[ericksmi]

We harvest about 80 acres of dry beans, 80 acres of soybeans, and 200 acres of small beans.
I've come across a 1660 with specialty rotor in "good condition" with about 6000 hours.
Questions: The dry beans are our highest value crop. Because of our terrain and our stones, we can only run a 13' flex head and a slow ground speed for bean harvest (we direct cut)- meaning that the 1660 would be running way below capacity. Just wondering how this will effect the quality of my harvest.
Also, 6000 hours is a lot - is it too much? I haven't seen the combine yet. Anything particular to look for?

 

[gpmci102]

We had a 1660 with a 20 ft head and it worked it hard in heavy beans. I think the smaller head should run real well for you. You can adjust the rotor speed, concave clearance, and vane position to compensate for less crop input. If you set all the vanes to the slow position you will fill the rotor up just like a larger head would.
I had a 4 and 6 row corn head and an old 15 ft head on the 1660 and was able to adjust all the parameters to get good performance You should also set your fan speed and sieves so you don't blow out grain when you are running with lower levels of crop flowing through the combine.

6000 hours is allot of hours. Every bearing and chain probably was replaced several times by now. The engine has like 300,000 miles on it if it were in a truck. This engine is no Detroit 60 so it is probably ready for some work. It is also cranked up to 2700 rpm all day while a truck would be at 2100.

Metal fatigue becomes a big problem at these high hours. My Dad had a 1460 with over 4000 hr. and while turning at end of the field the rear axle tore off. The tin in the grain tank around auger bearings got cracks.

Maybe the previous owner has repaired this stuff but maybe not.
If you are not familiar with 1660 combine I think it would pay to hire a good combine mechanic to look it over before you buy it.

My dad was pretty cheap and we kept fixing and welding that old 1460 but when the axle went even he had enough and we bought another combine. Hope you have good luck ...the 1660 is a great combine when its running right.

 

[ericksmi]

I should read my own posts more carefully. The combine I am talking about i a 1460, not a 1660.
I don't know if that changes anything from the above post. Hope not

 

[tim8200]

ericksmi, im in new york and run a 1660. we have a 17.5' on the front of our combine and in good, dry soybeans i wish i had a 20'. when the conditions are tough, and as you know that's about every day, i wish i had a 15' or smaller. best part of a 16 over a 14 is the improvements in the cab. there is still however a lot of 14 and 16 series combines running around here. mostly 1460 and 1660's. just my .02

 

[gpmci102]

You should do fine with a smaller head on a 1460. It really is a lower capacity combine than the 1660. smaller concave area and 436 int. engine instead of the 504 Cumins.
We had a 17 ft head on ours and the feeder and rotor could plug in beans with weeds.

Thing I hated was getting out the 4 ft. wrench to reverse the feeder. You could bust a nut with it and I don't mean one on the combine.