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S690/CR9090's/770TT in the same field!

36K views 73 replies 30 participants last post by  8850jd  
#1 ·
This is a brief report on the S690 as used in swathed Go wheat Thursday Sept 29, 2011, a warm and very windy day.
Used it about 3 usable hours, I personally ran it about 3/4's of an hour, neighbors the rest.
Likes:
Proper controls
Auger swings 10 degrees (or so) forward for better visibility
Auger swing control excellent for load top up on trucks
Prodrive transmission
Cab has storage galore
Little fridge with front access is neat
Tight turning radius (for some oddball reason, unit had 4WD)
Very clean sample
Unit had high end strawchopper, worked well in those conditions

Dislikes
Seems like the mirrors are smaller than they used to be
Hydro handle too vertical
No steering knob
Offensively noisy cab
Terrible ride
HarvestSmart

My four seasons with Claas had me forgetting how grumbler rotors can fed and the noise associated with that, I flat out found it an unpleasant machine to operate at or near feed rate/engine power limit.
Even idling I found the cab nosier.
I should point out that is in comparison to a 770 which due to it's larger, slower running V8 is likely quieter than the other 700 series.

The ride isn't really a fair comparsion, the field was seeded too muddy, swathed crossways to how it was sprayed, when it was too muddy, I wouldn't expect any tire unit to be as smooth.

All three machines in those conditions are fairly similar, the 50 horsepower deficit the 770 gives up to the S690 does not translate to greater through put though, even in those relatively dry conditions.

Don
 
#2 ·
Thanks for this report. The negatives are only "cosmetic" stuff, and that will not be a negative for most guys when they buy this new S-series. Will be interesting to see if there will be issues with this new models ? Talk to the dealer here in Humboldt Friday and no problems so far with that S690 we had. AND it impressed everybody here.
I saw on Thursday a Case IH 8120 sitting at the used lot. You do not see that very often here in Humboldt. Sounds like the guys will not be able to get enough new combines next year to sell.
 
#12 ·
Funny you should say that. I changed to a Deere spinner because the Claas one is right on the outside diameter of the steering wheel, the after markets ones are inset, it steers so easy anyway you don't need the leverage and being inset keeps it away from certain body parts.;)

Don
 
#10 ·
I run a steering knob on all tractors and combines and it's standard on Claas.
How noisy something is or isn't depends on the last thing you ran.
I also ran with a CX 880 for a couple of weeks, when the straw got tough it gave up nothing on the 9090's which would fall back a bit from the 770.
There will be issues with any new model, hey, it's built by man and used by different men (or ladies), bound to be a few small things.
With the 770 having the least power in this group yet best throughput, that should translate to less fuel use/tonne.

To get back to the noise thing, I suspect the 770 has the quietest cab now and the contrast between it and the S690 was alarming.
Doesn't matter.
Deere will sell thousands of them.;)

Don
 
#11 · (Edited)
had 770tt and s690 out here in MN in corn, about 13-15% moisture, 180-200bu/a, both the same header, 770tt defiantly out did it in capacity, 1000+ more bu/hr from what i heard. residue management were about equal as how good they are, personally thought the 770 was better for residue management. about equal grain quality, the 770 was maybe a tiny bit better but both were good, when dry corn its not hard to get good grain quality anyway. cant say much about the loss but can imagine about equal. both good ride. the 770tt tracks were defiantly favored.
 
#20 ·
The straw was well cured and dry, as was the wheat. Much more useful info follows:
On that day in that field with that crop, the 770 rated at 100, the 690 would be 90 to 95, the 9090 85 to 90.
So close, no runaway winner or dog in the group.

As to noise as a minor thing, you have at her.
Like I said after running the 770, the 690 was unpleasant to run.
This was further aggravated by Cruise Pilot controlling feed rate better than I can and
having to run the 690 manually as HarvestSmart is garbage.

Overall, all in, all things considered, if I rate a 770 at 10 I'd rate both the 690 and 9090 at 8.5

Your results may vary.;)

Don
 
#18 ·
WHAT!:eek:
And derail a thread?;)
The CX880 acts like the conventional it is, loss limited all the time but narrows the gap on both the 9090 and to a lessor extent, the 770, as conditions toughen.
The 880 was an 04, good straw chopper for the time, crap now.
The 9090 cut the straw slightly finer than the 770 and when straw got damp I think it did slightly better job of a perfectly even spread. But in that area, they're very close.
I didn't raise that brake thing Claas has in the chopper, it was good enough without it.
Straw chopper performance was one of my main reasons to move to 700 series and on that, it was money well spent. Turbo Chop BTW.
I'll address capacity on another post.

