[98mxz583]

I am starting to do a some looking for a combine to replace our 1440 probably for next year. I wanted to step to a 1660 but I have noticed that 1680 can be had for the same price or maybe a little less. so now for my questions. First of how much of a capacity difference is there between the 3 sizes? Our 1440 is a very early and it seems to be maxed out in corn about 3.5mph before we start to run out of power. Our main crop is corn and we have around a 110-130bpa average. We also grow some wheat (50bpa) and oats (50bpa). We are currently running a 6rn head and a 16.5 ft 820 flex head. I would like to step up to an 8 row in the future and we need to replace the 820 anyway. Our ground would support a 20ft head maybe a 25ft max because our ground is pretty rolling. Will a 1660 handle an 8rn head and a 25ft head? How much better would a 1680 handle it? Could we even go fast enough to keep the 1680 full? How much bigger is a 1680 physically compared to a 1660? I know it will have some heavier components but is it taller or wider? Is there anything specific to a 1680 that I need to look out for? Thanks for the tips.

 

[ayars660]

Re: 1440 VS 1660 VS 1680

I used to run a 1640 with a 15' 1020, when I went to a 1680 with a 22.5' then to a 25' I was amazed how much more ground I could cover in a day. If it was me I'd go with a 1680 with somewhere between a 20-25' header depending on how wide you wanna go.

 

[robmgrig]

Re: 1440 VS 1660 VS 1680

20 foot head is perfect for a 1660 in soybeans. 22.5 ft is ideal in wheat and milo. Don't know how that compares to oats. From my experience, 1660s will probably be in better shape than 1680s. Been over less ground and had less grain run through them and have been taken care of better. But that's here in TN. So I don't know about your area. I have a 1660 with a 20 ft head and 4 row corn head. Can cut60 bu cream stem beans at 3.5 mph and 150 bu corn at 5 mph and 90 by wheat at 5 mph. Probably could go faster but that's as fast as she'll go in 4wd. I also have the excellerator kit on the front of the rotor which makes a HUGE difference in soybeans.

 

[gpmci102]

Re: 1440 VS 1660 VS 1680

Our 1660 had a 6 row corn head and a 20' flex head.
In 210bpa corn the 1660 was maxed out and no way could run an 8 row head unless you go very slow. The 20 ' head in soybeans would regularly plug the feeder. The rotor could handle it but the feeder was always giving me trouble.

I would go with the 1680 because of the larger feeder width and the machine can handle a 8 row head better.

 

[cih2188]

Re: 1440 VS 1660 VS 1680

I'd go with an 80, we had a 1660 with a 4rww and we were maxed out at 3.5 mph and the grain tank on a 60 I don't think would handle an 8 row. And on the 60 i think you may have to add more cylinders to the feeder for an 8 row but I'm not sure.

 

[cainfarmer]

Re: 1440 VS 1660 VS 1680

I had a 1660 and a 20' flex head and I never had any trouble plugging the feeder. I ran it with the feeder drum in the up position. It would take as much as the rotor would take.

Your clutches might have been bad on the feeder house.

 

[seksagteacher]

Re: 1440 VS 1660 VS 1680

This fall will make my 3rd fall with a 1680 that replaced a 1440 and I wouldn't go back. I wasn't even really looking but couldn't pass up the deal on the combine. It had been completely rebuilt inside (new rotor bars, new concaves, new grates, new cone, etc.) by a dealer plus was low houred for an 89 model. It was as cheap as any 1660 and in as good of shape. I can get so much more done in a day than I could with the 1440.

I agree with others that a bigger machine has probably been over more acres in less time, but it depends on the condition of the combine too.

I run a 22.5 flex header for soybeans and lock it rigid for wheat and milo. I double crop all of my wheat acres to soybeans and do just a little bit of corn that I use a 6rn head for that from the 1440 and because I still have a 6 row planter. I get along very well with this setup for my area.

The 1680 was a lot bigger physically than my 1440 because the 1680 is 4wd and has bigger tires on it. It is taller and had a longer unloader on it, but as far as width of the actual machine, I don't think it is much.

Good luck with your search!

 

[Kickapoo]

I have a 1640 I bought last year for a decent price, put the repairs into it that were needed but what worries me is the light drive train and tranny... Had to replace the transmission this year again and after talking to the previous owner this would be the 5th or 6th time this transmission has been out of the machine... From what I'm reading I''m tempted to try and sell it for a decent price, keep my six row 1063 corn head and 17 1/2 ft 1020 grain head and see if I can find a good 1680... I know what to look for now so that will help also when looking at a 1680 but the next delema I see is I'll want a 2188..(I'm thinking they are comparable for drive train and capacity?) All in all I'm sure I could get by another year or 2 with my 1640 as I only have around 100/a of corn and the same of soybeans.....

ps; As far as fuel consumption, my 1640 does seem pretty reasonable and I've heard the bigger you get the more fuel they'll take too so that will have to be a consideration I suppose...

