[jreinke]

I am looking to upgrade my combine. Currently I run about 250 acres a year and I have a NH TR70. I would like either a 1640 or 1660. I have heard from several people to stay away from the 1640 because they had transmission or final drive problems and share the drive parts with the 1620 and not the 1660/80, which makes them harder to find. Is there any other reason to stay away from a 1640 vs. a 1660? Other than production capability.

 

[herby04]

We have a 1666 with a 20' foot header. Wasnt happy with the machine until we updated the rock trap and rotor cone. Installed A razor rock beater and an axceller kit. Runs like a top. I think no matter which machine you get first thing you should do is get rid of them elphant ears and update to an acceller.

 

[adk247]

what crops are you going to be doing and how big of a head are you thinking of running?

 

[jreinke]

I run corn, wheat, soybeans. The land I have doesn't produce like a lot of the fields to the south and west. Usually I am around 150bu corn 60bu wheat 50bu beans. I plan on running 6 row corn, and a 17.5 or 20ft 1020flex. I've looked at a few 1460's and it doesn't seem like there is a whole lot of difference between the 1460 and 1660. I would like to stay away from the 1440 and 1640s with the non turbo engine in them. I figured I'd start asking questions and looking now since the TR will probably have to hold me through this fall.

 

[redinshed]

The neighbor has got a 1440 same as a 1640 except some of the new 1640 and 60 had Cummings motors. lite on hp IH and Cummings motor

cleaning area 1640 1440 smaller in size smaller final drives and smaller hydro

I run a 1460 ih motor 16.5 bean head 6-30 corn head and get along great in corn and beans. Just got the combine last year i think i well put the AFX rotor head on it and it well be allot better in beans. if you push it in beans it will talk back at you.

1460 1660 are the same platform bigger cleaning area bigger final drives and hydro.

14 & 16 great machine a lot of them run up hear in my neighborhood but 1460 1660 is the combine to look at you will be happy ween you find one. Good luck

 

[adk247]

some differences between the 1460 and the 1660 is hp and the clean grain auger is bigger and the elevator is bigger and the elevator chain in sped up a bit on the 1660. but i like 1460 and our 1660 i wouldnt trade them for a green one

 

[combinekid]

I think for the yields you are running, a 1640 will do you fine, 1660 would be nice to have if you have got hills or if you get into mud at all.

 

[yam]

If you get a late model 1660 it will have the larger sieves- I belive that is the 1992 model year- right before they went to the 1666's. If you are considering adding any land in the future- I would go with the 1660 vs. 1640. Also alot more parts available at salvage yards for the 1660.

 

[magnum7120]

We have a 1640. It's a 1992 model running a 6 row corn head and a 1020 20' grain head on it. We haven't had any problems with the final drives or tranny since new. We have a screen bin extension but not a big hopper topper. Always slow down on end row turns and it has treated us well. Probably the extra horse of 1660 would be nice at times but overall can't complain.

 

[maxxforce]

go with a 60/66 you will be happy with the power and is still easy to run and work on

 

[torque]

I think a 1640 would be fine. For 8 years I ran 800 acres a year of corn/beans through a 1420 so 250a should be no big deal. The 1640 hydro, tranny and final drives are all smaller than the 1660 but seem to last just as long probably because of the lower HP. TORQUE

 

[adk247]

the 1660 didnt have larger sieves in 92 they went to the larger sieves in 91 for the 1680 only and the sieves only got larger if you went to a 66 or newer

 

[ihfarmer]

What didn't you like about your JD 6600? I have a good buddy that just bought one. He doesn't think my 1420 will be able to keep up with it. We'll know for sure come this fall.

Joe

 

[jreinke]

I see. I would really like the 1660 over the 1640 due to the extra power, that and there seems to be a whole lot more 60's out there than 40's. The other debate I've been having with myself is if it's worth the jump in price to go from the 1460 to the 1660. The cabs are a bit nicer but that's the only real advantage I've seen so far, well that and what was said about the elevator. But I could be wrong on that, still kind of new to the red ones.

I agree with dk247 100%, I wouldn't go back to a green one again. I started with a JD 6600 and despised that machine when I was done with it. The TR hasn't been the best but hasn't been the worst. The reason I'm straying form them is now the closest dealer for parts is 91 miles away.

 

[cknapp]

We ran a 1992 1640 with a 6 row and a 20' 1020 until this year on 1000 acres of corn and soybeans with comparable yields and I was always happy with it. It will feel underpowered in green stem beans, but it is amazing how much you can do with this machine if you get the rotor and chaffer settings tuned properly. Don't put a big-top grain bin extension on it though. We did a few years ago and this fall the front axle broke where it mounts to the frame. Insurance company totalled it out and, so I had to let it go. Apparently the frame and mounts are not heavy enough to handle that kind of weight. BTW, the insurance co. came up with a value of $16K-18K on the the machine with 2100 hours on it, so don't overpay, you should be able to get a good one for that.

 

[jreinke]

The 6600 didn't have enough power to do much of anything, it ate hydraulic pumps which if you have ever changed one of those expensive little buggers it's not something you want to do twice. Not enough weight in the butt of it to keep it on the ground all the time. AIR CLEANER IN THE GRAIN TANK dumb idea - especially with the pre cleaner sucking in corn every time it got full. Kept spitting out fishbacks off the walkers, broke the top sieves in the front, sheet metal started cracking in the back at 3100hrs, cooling system was too small, cab was off to the side, unloading auger too short and at too steep of an angle, electric clutch for the head didn't stay engaged all the time, could not get a clean wheat sample out of it no mater how hard you tried - would sometimes put the whole straw and everything in the tank, soybeans it would throw pods in the tank, it was the only combine that I ever ran that I could not adjust, so ya know, just a few things. On the up side it did run nice and the air worked great. Even if your 1420 doesn't keep up with it I would trade a 6600 for a 1420 any day of the week.

Bum deal on totaling out the 1640. If I could find a nice one with a cummins and those hours for that price I would jump for joy and pick it up tomorrow. I can't put an extension on because of the clearance going into my barn, that and none of my fields are over 1/4 mile long, as long as I can make a whole round I'm happy.

 

[adk247]

is the cummins engine very reliable? when we were looking for 1660's it seemed like a lot of the combines with cummins either had new engines or had been overhauled at not that many engine hours. i know they had a problem with them on the #2 piston but i thought they got taken back and fixed

 

[2366man]

I am not sold on cummins engines on the 2366 we had before this one with the Cummins 8.3 wit only 400hrs it broke a valve lifter and we had to get a new combine in the middle of the season.
I love ih engines very tough built valve train built to handle 4000 rpm!

 

[jreinke]

I would say the Cummins is reliable. In the 1640 it's the same 5.9 that people rave about in Dodge trucks. In the 1660 same engine as the Magnum series tractors. The only reason I would look for the Cummins in the 1640 is because so far all the 1640’s I’ve seen with the IH motor have been naturally aspirated. After having a 3208 Cat NA I’m a big fan of turbocharged engines.