Quote:I can understand a guy in (farmboy) situation having an 8010 because up until now case hasn't had a class seven machine. And from what I hear there is a big difference in an 2388 and a 8010 (true class 8) Plus if you have that kind of support equipment and bin setup why not let the big dog eat. A lot of CH's run 9660's and 9760's but very few run 9860's for some odd reason and a lot of them are going through as many acres as anybody is. However, different situations require different equipment. And if your trying to harvest as much acreage as a custom harvester would with 3 class 6 or 7 machines a class 8 would help ease the crunch.....
Operaider, I know what you're talking about. Back in the early to mid 1970's and well into late 1980's, many CH's still preferred the next to largest combine by size. For example, more ran John Deere 6600's than 7700's, or more had Massey-Ferguson 510's or 750's than 760's. The family I got my first really good Axial-Flow experience with, only ran 1460's, not 1480's.
One good reason for such, was the saving in the cost of buying the combines themselves. I don't know about the Massey-Ferguson 750 to 760, but between a 510 and the 760, there was at least a $20-25,000 price difference, depending on time frame. The 6600 was only 10" less of cylinder width, yet was listed for $26,000 while the 7700 was priced at $38,000. Was it really worth 12 grand's difference for just 10 more inches of cylinder?
It was no accident, that the Model 6600 became Deere's absolute top-seller in combines, actually outselling the 4400 AND the 7700, combined! In 1979, when it was a time for the "changing of the guard," it was the larger Model 7720, which really filled the 6600's shoes. Obviously, it was the same kind of case scenario. The 7720 [although a close match to the 7700's size], was still not as big as the huge 8820! The Model 8820 took the title of being the world's largest combine away from the Massey-Ferguson 760. It was also a very expensive combine, and even for most custom harvesters, it was considered "too big." The 8820 was longer than the 760, too, and efficient transport was an issue.
Still, that was the current trend in combines then, and is still, now. Combines are getting increasingly bigger and more powerful! The 7720 was itself, stronger and had more separation capacity than the former 7700. Still, that one, not the monster 8820, was sold more than any other single Titan ever made.
I'm not around Axial-Flows or even their market enough to know if the 66 or 77 is still outselling the 88 or not. My observations were of Deere and Massey for the most part, and of A-F's only in the 1980's and 1990's. Still, that explains much about a harvester's or even a farmer's choice in the matter of purchase at the time.
