[frantbk]

Hi there.
I'm new to this forum and have very little time with Red combines. Rented a 1660 with a 25 ft head back in the 1990's.
Not a big acre farm so older machines will do. Anyway on with some questions.

Soybeans - local dealer said 1420/1620 can't handle 1020 20 ft flex heads. Little info out there on these combines; most people that have had one said the old 715/815's were more cost effective with a 15 ft grain head then 1420/1620. Soybeans are anywhere from insurance yield (20 bushel) to 80 bushels, and 13 -to- 15% in this area of Illinois.

Corn - At auctions some guys have said farmers were running 1420/1620's with 6 row 30 corn heads, but I've read 4 row is the largest one this combine is suppose to run. Corn yield: insurance yield (50 bushel) to 210 bushel per acre and 15 -to-30%.

1440/1640 - Case-IH say's nothing larger then a 22.5 ft for flex. Anyone ever run a 1440/1640 with a 25ft flex?

One odd ball question: 1680 can they handle a 12 row 30 inch corn head at 2.5 -to- 3 mph. I've heard (at auctions) 8 row was more then enough for the 1680 combines.

 

[goalie]

Stay away from a 1420/1620. They have a lot of smaller componments and I think it may be hard to get some parts for them. A 1640 with a 17.5 flex and 6 row head is a great machine for smaller acreages. Go with a late model to get the longer seives, not sure when they went longer but I know the '92's had them.

 

[frantbk]

Thanks for the reply.

I was wondering if parts might be a problem with the 1420/1620's. TractorHouse has a large number for sale right now. Dose anyone know for sure that Case-IH is pretty much done with support for these two models?

Even though my farm is small the last three years have been rain, rain, and more rain around here. We had 2.5 inches of rain total from Dec 24/25, and yesterday and today we've had snow falling most of the day. Last spring was heavy rains and I had to work the ground too wet just to meet the insurance deadline for corn planting. The word from the universities for next spring, is more of the same as this spring. This means that many of us will be harvesting soybeans later again next spring as this spring.

In this part of the country you can't drive through standing water in mud holes because it is swamp ground. The mud holes haven't any bottom when wet. Just to finish beans in mud holes I had to wait until it froze - that wasn't until Dec 6. That is why I was wondering if the 1640 would handle a 25 ft flex 1020. Speed is not the key around here because on average a 1/2 round is anywhere from 1200 -to- 2400 ft in length. 3000 ft a 1/2 round is pretty rare around here. So speed is not the key, width of equipment is. A 17.5 ft flex just can't get enough done in a day because of all of the turning.

 

[gatescounty1640]

Go with the 1640 if you can get it. My dad and I run a 1640 with a 20' flex head and we wish it were a little wider. A local farmer runs a 1644 with a 22-1/2 head and it seems to be a good match for the combine. I am not sure about the 25' head. It would probably be ok in good conditions, but if the beans are tough it may be more than the combine wants. As for the corn head a 5 row wide (36" or 38" rows) is a good match for the 1640, It seems like the 6 row 30" corn head may be a litle much for the 1640. I would stay away from the 1420/1620. So far we haven't had any issues with parts availability through our local CaseIH dealer.

 

[ayars660]

I ran a 1640 for years with a 15' 1020, in beans I could have run a 20' in good wheat 80+ it had all it wanted with the 15'. I also ran a 6-30 corn head and made out very well with my yields running anywhere from 100-200 bus depending on the year.

 

[boog]

I agree with "goalie", go with 40 series a there weren't near as many 20s made so parts are harder to find. Also, compnenets of the 40 series were the same as the 60 series & parts & updates are still available for them. If you can find one, consider going to a 1644, it has the longer sieves. Another choice would be a 1460, same combine as the 1440 but has a turbo charged engine & heavier final drives. Good friend ran a 1644 with a 25' 1020 platform for several years.

I bought a new 1440 back in 1982. I ran a 20' 820 platform on it. Wouldn't set any speed records but it would cut 50-60 bpa beans at 3 -3.5 mph. Started out with a 944 (4x36") cornhead & switched after about four years to a 963 (6x30") At the time our corn was making around 175bpa & occassionally would have some 200 bu corn. I thought it handled the 6 row as good as it did the 4 & it wouldn't throw corn out the back with the 6 that it would with the 4.

