[midwestfarmer9]

Honestly can't believe JD has not come out with a class 9 combine yet. Seems like they are always the trendsetter within the market of new equipment but in this case they have not introduced anything. Granted they sell enough of the class 8's and the smaller class size combines to be atop the leaderboard but I am still shocked from hearing from several of my local JD sales rep buddies they haven't heard of anything coming out in a class 9 by JD either.

 

[bud]

I have been around JD equipment all of my life and can say they are definately not the market leader in increasing the size of equipment. They tend to wait either for the market to weaken on the size of equipment they sell, or for others to develop and R&D the larger equipment market first.

Some examples would be:

Rode the straw walker combine market as long as possible,
Still don't have an air cart large enough to count,
Slow in getting 4WD tractors in the high hp range,
etc.


However, once they get into a market, JD seems to do very well. Some examples would be:

STS combines now account for major % of N American sales,
SP sprayers went from nothing to market leader,
Greenstar has become the "standard" that others now compare to.


So, back on track, I would think that it is still a couple of years till Deere has a good class 9 combine, and then everyone else will have a class 10 out. However, when Deere does release a class 9, the market will be developed enough, that Deeres sales of class 9 units should be good.

 

[Tom Turner]

John Deere should come with a class 10. class 7 and a class 5.
They should be all different size.
They maybe a total different design.

Do not Know

 

[ebertfarms]

Its been discussed severeal times, there just isnt a big enough market share for a class 9 machine. Claas/Case are merely doing it to "say they can" in my opinion. I dont know anyone (besides maybe custom harvesters) that truly need and can handle a class 9 at max capacity.

Im not sure deere has been behind on tractor horsepower since the old 30/40/50 series tractors either. 8970 is 400hp which is still d**n respectable in todays market, and now its almost getting to the point of tractors being able to over-power implements (dont know many applications where 583 horsepower is needed...i'd actually like to know what needs that kinda power anyway.

 

[Tom Turner]

ebertfarms you are right, why a big combine when only a few will buy it or a high HP tractor.
Combines can only handle so many rows and then they will loss that with a corn head until they have a corn head that can be like a platform flex to run with the ground, also the grain carts elevators and semi's they will need

 

[midwestfarmer9]

You mentioned what kind of tractor needs the 583 hp...and also in reply to who really needs a class 9 combine at max. capacity, well kind of answer to both your questions is the guy that has a grain leg to keep up with a class 9 combine would be at least a leg that can handle 4000 bu/hr. and a tractor that can pull a grain cart big enough to haul 1200 bu plus, like a Balzer 1500, that can get to the semis quick enough and back. Personal experience I've ran and prefer a Quadtrac on a Balzer, this was a 535, and honestly in some of our fields with longs rows and waterways, it did not have enough hp to pull a loaded 1500 bu plus fast enough or the hp to go thru a waterway and get back to speed. 1 Cat 595R, 1 Cat 585R with a 18 row Drago, 12 row Geringhoff, and a Balzer 1500 and J/M 1325 on tracks with 2 535 Quadtracs, they simply weren't big enough. We get into fields with .5 mile rows and throw into that mix 3 or 4 waterways, it's all you can do to say you don't need a 3rd grain cart which in turn means more semis. And we are talking 12,000 acres.

 

[Hans Schwarz]

I am pretty sure that they come out with a class 9 or a least with a large chassis/frame design in 2010 which can be upgradet to a class 9 some day,this would fit to their ten year strategy,and they always had a huge impact on the market when they released a new design(8820-9600-STS).I think there is a market for true class 9 combines(Lexion 590),since a guy should be able to replace four class 8 units with three class 9 in small grain.

 

[parts]

I think that Case is selling more 9120s than you may think.

 

[Tom Turner]

What is the market calling for, Class 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or 5.
Only a few upper class 9's

 

[arcus]

Maybe the NA market doesnt need a class 9 do urgend...

(I hate classes anyway, they are useless to judge the performance of a combine)

But other mrkets do need those combines. First of all Europe...here the Lexion 600 is the most sold combine, before it was introduced it was the Lexion 580, before taht one it wa sthe Lexion 480...
You need the performance to harvest 88bu/ac canola or 175bu/ac wheat. And the top isnt reached yet...
So the market is looking for bigger and stronger machines. NewHolland brought its answer to the Lexion600. The CR9090 can surely compete with the Lexion 600. But there is nothing from John Deere as far as I can see...

 

[casefarmer]

I really don't think there missing the boat to be honest....i don't think the need for class 9 combines is that big....

also why don't they just chip the motor and add 40 HP and call it class 9....

STS combines now account for major % of N American sales?????

Really? im not sure about that there's alot of 2388's roaming around..

and Greenstar being the standard???

Im pretty sure trimble might have them on that.... there rtk is better numbers wise on accuracy and distance from the repeater and thats important...... and there are alot of people useing trimble construction and ag......

i hope you don't think there low end lightbar theyve came out is a great product too.... for the money that thing should cost 800 bucks.... not the same as a trimble ezguide 250..

i think deere will be fine... if they hold off on the class 9's........

It would be interesting to see how many class 9's case will sell this year..

And Lexion's

Im not sure why they still make class 5 combines....that seems like what will go first....

 

[ebertfarms]

Take a trip down to kentucky, tennessee or that general area and small frame combines are king down there, i have no idea why but guys just love them down there.

i wouldnt say 9x00's were "past their time" anyway, their still a helluva corn eating machine and are cheaply available for the capacity they have.

 

[Tom Turner]

'


yes

 

[connor]

It's all just a pissing match now to see who can have the biggest. Sure there will be that one guy or a few guys who will buy it as longs as someone will make it. But is it really necessary? And do they really need it?

 

[riceman]

Lots of small fields, real hilly and lots of little roads and tons of people. At least thats the way it is in the part of W. TN that I know.

 

[kinzepower]

It is not a matter of if, but when. I will garentee that they have one in development right now.
And yes there is enough demand...combines, like farms, are only getting bigger. It has only been a trend since...well...since the first combine.

 

[connor]

But like a few above mentioned, there are still a lot of areas with small fields, roads, and so on. Those aren't getting any bigger even if the farms are. I don't care if you have 10,000 acres, if you can't fit a combine that big and head that big that a combine that size would require into a field efficiently, or even get it there, then what's the point? I'll bet that the % of farms that can properly and efficiently utilize a class 9 or bigger is pretty d**n small. Like I said as long as someone will build it then someone will buy it. What did these farms that big do 10-20 years ago when these combines didn't exist? They got by with combines that in today's world are considered small.

 

[casefarmer]

U would need a good size elevator too we are setup almost to stay with two 2588's running....we can ketch the dryer but hopefully we will make some changes next year...

to go to bigger combines or 12 row heads we would have to change planters and we really don't want to do that a nd do alot more to our elevator system at the farm...

so its not just them money into a combine at that point..

 

[binbuster]

I think farmers with say two class 6 or 7 machines are seeing how cost prohibitive it is to upgrade those machines + thier headers, to maintain them and to hire labor to run them. I forsee a trend back toward one class 9 or 10 combine freeing up labor to do something else. Or even eliminating a hired man all together. Sure a class 9 machine lists in the upper 300k range but price two class 7 machines and get back to me on that one!

 

[casefarmer]

yeah but if you have two fairly new class 6 combines why go to one combine..its going to slow you down alot... saying you had the help to support the system your working..