

 

[Northdowns Martin]

You sound like a hillside expert- I looked at an MF but ended up going for a JD
If it's not a rude question - how did you manage to afford a Montana if a JD was too much- for me it was the other way round

Change of circumstances and more acres, looked at JD v MF in 2005 both s/h machines. Changed MF in 2012, did consider a NH cr9060 but well over priced and needed a lot of work. 570 is an aging machine but resumably well looked after.

 

[Exfarmer]

Remember seeing Allis Chalmers were offering hillsiders in the early 60's

 

[john432]

We have run hillside combines on the northdowns since roughly 1984. started with a JD965h followed by another two newer 965h's, replaced 2 JD for a NH TL58i (Lavarda in yellow) Next came a MF 7278 AL, looked at a JD cts hillmaster but couldn't quite stretch to it which turned out to be a big mistake. Got rid of MF soon as could afford to and moved on to Claas 570 Montana which I have to say is a lovely machine.

What was the TL58 like for performance and reliability? and wasn't the MF also built by Laverda. David Rushton has a TL58 for sale now,your old combine?

 

[Salopian_Will]

NH have made a very good simple system for years,starting with the TX30 series,it only levels the grain pan,sieves and fan up to 17 degrees side to side,but unless you are on a mountain that should be all you really need.Obviously to get the best from it,you need to cut across the slope,lateral float header is also available to make this easier.

Yes and no. We ran NH TFs for 20 years with self levelling sieves up to 17 degrees. It does work but the little bit of fore/aft levelling our 570 montanna has helps out a bit more. Interestingly the Montana only levels to 17 degrees too, so we have retrofitted 3d sieves too, and now it is a lot better and surprisingly easy and inexpensive.

We would look at a NH if the time came to change, as tracks and self levelling is probably a better compromise, plus you dont need the extra 3tonnes of metal Montana brings with it.

 

[Northdowns Martin]

What was the TL58 like for performance and reliability? and wasn't the MF also built by Laverda. David Rushton has a TL58 for sale now,your old combine?

Our TL58 went to France. Great combine well built, galvanised body, second drum with retractable concave was good in brittle straw crops. Very reliable combine. Header wasn't built for uk straw volumes and had high losses when cutting osr. They must be a lot better now coupled up to a MF power flow header. Our MF was built at the Danish factory.

 

[tima]

Time to resurrect this thread!
Are there any older self levelling or hillmaster type combines left in uk?
Looking for something £7k ish
My guess is they have mostly been exported or cut up.

 

[Ruston3w]

Masses to choose from in Europe...but you better be quick! I think the Deutz-Fahr had a good name for not silly old hillsiders, mostly the same bits as used in combines over here.

 

[mikep]

Still lots of JD 965/1065-8H still about that you see advertised each year. Only problem was turning circle of a supertanker I suppose to make hillside turns safer.

 

[yellowbelly]

Time to resurrect this thread!
Are there any older self levelling or hillmaster type combines left in uk?
Looking for something £7k ish
My guess is they have mostly been exported or cut up.

Not sure about the UK but this guy in the Alps sure 'takes it to the limit'....

 

[sawdust]

Not sure about the UK but this guy in the Alps sure 'takes it to the limit'....

it's only 2 wheel drive...