I ran that combine for 10 years & it was the most trouble free combine I ever owned.

As for the 1680, probably can be done but all the ones around here had mostly 8x30" heads though a couple had 6x30s. I traded the 1440 for a 2 yr old 1660. Guy that owned it before ran a 8x30" on it as well as the 1660 he traded for. Good friend had one of the first 1460s sold in this area & ran a 8x30" cornhead on it but itt was slow going & he had trouble with the cross auger in the grain tank handling that much corn.

 

[frantbk]

Not much wheat around here these days. Last three winters have been pretty hard on wheat - to much rolling ground - good yields on the hills, but poor at the base where all the water sits. There are plenty of 20, 25, 30 ft 1020 around here. Using tractorhouse the nearest 15 ft is 214 miles from me. One hundred miles for a 17.5 ft and 52 & 59 miles for 22.5 ft (1990 & 1994).

 

[frantbk]

The oldest Case-IH brochure I've found at home is the 1644 - 88 series. The only difference between the 1644 & 1666, in the brochure, seems to be the hp and tank size. I'm assuming that the 1640 and the 1660 are the same differences in specifications (tank & HP), I could be wrong on that. I don't see why the 1640 shouldn't be able to handle a 25 ft. I'm 30 inch rows so a 1063/1640 probably would work just fine.

 

[frantbk]

I never thought about the cross auger in the grain tank have trouble. Slow is not a problem, 2.5 mph doesn't bother me because the 1/2 rounds are so short. At 1200 ft a 1/2 round at 5.5 -to- 6 mph translates into about 900 -to- 1000 ft then you have to slow down to turn. Any of you guys coming out of your turn arounds and hitting the edge of the corn field at 5.5 mph?

 

[frantbk]

I want to thank everyone that has posted a response. The information has been very helpful. Just to recap:

1420/1620 - small parts and not supported much by Case-IH these days.

1640 - 6 row 30 and 20 -to- 22.5 ft work fine

1680 - Could run a 12 row 30, but probably better to run an 8 row 30 (by the way what is the average speed for a 1680/8 row 30 in average yielding (180 bpa) corn?). The reason I ask is because most of the farmers around here are 16 row 30 using an 8 row head, and there are many 12 row 30's using an 8 row head on their machines. Come to think of it there is two guys with 24 row 30's using 8 row 30 heads (these heads are green machines).

 

[duane1620]

i ran a 715 with a 15' 1020 and 843 head for 10 years. i then upgraded to a 1620 and use the same heads. i've had the 1620
for 11 years. i have not had any problems getting parts. 3 years ago i put in a spec rotor. 2 years ago i add the external sieve adjustments and this past year i add the external chopper adjustment. no more climbing inside my combine. it has a bin extension to hold around 150 bu. there are not alot of after market parts for the 20 series. i farm 275 acres. works good for me and i happy with it.

good luck!!

Duane

 

[farmerboy3]

my grandpa ran a 1440 with a 24" international 810 header he ran no problem we run an 810 on our 1460 and we like it

 

[boog]

I would think a 1680 would handle an 8 row head at 4 -4.5 mph in 180 bu corn without too much problem. When we had our 2366 that's about the speeds we ran with an 8 row head, could run 5-5.5 with the 2388. As I recall the cleaning area of a 2366 was larger than the 1680s, at least the early 80s. The 80 would have slightly more hp & bigger rotor.

We planted with a 12x 30 planter & picked with an 8x 30 head for 3 or 4 years. The only places we had problems was around curves along our drainage ditches. We quickly learned to stay off the bulkrow on the first pass when opening up those ends.

When shelling corn planted with a 12 row and harvested with a 8row you're only on the bulk rows once every three thrus.

I use to custom harvest with a 6 row for a guy that planted with a 8 row planter. He wasn't too particular about his bulk rows so it could be a real problem at times

 

[frantbk]

If you don't mind my asking? why did you go with the spec. rotor and after running both the standard and spec; what did you like and dislike about the two rotors.

Another question I would like to ask, if you don't mind. Do you think the 1620 could handle a 20 ft flex? (beans 40 -to-50, and wheat 55 -to- 90 bpa around here). The reason I'm asking about the 20 ft flex is because the Case-IH dealer is 10 miles away and he usually has 20, 25, and 30 ft heads. Fifteen ft, 17.5 ft heads are pretty much gone from around here.

