Grain farmers chime in! Advice?

[Farmwithjunk]

Begin in Manitoba you probably have a shorter growing/harvest season. Most guys around me are done early and would have more than enough time to get a small custom job done. You are correct that there would be alot of loss if you waited too long. Like another poster I don't necessarily think there are many good combines around with heads for $3,000. In my experience the least you could get by with as a total for combine and heads for corn and beans would be $25,000 and that is probably pushing it. You still have to add in Maintenance/repairs and fuel. It may be easier to buy your own than have some custom work done, but there is no harm in investigating if a close neighbor would be willing to do it.

Here in Eastern SD we have guys that do conventional till, strip till, and no till. It depends on soil type/location, erosion potential, harvest window, soil moisture in the fall. All types have their time and place and there is no set answer.

I see the OCCASIONAL older combine that'll sell in the $3,000 range. That's generally 35 or 40+ years old, no head, or just one head, and what would be described today as a low capacity combine. Used corn heads sell really high if they're model that's in a popular row width (ie 30" rows)

Looking at used, but 20 years old or less, the prices jump up quite a bit from $3000..... I got a bargain a couple years back on a low hour 9610 Deere, 30' header, 8X30" corn head, all for under $60,000. Go back into the '70's and '80's and they'll sell a bit cheaper.

Due to the fact that all the NEW combines being built and sold now are MONSTERS compared to years ago, the older, smaller units are holding a strong resale value. Many small operations just can't make a new class IIX or class IX combine pencil out.

Older combines can be a real money pit. Find one that's been maintained on through time of sale and you'll do OK. Get one that's been ran 'till it dropped, and they get VERY expensive. If you can do most of the repairs and maintenance yourself....not so bad. If you need to hire a combine mechanic.....I hope you have deep pockets.

As far as "custom harvesters".... The availability of custom combining is a local issue. We happen to have a couple very reliable custom operators in this immediate area. They stay booked, but seem to stay reasonably caught up with demand. They don't range too many miles from home though.

 

[RickB]

I see the OCCASIONAL older combine that'll sell in the $3,000 range. That's generally 35 or 40+ years old, no head, or just one head, and what would be described today as a low capacity combine. Used corn heads sell really high if they're model that's in a popular row width (ie 30" rows)

Older combines can be a real money pit.

Amen.

One of my good friends sold a Deere 4400 diesel with no heads for salvage two years ago for $2500 and the buyer hauled it.

Machines in the OP's area will likely be cheaper than in mine, but you have to be lucky to get a decent machine for $3K. Identifying links to machines in Fastline or other trade mags doesn't mean they are field-ready or even field-capable.

 

[D7E]

I guess i have to remember that there are still more smaller farmers down south too . I really dont know of a farm less than 1'000 acres now. anything less is rented out so these smaller machines have no value other than the $200 a ton for scrap that we recently had (gone now) .
I wished i had a job for it but neighbour sold up last year and a TR75 with 2 headers and 1400 hrs for $1600 , should have bought it for the engine thinking about it ! And you can take your pick of MF 750/760's for under $1200 and MF heads are worth only scrap.

Corn heads are expensive through lack of them and IH will make the most money hence why you see a lot of JD and NH heads on IH's here.

I gave $3000 for my IH head and $700 for the NH which is in much nicer shape .

 

[D7E]

Are'nt we forgetting that the original post was for a combine for a couple of hundred acres. why are we even mentioning $60'000 combines .
And if i person is not mechanically minded enough to keep a combine running farming is going to be a long road for you !

 

[hrcarver]

Aren't we forgetting that the original post was for a combine for a couple of hundred acres. why are we even mentioning $60'000 combines .
And if i person is not mechanically minded enough to keep a combine running farming is going to be a long road for you !

I mostly agree with that, but I'd be careful with one much cheaper than that. My personal opinion is that the OP is not near large enough to consider a combine purchase. I raise approximately the same acreage as the OP is considering. There is no way that I could justify the expense of purchasing a good one OR maintaining a junker.

I'm assuming his time will be limited by a day job of some sort, so he will not have time to be working on it during the few days he needs to be harvesting.

If he is not working and planning on making a living off of 100 acres of grain, he better buy junker and be extremely handy with a wrench... I'd be looking into specialty crops rather than grain if that is the case.

 

[Illinoisdmax]

I mostly agree with that, but I'd be careful with one much cheaper than that. My personal opinion is that the OP is not near large enough to consider a combine purchase. I raise approximately the same acreage as the OP is considering. There is no way that I could justify the expense of purchasing a good one OR maintaining a junker.

I'm assuming his time will be limited by a day job of some sort, so he will not have time to be working on it during the few days he needs to be harvesting.

If he is not working and planning on making a living off of 100 acres of grain, he better buy junker and be extremely handy with a wrench... I'd be looking into specialty crops rather than grain if that is the case.

Who in their right mind would think they could live off 110 acres.? That's what I was tellin everyone I could start with, obviously leasing more land every year.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Who in their right mind would think they could live off 110 acres.? That's what I was tellin everyone I could start with, obviously leasing more land every year.

If you plant the right crop you can make a very good living off 110 acres. I have been told by a few different friends who farm fruit and vegetables. Their strawberry fields bring in around $10k an acre. They require a lot more work but again you make a lot more per acre then with a row crop. Vineyards can make anywhere from $500-$5000 an acre depending on area, type and market. Other fruits and vegetables are similar, their more labor intensive but the return is much higher and you don't need to buy $250k harvesters and tractors. You can run a small fruit and vegetable farm with 30-80 horsepower tractors so you don't have so much money invested per tractor or implement as you do with a huge row crop farm. Its just learning how to grow something different, filling a niche and working hard.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

All is about as well as can be expected under the circumstances....

I did get a very beautiful Christmas card a few days ago. My how she is growing!

Enjoy every second...They grow up way too fast.

I know, its amazing looking at the school pics over the last few years. She is growing up so fast its scary. I'm doing my best to enjoy this time with Ava while she grows and hopefully I won't look back and regret anything.

 

[Illinoisdmax]

By then things could get complicated because I have no vegetable farmers around here to get advice from.

 

[hrcarver]

Who in their right mind would think they could live off 110 acres.? That's what I was tellin everyone I could start with, obviously leasing more land every year.

I can get by pretty well on 110 acres (of tobacco and turf)... and the turf market has absolutely SUCKED the last 3 years. All my local competition is finally officially out of business as of now and things are really looking up. Got some decent equipment cheap and their customers too!

The trick is being somewhat diversified IMO. If all I did was sod, I'd be holding an auction at my place too.

I think holding a public job definitely qualifies as diversification.