[fbnewell]

Hey, all. Just completed our grain sorghum (milo) harvest here in south Texas. Use a '00 9650STS w/ a '98 930R, and a '95 J&M 525 grain cart. I know, I know - not the most modern, big, bad-a** machinery around, but - - - IT'S ALL PAID FOR!!! Have seen several people say that the early 9x50STS's are machines that you should run very far away from - quickly. That hasn't really been my observation. Bought this machine 4 seasons ago, paid low $90K's for combine w/ header. Had about 1,100 separator hours then. Did spend about $12K on it that first year, but not much since.
Just got my totals in from the elevator, and thought I'd give y'all an idea of what a 'sub-par' machine is capable of. Started on 16Jun09, finished on 15Jul09. Had 2 rain days, and 6 days we didn't cut (including all Sunday's

). Three days only cut a few hours. On our land, harvested 6,659,413 lbs dry weight off 1,608.4 acres (4,140.4 lbs/ac avg.). On my cousin's land, harvested 1,976,013 lbs dry weight off 1,083.8 acres (1,823 lbs/ac avg.). Totals out to 8,635,426 lbs. off of 2,692.2 acres (3,207.6 lb/ac avg.). Best days - 697,360lbs wet weight, and had 4 days over 625,000lbs. Most acres in a day - 216. Best field - 6,329 lbs/ac.
Only problems while harvesting were a lost master link on the feeder house drive chain (had just replaced the chain the previous day- probably didn't get the clip on well), bearing went out on one straw spreader shaft, hyd. hose on spreader rubbed a hole in it, broke bolts on plate holding plastic 'cone' on rear suspension (see post on '9650STS rear end troubles' thread), roll pin came out of gear that drives the RH lower pan auger (Christ, I'd like to whip the guy that designed the location of those!!!), and broke a total of 4 individual sickle sections (dura-lites). Also lost the muffler's rain cap. Only recurring problem is that I needed to clean the chaff build-up on the panel under the separator about every other day, and under the sieve about every fourth day (requires removing the chaffer and sieve each time - OH, JOY!).
Pre-season, I changed unloading auger chain, header auger chain, all 24 separator tines, one of the three elements (and the frame) on the discharge beater grate (had been bent since we bought the machine), and all the serrated 'blades' on the discharge beater. Post-season I see that I need to do something w/ the floor of the platform - has quite a few holes in it. Also need to address the horizontal augers in the grain bin - are getting quite sharp. Mae-Wes sells poly skins for the auger trough on the 930R, as well as poly lining to bolt to the auger flighting. Will probably go that route, as well as use some of the poly on the panels under the separator and sieve. Only other glaring problem is the feeder house floor has a small split on front, warranting its change, also. Other than that, just piddly stuff (knocking on wood presently!). But it'll all have to wait a few weeks - I'll start harvesting our cotton on Monday

! Climbed off the combine Wednesday night, started working on the JD 7455 stripper on Thursday, got it ready today, and Monday we'll hit it hard (I HOPE)!
Anyway, just thought I'd share a little. As always, 'your mileage may vary'! But I have had a pretty good run these last four years, and don't think these machines are anything to shy away from. Treat 'em right, keep 'em shedded, stay on top of maintenance, and look at, listen to, and feel them - they'll tell you if something's not quite right. Good luck to all.

 

[deerefarm]

Maintain,look at and feel your machine. Well said!

 

[combiness]

I've never seen any real issues with the 50 Series STS. I have read about some here and there, but overall, it was a very good start for Deere. Nowhere did Deere experience the level of intro problems that Allis or even International had with their first rotors.

Several on here, know about my eyewitness account of a 12 row 9750, harvesting over 4,000 bu/hr of corn in the early fall of 2001. Obviously, that is far from problematic.

 

[michaelshawn]

fbnewell, glad to hear you got along well with the STS. I live in Canada but spend some time in Mission Texas from January thru March.

I do custom work right here at home with a 9770STS. I'd like to see your STS this coming winter.

Jim Dayton
[email protected]

 

[Bundy Bear]

glad to see you had a good run. i am one of the critics on here of the 50 series, having personally worked with/on 7 different 9650/9750 STS's over 4 years. They were very good for the first 1200-1500 hours and then the problems began. And before anyone says this was due to lack of maintainance, 90% of the problems were electrical. I have yet to see how an operator not greasing the combine causes wiring issues.

so that was just my experiences, dealt with several jd combines before the 50's and several after and IMO the 50's were the weakest link ever produced by deere. Particularly when you livelihood is custom cutting, anyone can change a bearing, replace a belt. Few of us are trained electrician's which you needed to be for most of the problems we encountered.


Quote:I've never seen any real issues with the 50 Series STS.

how much time did you spend with the 50 series on the harvest run combiness?

 

[combiness]

You know 1983 was my last year on the harvest run, but this machine was kept for at least 2 years by the farmer. He had very good "luck" with it. Now ask of the CH's here, who did run 9750's and 9650's over the long haul. I've not heard of any more issues than stuff like when the Maximizers were new and the like, and that is coming from the contractors.

 

[bigblockford390]

[quote author=combiness board=JD thread=14584 post=117255 time=1248023413 Nowhere did Deere experience the level of intro problems that Allis or even International had with their first rotors.

[/quote]

In all fairness to that statement Deere also had what, an additional 20 plus years to work on a rotor machine? Had Deere released a rotor back in the mid 70's like every other company did they too would have had their growing pains. That also comes from a company who said they would never build a rotor machine and now they do. Conventionals were dropped all together from their line up in North America and now they have been introduced again, why is that?

Jeff

 

[fbnewell]

bundybear - the only electrical problem I've had in 4 years is that the switch for the straw spreader would not actually adjust the speed. Didn't look into it before, as it was running 'full tilt boogie'. Checked it out during a lull this year, and found out that it wouldn't work because the machine did not have the power distribution board #3 in it anymore - and that includes the fuses and relays for the draper header and the straw spreader. Apparently, at some point in time, it was taken out, possibly to use in another machine running a draper. Anyway, from my point of view - no fuse, no juice; no juice, no speed change. Ran a jumper wire from the battery to one pin on the electric connector at the valve, and another from the other pin to ground. Fired up the solenoid immediately, and I just kept giving it quicks bursts of electricity until I got the valve set like I wanted, then removed the jumpers and re-connected the plugs (to keep dirt out).

michaelshawn - give me a shout when you get down. Also, you might catch me at one of the parks around Mission - I sing w/ a Gospel quartet called the Deep River Boys out of the Rio Hondo Baptist Church. Don't know our schedule for the coming year, but check the Winter Texan Times and with your park's activity director - outta be able to find us somewhere. Usually fertilize in December and January, plant in late January through early March. Kinda busy during that time, but can probably spare a little time for ya.

 

[combiness]

Very good question, Bigblock. I'd say it's simply because in some crops or conditions or perhaps even some old school preferences, conventionals will never die, period.

My dad [79 now] recalls rather well, the days everyone in the aeronautics and aerospace industry told the world that jets would replace all prop planes. Apparently, someone forgot to tell Cessna, Piper and Mooney.