[nebraskan]

Hello everybody been around for awhile learned some great info. So here's my first question which is about the N series (N5, N6, N7) which is the most reliable or people had the best experience with. Hopefully someday i will be able to run one and am tyring to get some info

 

[keystone]

Personal opinion is the N6, we had one from 84 so not the first few years. Had good luck with it, always felt the 7's were too much power for the machine, a good idea is to make sure engine was not bumped up to make a 6 a 7.

 

[runner]

Here up north the N7 by far. The engine in the 6 is stretched near it's limit where as the 670 in the N7's rarely give problems and last for many more hours before rebuild. There are larger header clutch, bin extensions, 4 plex hydro & main drive belts on the N7. As far as power, my neighbor has three N7's, one N6, and I have a N7 with many Hyper and other mods and we run them all as hard as the engine will allow in wheat. Horsepower limits our capacity as we have very little rotor or shoe loss. all three machines go very cheap here and you can't match their capacity per $$. If you raise easy threshing crops, I would decide more by the condition of the machine and price than by the size. Like keystone says, I have also seen problems on N6's with the pumps bumped up too much.

 

[gleanerman]

It was unfortunate that they pushed the 670 engine past its limit in the N6. It was great in the L-2, L-3 and N5 but had a fair amount of problems handling the RPMs and power expected of it in the N6. In the N7 they used a 685 engine which was completely different and more durable. In our area the N6 was the most common and the engine problems gave the whole N series a bad name.

 

[gregorym]

They are either good or bad with little in between. I started on a G and then M2. 5 years ago I went to a N5. I spent more in repairs in 2 years than I did the past 10 on the G and M2 combined. The N5 was decent machine when bought too. There was definitely a learning curve going to a rotor and not knowing exactly what to look at. Just many nit nod stuff on that machine started to add up. The motor blew and almost went to a CIH. Then I found a good deal on a low hour, low acre 1989 1/2 R50. I decided to give gleaner one more try and been happy I did. I picked up a decent N6 last spring for 2500. It had a few bugs to get out of it, but was able to salvage many parts out of the N5. After got the bugs out, that machine went thru 300 acres of corn with zero breakdowns. The N6 is a beast. I hope to get a couple more years out of it in corn and save the R50 for just beans. I'd try to stick to series 3 and newer. That also had the throat that uses the same hookups as the R series. The older series N's only used that hookup style for 3 or 4 years and hard to find a good grain head for them. As far as differences between the N5 and N6, I haven't found many yet. Sieve area the same. Same rotor and cage and feeder chains. Belts and pulleys same. Tires same. Not sure if axles are heavier. Definitely more power with the N6 and 50 bushel bigger bin. My N6 is a series 3 so the head hookup is different than the 81 N5. I run a 830 corn head at 3 mph in 200 bushel 16% corn with almost zero loss. Yes, I did have 16% corn in October this year and it was a 113 day corn.

 

[ian]

Hi all I have N6 and have had a good run of late but I am having one frustrating problem at the moment. Some times when you lift the comb up it WILL NOT go down and after a few minutes 5 10 it comes good. Doe's any one know what it causeing this.

 

[rolf]

Around here in Oz the N6 Engine was regarded as a boat anchor, at the best of times!

N7 Engine seem to be a rock solid engine, never gave us much trouble, but that was due to header really only been used in cereal crops! When we moved to more pulse crops the N7 didn't like the dirt or the tough to thresh crops! (this was well before Hyperizing!) Engine was supposedly souped up to 350-375 Hp by a Allis engineer!! Man, what you could do with an old N7 with fully to the Max Hyperizing!!!!!! Blow some of these modern day machines away!

Make sure you look at N series with Cast pulleys! As some of the N 6's had press plate pulleys, and they can spread and not transfer the power well.
Rolf

 

[tbran]

ian - the unit no lowering is either electrical - see if the coil is magnitizing when it will not lower- if so check the engine oil pressure safety switch - rare - more likely is there is a piece of the oring 71321101 in the orfice right above the rate of lower screw. Lower the head so as to remoce all pressure, it is still gonna weep on you, and remove the screw just below the check poppet then use an allen wrench to remove the orfice in behind it, clean it and let cavity flush then reinstall. should not loose over a Qt - liter of hyd oil in the process - again make sure all pressure is off the header lift surface or block up or lock up the header. It is possible that the second stage poppet oring is binding but an even rarer occurance. The old oring around the poppets 70923845 have been changed to a square cut oring 71367795 - this is last in the repair process of all else fails - it is a tedious job to remove and replace - takes a long nose forcepts but is doable with a steady hand. Be safe. and merry christmas.

 

[ian]

Thanks for the tips. I have found the problem to be the oil pressure switch. It was leaking and not having enough pressure to complete the curcit. I have replaced the switch and have had no further problems. ( was very frustrating not being able to lower the front into the crop )

 

[nebraskan]

Thanks for the info. I hopefully will go with a N7 but it will depend when i get into it.