[Jester RM]

With the rain I now have had some down time to think of a few things. We have had a lot of CR's in the past and you get to know their weak spots and limitations over the years. Our 2012 (built in Belgium) 9090's had some improvements over the others but they also had some weaknesses that we had not seen in past models. So, in a way our 2012 models were 2 steps forward and 1 step back.

Now 2014 models (built in Belgium), we have 4 of them all with 250 to 300 hours on them at this point. I can't believe I am going to take a term out of Farmertony's vocabulary. They have been nearly Flawless HAHA. Well nothing in flawless but I thought I would throw that in their as he has disappeared and I always got a chuckle out of him.

The 2014 models have the DSP and twin pitch rotors. The DSP is much improved over the initial prototype we had out a number of years ago. The new production one has a short feederhouse and has worked great. We had one of our old 9090's with the ASP out to get some more crop off and I chuckled when you would see it suddenly stop, reverse the front end and the header going up...man hated that ASP. The DSP is smooth and works well. The twin pitch rotors are smooth and combined with the DSP definitely increase productivity over the 2012 by at least 10%...especially in tough conditions.

Breakdowns, we had one that showed low voltage the first day of harvest. Changed the alternator the first day of harvest and all was good. That has honestly been the only thing that has gone wrong between them all. We have had 0 downtime this year (hope I did not jinx it...still have a lot of flax to go!). These have been by far the best group of combines that we have ever bot. Not one leak, loose bolt or anything. I give thumbs up to the Belgium plant!!

Pros:
DSP
Twin Pitch rotors
Chopper spread evenly over the 40' header width (looks visibly the same as our 2012 model year but better spread??)
Faster unload rate (3.7 versus 3.3)
Opticlean and Optifan (this is why we went with the Belgium models)
Computer, did not have any computer issues
Fridge, also had on 2012 models
Cameras in the cleaning area
Intelcruise...a con until figured out

Cons:
Slow unload rate compared to US version (3.7 versus 4.5)
Smaller hopper compared to US version (355 versus 410)
DEF
Fuel fill, something has been changed, can't fill near as fast as previous models. Kicks out and you have to do 20% slow...we ended up just going to kick out so we would only fill to 80%...need to fill twice anyway I guess.
EDIT: Still has the POS concave shear bolt...come on engineers think of something...

I have heard that the 2015 US built machines can be ordered with opticlean and the optifan. So, basically the first 2 cons have already been addressed. Def is not going away so we have to live with it. The fuel fill, well I hope they figure that out...can't be that hard to figure out what to fix.

I had a bit of time in the new 10.90 and the new cab is very nice. Will take a bit to get used to the new handle but that is what I said when we went from TR to CR.

All in all they have been good machines...I think we may keep these ones for another couple years!

 

[scotsburn]

I got a U.S. built 9090 with opti fan but can't get opti clean does that make a big difference? So far I love the combine and am very impressed with smoothness of twin pitch rotors. What settings do you use for opticruise? All in all very impressed and would highly recommend the combine to any one ��

 

[hondaman]

Curious what you can all see on camera from cleaning area, and if dust is much of a problem? Any down side to the twin pitch rotors as far as white caps or flax bolls? Good to hear excellent reliability.

 

[Jester RM]

I got a U.S. built 9090 with opti fan but can't get opti clean does that make a big difference? So far I love the combine and am very impressed with smoothness of twin pitch rotors. What settings do you use for opticruise? All in all very impressed and would highly recommend the combine to any one ��

Opticlean makes a big difference in small grains. They are much better in canola than the other system. It increases cleaning capacity (they claim up to 40%) as the sieves move in opposite direction which also makes the combine smooth...no shoe shake. As far as opticruise or intelcruise, I am not sure...I never bothered getting the one I was using set...one of my cousins got his working really well and swore by it. We are not flat and had a lot of drowned out spots with ruts so I never bothered using it as you have to override it in those spots anyway...he had way more patience than me obviously!!

 

[Jester RM]

Curious what you can all see on camera from cleaning area, and if dust is much of a problem? Any down side to the twin pitch rotors as far as white caps or flax bolls? Good to hear excellent reliability.

When combining at full capacity you actually can't see a lot, however when the machine is cleaning out you can see what is going on, which is nice as you are able to see what is going on and if there are any issues inside. You can see if anything is caught in the sieve like little stones or other debris. Definitely not a necessity but is nice to have.

White caps, we grow pretty easy threshing wheat so white caps were not an issue but their were some in one variety. We had all the wires in but did not need filler plates. In hard thrashing wheat you would definitely need filler plates.

As for bolls in flax, we will be putting filler plates in and cranking the concave to just off ticking the rotor. We have not started the flax so can't comment on it yet.

 

[Jester RM]

Tried pics but did not work right. Will try again sometime.

 

[Jester RM]

Oh and I forgot to mention. All 4 combines got 240 hours before the air filter light came on!! A huge improvement to sometimes 2 a day!!!

 

[Snipe]

Ok Jester NH sounds like they have things figured out. Parts? It sounds like you didn't need any this year but in the past have you ever had to wait for parts from the USA or did the depot in Sask have everything in stock.