 

[frantbk]

Yeah I'm pretty sure a 1440 and the 1640 could handle a 25 ft flex. I think Case-IH de-sized the 1440 & 1640 because what would be the point of a 1660?

I've thought about the 1440, but all of the units around here are 1979 -to-1980. Looking at tractorhouse only 2 1983 and maybe 1 1985 are currently for sale. I"m thinking most of the later machines owners won't give them up for a couple of years yet. Another problem I have is paying the current asking price of $7000.00 on a 29-30 year old machine. Yeah I'm cheap, I think a machine that old is only worth $3000 - $4000. Also some high hour 1986 1620's are listed at the same price average as the 1420, 1440, and 1460 ($7000 -to- 10,000).

 

[frantbk]

Quote: I would think a 1680 would handle an 8 row head at 4 -4.5 mph in 180 bu corn without too much problem. When we had our 2366 that's about the speeds we ran with an 8 row head, could run 5-5.5 with the 2388. As I recall the cleaning area of a 2366 was larger than the 1680s, at least the early 80s. The 80 would have slightly more hp & bigger rotor.

That's good to know, it kind of gives me a good yard stick to think about.


Quote: We planted with a 12x 30 planter & picked with an 8x 30 head for 3 or 4 years. The only places we had problems was around curves along our drainage ditches. We quickly learned to stay off the bulkrow on the first pass when opening up those ends.

I haven't talked with any of the 12 row using 8 row heads around here. I did notice there was a lot volunteer corn this year in the bean fields. I don't think that had much to do with row spacing. My cousin runs a 6 row 9XXX series on his 9500 JD and he had as more volunteer corn then the 8 rows on 12 row.


Quote: When shelling corn planted with a 12 row and harvested with a 8row you're only on the bulk rows once every three thrus.

Yeah, and with the short rows I'm talking about; dropping every third thru isn't much to worry about.


Quote: I use to custom harvest with a 6 row for a guy that planted with a 8 row planter. He wasn't too particular about his bulk rows so it could be a real problem at times

I hear'ya. I spent a couple of months working for a good old boy once running his plow. His idea of a break bolt was 16 penny framing nails from the local hardware store - cheaper then bolts and just as good he use to say.

 

[duane1620]

If you don't mind my asking? why did you go with the spec. rotor and after running both the standard and spec; what did you like and dislike about the two rotors.

Another question I would like to ask, if you don't mind. Do you think the 1620 could handle a 20 ft flex? (beans 40 -to-50, and wheat 55 -to- 90 bpa around here). The reason I'm asking about the 20 ft flex is because the Case-IH dealer is 10 miles away and he usually has 20, 25, and 30 ft heads. Fifteen ft, 17.5 ft heads are pretty much gone from around here.


i only put in the spec rotor because i was able to buy it for $1500. case was having a "lets clean out the warehouse" sale. i love it in beans. corn is a little tougher with rotor loss espeically this year but i think most people complained about it this year. i think it would handle 20' in beans but not in wheat at the 90 bu rate. just depends on how slow you want to go. i haven't had wheat since 01 but will next summer. if i update heads i will try the 17.5 one.

hth

good luck!

Duane

 

[frantbk]

Spec rotors in soybeans seems to be its sweet spot. Everyone keeps saying the standard rotor does a better job in Corn. Wheat, depends on who post. Some say spec, others say standard rotors. Rock trap, don't have a rock traps in wheat because it will slow you down (really slow you down after dark). My heads spinning around so much some times I think I should qualify for a government grant for a new form of green energy.

I was talking to the guy that operates the local elevator and he said some of the Case-IH guys were saying they had trouble getting the grain out. Some thought it might be because the stalks were wet. I suppose the theory is something like chopping stalks. If the stalks are wet, there stringy and a rotor, like a chopper can't twist'm, or smack them hard enough to get the job done.

I keep thinking I'll try wheat, but every year corn and soybeans like clock work. Thanks for the info about wheat and a 20 ft head being too much for the 1620 - 70 to 90 bph has been the yield range here for the last 10 years. The only year that I know of was 2007 and that averaged 55 bpa here.