Using a hill side combine on flat land.

[Oilseed]

We are looking to buy a used combine, there are a few hill side models available locally, are there any disadvantages to running them on level land?

 

[nelson]

We are looking to buy a used combine, there are a few hill side models available locally, are there any disadvantages to running them on level land?

unless you are dead flat there will be an avantage but they are heavyer and cost more to buy

 

[Oilseed]

unless you are died flat there will be an avantage but they are heavyer and cost more to buy

Looking at second hand prices they don't seam to make any different money.
Heavier is certainly a disadvantage.

 

[Tompkins]

Depends on the combine, our JD Hill master was always pitched slightly on even our flattest fields and the weight difference was unnoticeable really. I can't think of any real disadvantages apart from more moving parts?

 

[Oilseed]

Depends on the combine, our JD Hill master was always pitched slightly on even our flattest fields and the weight difference was unnoticeable really. I can't think of any real disadvantages apart from more moving parts?

Do those moving parts ever cause any problems?

 

[Tompkins]

Not really, just keep it greased well and make sure there is no build up of crap in any bits that need to move.

 

[John]

We brought a second hand hill master everyone round here takes the pee out of us but we don’t care. I knew where the combine had been and what it had done and that it had been looked after that was more important to me

 

[average farmer]

We run a hill master on flat ground , 4 grease nips to grease everyday is about the only difference. Great for unloading OSR on a windy day

 

[E_B]

We have a hillmaster. Find I have to switch the hillmaster off quite often on level ground otherwise it wants to sway like a ship. Over sensitive calibration probably, but have gotten used to it.

 

[solo]

The level land jD T series has a 10,000 litre tank vs hillmaster equivalent which has an 8000l That may or may not help with your harvest logistics .

 

[Ruston3w]

The cab height will be lower on the road on a hillmaster when lowered , as well as the smaller tank you may well be limited to A bit narrower tyres compared to the widest approved option on a fixed axle machine.

 

[Bignor Farmer]

Going back about 15 years but I think our old Claas Montana had a narrower feeder house than the level land version. Might not be true on more recent models?

 

[Simon Chiles]

The level land jD T series has a 10,000 litre tank vs hillmaster equivalent which has an 8000l That may or may not help with your harvest logistics .

The cab height will be lower on the road on a hillmaster when lowered , as well as the smaller tank you may well be limited to A bit narrower tyres compared to the widest approved option on a fixed axle machine.

I’ve got a T560 Hillmaster. It’s got a 10,000 litre grain tank. It’s only the 550 that has the 8,000 litre.
It also has tyres that can be run at 1.5 bar with a 24 tonne axle load.
We do harvest fields that are on it’s chassis tilt limit however it always surprises me how much it levels on fields that you would have been certain were flat.

 

[Simon Chiles]

We have a hillmaster. Find I have to switch the hillmaster off quite often on level ground otherwise it wants to sway like a ship. Over sensitive calibration probably, but have gotten used to it.

You can change the deadband and sensitivity in the settings.

 

[Lexion1000]

One advantage to Hillmaster/Montana type combines is that they can be quite handy for getting g through gateways without taking the header off. You can often just pick up over the hedge or tilt your way through.

 

[Brisel]

One advantage to Hillmaster/Montana type combines is that they can be quite handy for getting g through gateways without taking the header off. You can often just pick up over the hedge or tilt your way through.

MF Autolevel models can be jacked right up to lift over gateposts too. We had to widen a lot of gateways when moving from a JD Hillmaster to a New Holland rigid chassis machine.

 

[Brisel]

We are looking to buy a used combine, there are a few hill side models available locally, are there any disadvantages to running them on level land?

No. A few more moving parts, that's all. What you'll be surprised at is just how much you see it tilting on what you'd think of as flat. John Deeres have no other method of levelling the sieve box so they lose capacity on any kind of slope without Hillmaster. I can't speak for Claas these days but we had 3D sieves when I was on the fens and was glad to have it too.

 

[Ruston3w]

Re tyres, on max tilt the widest option on our old z series left a very distinct footprint on the downhill side. Eventually I put it on wider, more modern boots and it was transformed. Sure the new T can have wider tyres (as ours does) but the OP is looking at s/h so just bare in mind it might be wearing old fashioned tyres that don't suit , were they 30x32?, very round section and kind on the final drives but not field.
Totally agree how the levelling helps , even on a relatively flat field.

 

[Oilseed]

MF Autolevel models can be jacked right up to lift over gateposts too.

That's the first thing I have heard there good at!

 

[Luke Cropwalker]

That's the first thing I have heard there good at!

That and breaking down.