 

[farmerkj]

Kickapoo, Did you buy your 1640 by the Dells? Had a neighbor with one that sounds like the same tranny issues. They were always having trouble. Finals were too light also. It didnt help that the
combine seen alot of Dec corn pickin in the snow and a few times pickin in the spring while others were planting. They went to a 2388 now. Anyway I run a 1660 we traded a 1460 for. I dont think it would handle a 8 row head but a 20 ft 1020 in good beans is no problem.

 

[biglw]

1688

I went from a 1460 to a 1688 this year. I have a 6 row corn head and a 20 foot bean head. My big problem is the rock trap. I don't need it but it was on both combines when I bought them, They are nothing but trouble with weeds and green stemmed beans. The rock track will plug up on the 1460 because it has to make it through the beater just before the rotor. The 1460 has four paddles on the rack trap which causes a restriction. On the 16 series they only had 3 paddles on the beater which made it feed better. I did plug up one time on the 1688 but that was my fault going too fast in some real green beans. The 1460 will handle a 20 head grain head in dry beans. The 1460 will also take a 6 row corn head with or without a rock trap because it doesn't seem to matter in corn. The 1460 (which has the same capacity as a 1660) will take good corn in that 3.5 mph range. The 1688 will take 6 rows about as fast as the head will take it in.

 

[Kickapoo]

Yep, Wi Dells,,,,,

Kickapoo, Did you buy your 1640 by the Dells? Had a neighbor with one that sounds like the same tranny issues. They were always having trouble. Finals were too light also. It didnt help that the
combine seen alot of Dec corn pickin in the snow and a few times pickin in the spring while others were planting. They went to a 2388 now. Anyway I run a 1660 we traded a 1460 for. I dont think it would handle a 8 row head but a 20 ft 1020 in good beans is no problem.

Yes I did,,,Anderson Farms had it on CL in Oct/Nov asking $12,500 at that time and when I started looking again in Jan/Feb it was on CL again.. We drove over and checked out a few others(one being a 1420 and a 1440 that didn't compare with the age and they looked much smaller too) I really didn't know what to look for but it started right up and seemed to run good.. I was leaving and had been all over the country already and anything close to what they had the dealerships were asking 24K and up so I told them I'd give them $10K for it... We settled on $10,500 and I had already figured on putting around $7K into any machine right off the bat to get it in the shape I wanted and could depend on.... After all the troubles and transmission replacement I came in just below the $7K budget and it's a smooth running machine now.. The one thing I will say I really appreciated the Andersons answering my phone calls and giving me advice and thoughts.. (they had mentioned transmission problems when I bought it so I knew there was a chance of that happening also so I can't blame them for misleading me at all) All this said I think I may have figured something out on the tranny problem though.. I only had about 50 acres or so left I think when I put the new one in and it popped out of gear a couple times so I'm thinking it might not be adjusted right and the gears might not be engaging all the way so I'm going to spend the money and have the mechanic from St. Joe's come out next spring/summer and adjust all the cables like they should be.. It has allot of hours on it but after running a little more than 100 acres (50 corn/50 beans) it didn't use a quart of oil...
##Looking back as I've learned allot this last year about the different models I think I would have went with a 1660 or 1680 now just for the fact of a heavier drive train... Of course that would have put me way over my budget too.. This year I'll have about 90 of corn and maybe 70 of beans so if it works good I'll keep it a couple more years.. My 1640 was a 1992 model so it did have some of the newer upgrades and a rock trap so that helped with my choice too...
I was also lucky to find a fairly local mechanic that easy to work with and knew what he was doing and came whenever I needed him..If I wouldn't have found him I would have been hiring another combine as I can't do allot of physical work... My best investment this year was a cordless battery operated grease gun~!!!!
Kickapoo

 

[Kickapoo]

Razor Rock Beaters

I went from a 1460 to a 1688 this year. I have a 6 row corn head and a 20 foot bean head. My big problem is the rock trap. I don't need it but it was on both combines when I bought them, They are nothing but trouble with weeds and green stemmed beans. The rock track will plug up on the 1460 because it has to make it through the beater just before the rotor. The 1460 has four paddles on the rack trap which causes a restriction. On the 16 series they only had 3 paddles on the beater which made it feed better. I did plug up one time on the 1688 but that was my fault going too fast in some real green beans. The 1460 will handle a 20 head grain head in dry beans. The 1460 will also take a 6 row corn head with or without a rock trap because it doesn't seem to matter in corn. The 1460 (which has the same capacity as a 1660) will take good corn in that 3.5 mph range. The 1688 will take 6 rows about as fast as the head will take it in.

I've seen the comments on the razor rock beater and would think about getting one but they don't' make them small enough to put on the 1640s... (They'll fit on 1460s, 1660s and above) I think that might really help pull the bean stalks through.....
Kickapoo

.: Razor Rock Beaters ~ Site Map :.

 

[ty1500]

go with a 1680 no comparison to a 1660 and to a 1440, you will have no trouble keeping it full, you will be able to cover alot more ground in a day, and i think the 1680 is abit widder..

 

[nielreal]

I have a 1660 and a 1680 .The 1680 is wider and probably puts through thirty percent more crop in a day. the 1680 is taller but only because it has 30.5 tires I think