Which combine to purchase??

[wesmanh]

I just started farming for myself and I need to update my combine. 120 acres currently own a 915 int. I'm not partial to make just no more off set cabs!!! I harvest mainly corn and soybeans. Price around $20-30k

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

Is the 28-30K just the machine or do you need the heads, also?  

You're going to be getting a pretty old machine, so in addition to a local dealer you might want to see if there are any local indiependent mechanics who can support one machine better than others.  Or maybe you'll do the work yourself?

I run New Holland and am happy tihe that.  I don't have any experience with others so can't comment.  

[BA Deere]

IMO for 120 acres and a $30,000 combine budget, buy (2) John Deere 6620`s because John Deere has pretty interchangable heads.  A 6620 you can use a 6 row or a 4 row in a pinch 15-20` bean head. They are simple, reliable alot of parts can be bought aftermarket from Shoup or used parts from Worthington or Abilene. 

(2) good condition 6620`s could be bought under $30,000 with 2 machines if one isn`t feeling good one day, you can use the other or rob parts off the other.  For $30,000 you could buy one 9500...but it might be a money pit, shelled out you could end up with a $15,000 repair bill...try amortizing that over 120 acres, plus with one machine that`s laid up nothing is getting done while being repaired.

[r3020]

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@wesmanh wrote:
I just started farming for myself and I need to update my combine. 120 acres currently own a 915 int. I'm not partial to make just no more off set cabs!!! I harvest mainly corn and soybeans. Price around $20-30k

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I would look for a good 1440 or 1460, 1640 or 1660. I think your heads will fit but am not sure.

[MMG900]

for 120 acres I'd hire what your 915 doesn't want to do.  I'd run the 915 over the corn and hire the beans- or hire both done likely for $4k or less.  That leaves you $26k for something else or borrow less.  Hiring is fully deductible, no property taxes, no repairs, batteries, tires, etc.  Plus you get a hired man for free.

[buckfarmer]

In my area Deere has much better parts departments. I had an older Deere and now have newer Case-ih.

[dmowitz]

I ran some numbers on recent sales of Case IH 1680 and 1688 combines which were averaging from $13,757 up to $14,030. I then went back to see what they were selling for in previous years and found that price range to be about the same. So its a good guess than they will sell in that range this winter.

Dave Mowitz, Successful Farming Magazine