Don
 
#25 ·
Don, the real question is this. Is the 690 or 9090 good enough to trade away from the Lex? Really, that is all that matters from Don's point of view. Telling him that his cons are cosmetic won't change his mind at all.

How does the 770 cab compare to the NH -arguably the best cab since the turn of the century ;) ?

You saw enough of a difference to trade out of Deere/NH and go to Claas, is there any reason to go back (to either one) for your farm?
 
#30 ·
Don, the real question is this. Is the 690 or 9090 good enough to trade away from the Lex? Really, that is all that matters from Don's point of view. Telling him that his cons are cosmetic won't change his mind at all.

How does the 770 cab compare to the NH -arguably the best cab since the turn of the century ;) ?

You saw enough of a difference to trade out of Deere/NH and go to Claas, is there any reason to go back (to either one) for your farm?
No.
No Andy, as an overall package, not enough here to change.

Funny you should ask, had a few NH guys in the cab, one suggested it was AS quiet as his 9070.
One thing Claas seems to suffer from is a rattly feeder chain. He said if it wasn't for that, it might be quieter.
Any Deere guys had trouble with the silence.;)

Don
 
#32 ·
Your welcome.
If you mean unloading auger controls, Deere is great there.
Claas is ****ing stupid beyond belief in the way they control the auger swing.
New Holland is good.

As far a hopper extensions go, the 700 series Claas is about 4 times as fast up or down folding as the 500 series was.
Never tried Deere or NH hopper extensions, sorry.

I have never liked anything loud, even more so as I get older.

Don
 
#38 ·
Only the hp feederhouse is loud. Standard feederhouse runs silent. Just thought I'd throw that in there, not sure why the difference.
Thanks, didn't know that MB, wonder why?
My neighbor put plastic feeder chain slats on, two were standard one was a HP, but I didn't ride in any of them. These are the ones that are entirely plastic, no spring steel brace bar.

Oh, another thing about Cruise Pilot, standard feeder speed, and Claas doesn't measure the PTO speed, is 420, variable speed is 280 to 450.
I ran the pickup header at the bottom of the scale and set the 10 to 150 scale on Cruise Pilot material depth higher, which helped make the feeder chain quieter and in tough or waddy swathes and also feeds the cylinder much smoother.
As a side benefit, not thought of until you see it, is far less material was thrown on top the feeder house by the slow running table auger.
Your somewhat limited on what you can do with a straight cut header, although with MacDon hydraulic knife speed is adjustable, but the drapers and cross draper would be slow. I ran 380 feeder speed with the MacDon.

Did you run MacDon this year MB? The AHHC on the 700 series/MacDon worked perfect with the new electronics and setting system, hope it worked that good for all.:)

Don
 
#44 ·
If you mean unloading auger controls, Deere is great there.
Claas is ****ing stupid beyond belief in the way they control the auger swing.
New Holland is good.

Don I have allways enjolyed reading your post I have allways believed your post are the least biased post as humanly possibele as can be. I however wish you would keep beating around the bush and once and all tell us how you really fell about the class controls and turning radies.:D
Cant you just switch wires around for the controles?
 
#45 ·
Don I have allways enjolyed reading your post I have allways believed your post are the least biased post as humanly possibele as can be. I however wish you would keep beating around the bush and once and all tell us how you really fell about the class controls and turning radies.:D
Cant you just switch wires around for the controles?
Thank you.
If can't tell the truth here then your into a sorting the wheat from the chaff job, pardon the expression.;)

Actually I've got good news for you on turning radius. Sorta.
I removed the steering stop bolts completely from the axle, and slightly relocated the two rear lights, with full hydraulic cylinder travel, turning radius for tracks is about as good and as much wheel cut as should be used.
BUT!!!
This is with 620/75R26 Michelin's, smaller than 28L/26's, and the right tire slightly rubs the return elevator cover on full right turns.
So, don't try this at home!;)
This however made the handling pretty nice one, of my riders said I thought these Lexion were supposed to turn poor, had to explain Don's mods.;)
No way to change switches around, the way it's setup, your screwed.:mad:

Don