 

[Jester RM]

Ok Jester NH sounds like they have things figured out. Parts? It sounds like you didn't need any this year but in the past have you ever had to wait for parts from the USA or did the depot in Sask have everything in stock.

I can think of 2 times in the past 15 years or so that we had combines down due to no parts. Both times they were engine ecu's. They were down for a week each time but the dealer had a combine on farm the day they went down. Everything else has either been at dealer or Regina.

 

[lentilgrower]

What headers are your using on these combines? Snipe We are on our 5th set of NH combines and we have never had a break down that parts were not there the next day. In some cases Robertsons has a doner combine to strip parts off to get us going that day.

 

[Jester RM]

What headers are your using on these combines? Snipe We are on our 5th set of NH combines and we have never had a break down that parts were not there the next day. In some cases Robertsons has a doner combine to strip parts off to get us going that day.

40 foot macdon

 

[Kurt]

are you guys sale's people or after a new cap from dealer?
I see it a little different , the first 970 came out in 2003 I believe and cash price was around 230 K now the same combine with more horse and the shaker going from left to right or the other way around I don't know and don't care cause next year it could be different again.
I still see same rotors same concave same cleaning shoe , basically same machine but doubble the price tag and a cab filter that plugs in two hrs on 2011 model.
all that is done is bell's and whistle's and maybe 15% more capacity in high volume crops and in the other 50% of our acre's we work with engine load of 60-75% or the stuff is heaping out the back.
the acuater's on those machine's are very inaccurate from new the only way to know where the sieve's are is measure yourself. oh dinner

 

[slim]

Anyone know if the 970's had trouble with the shoe frame cracking like the 9070's

 

[kevlar]

Anyone know if the 970's had trouble with the shoe frame cracking like the 9070's

You had a shoe frame crack too? Our 9070 cracked on Saturday, is definetly a week spot, New Holland will come good for some of the parts and labor, the have an updated version, just thought I would let you know!

 

[Jester RM]

are you guys sale's people or after a new cap from dealer?
I see it a little different , the first 970 came out in 2003 I believe and cash price was around 230 K now the same combine with more horse and the shaker going from left to right or the other way around I don't know and don't care cause next year it could be different again.
I still see same rotors same concave same cleaning shoe , basically same machine but doubble the price tag and a cab filter that plugs in two hrs on 2011 model.
all that is done is bell's and whistle's and maybe 15% more capacity in high volume crops and in the other 50% of our acre's we work with engine load of 60-75% or the stuff is heaping out the back.
the acuater's on those machine's are very inaccurate from new the only way to know where the sieve's are is measure yourself. oh dinner

Kurt, not in sales, don't need a cap, jacket or any others piece of clothing that has anything to do with a brand...wife won't let me wear it anyway. Just stating the facts. Rotors are different, read the post. DSP is different...read the post. Opticlean is different...read the post. Have not heard of a cracked cleaning shoe with opticlean and it also increases cleaning capacity...so when u were apparently shoveling it out the back with the normal shoe u most likely would not of with this shoe.

I could go on about the combine and our operation but don't really feel the need too. Are they perfect, nope. Is there a machine that is? The only thing that I know is perfect is my wife!

 

[hardpars]

Glad to hear good luck w new machines. We have 2014 8090. It's been good other than 2 service calls for def. Really hate that stuff. Glad to hear you like the new dsp. Our first CR was a '12 w DSP. I felt like a bottleneck. Used power and slowed machine down. We put it in low speed for seed soybeans. Turned the machine into class 5. It was embarrassing how bad. Do you ever plug DSP. Does it have a low speed that you can just flip belt to? Or do you need to change belt and pulley like our '12?

 

[Jester RM]

Anyone know if the 970's had trouble with the shoe frame cracking like the 9070's

They made the throw on the shoe more aggressive on the 9000 series which led to shoe cracks. There is an update. 900 series had cracks as well but much less prone to it.

Out of all the CR combines that we have had we had 1 shoe crack and it was on a 9070.

 

[Christian A. Herrnboeck]

The only thing that I know is perfect is my wife!

we are going for browny points, are we?

 

[Jester RM]

Glad to hear good luck w new machines. We have 2014 8090. It's been good other than 2 service calls for def. Really hate that stuff. Glad to hear you like the new dsp. Our first CR was a '12 w DSP. I felt like a bottleneck. Used power and slowed machine down. We put it in low speed for seed soybeans. Turned the machine into class 5. It was embarrassing how bad. Do you ever plug DSP. Does it have a low speed that you can just flip belt to? Or do you need to change belt and pulley like our '12?

I hear you, the prototype that we had years ago was like that. The dsp was definitely the limiting factor. Not totally sure what was all changed but you really don't notice it. 1 operator plugged the dsp on a canola pile, that has been it thus far. I am interested on how it will do in flax tho, that will be a test and I hope it is good as flax is terrible if wrapped. As far as low, still belt and pully but for us we would never need to use low in our crops or conditions.

We were worried about def as we have not had the best of luck with tractors but may have lucked out with the combines. No def issues thus far.

 

[Jester RM]

we are going for browny points, are we?

You bet! Plus I miss her, hardly seen her the last month. Lol