Combines Dumping Your lexions YetIJ

Catlitter-Are you now running a STS instead and if so, how do you like it IJ We use a 2388 and a 9750 on our farm and while they are both great combines we are especially impressed with the STS.I think it is too bad Dakota had a bad experience with the STS combines because I am afraid he will come to regret in time changing to the lexions. It is too bad he did not start with new STS combines instead of used ones for his type of operation (custom cutting). Also, we held off and waited for a 2001 model as I do not think you ever want to purchase the first few models off the assembly line (Give them a year or two to get some of the inevitable bugs out).

It's true there are lemons, but it's a real crime when the company won't admit to it, and stand behind their product. We wanted them to bring out a different combine when it was obvious to all that there was a problem. It's been the most expensive lesson I've learned. Total repair bills were in excess of $14,000. On top of that, we were forced to lease a John Deere for a cost of $7800 to complete harvest. Add that to the $35,000 lease cost, and you have a grand total of $56,800--a cost per acre of $18.65_acre. Recently, they have "adjusted down" the repair bill to $2100 to try to make us feel good, when all we were asking for was to get out the lease, or give us a combine that works, and a head that stays together. It extended our harvest out so long that we had to hire our anhydrous application. We also suffered yield loss on 300 acres of corn that we couldn't get to due to combine breakdowns. For the costs we incurred, we could have hired it all done, sat in the house, and spent our time trading stocks. Speaking of stocks, I wouldn't buy one share of Cat stock until they quit making combines. They need to concentrate on what they know...construction equipment, and leave the business of combines to Deere. We should have gotten wise when we were at their "tech school" and we noticed that "Claas" was written all over the combines. In the 1980's, the Claas combines appeared in our area for a short time, but were a complete failure. Somehow, they made us believe that things had changed.

We were such fools--we had an STS on order, but we cancelled because the CAT salesman told us there was a problem with the STS, in that it was dumping corn out the back. We were fed a line, and fell for it. We had a 9500, but we wanted better grain quality, so we were switching to the STS. The CAT salesman told us that all we needed was a 460 lexion, that it would "outcompete" the STS in grain quality and capacity. We were told overblown, exaggerations--plain and simple.

I, too, am sorry to hear about your bad-luck with the lexion 460. After hearing from a few CAT owners with similar experiences, I'm happy I made the decision to go with a Gleaner C62 instead. It compares very favorably with my Deere 9610.

what branch did u get urs from. Altofers is makin a new branch just for ag equment i think. I have never herd any bad storys bout cat combines in our area. What kept fallin apart on ur head. Was it welds and stuff or just chains. what all was wrong with ur combine.

I really pity you there catlitter. Where in Altorfer's territory are you located and who is your local mechanicIJ I wonder why the warranty is so aweful if the damages done to the lease machine were reduced from $14,000 to only $2100IJ What company in their right mind that is trying to screw over the customers every time they turn around (as you make it sound) would eat that much money just to try to make things right. I wonder why someone would get into a combine that they don't even know anything aboutIJ If you don't like the fact that the combine is made by Claas you shouldn't have gotten into one. I know many people that own lexions in Altorfer's sales territory and they all are very pleased with the company as well as the machine's capacity. Sounds like you need to do more research next time. Hope you have better luck with the STS, I'll be looking on the Deere sight after next harvest to read about what deerdroppings (catlitter) has to say.

Catman, if you are such a man, why don't you buy our lease off of us, and see what we've put up with. Put your money where your mouth is. We have one year left on it, and you can have it, buddy. I owned two Deere 9500's for 10 years, and my total repair bills for the entire 10 year period were $2700. That's $270 PER YEAR! The $14,000 for the Cat was only THIS YEAR'S repairs...when you add last year's bills, and the cost of renting an extra combine both years to finish up the job that the Cat couldn't do, we could have paid a lease for another combine for a year and a half! It's eating us alive! You're right...we shouldn't have bought a Claas...we should have stayed with Deere! If you love Cat so much, take the lease and help this poor fool that's being buried in catlitter. You'll be my hero if you take this Cat off my back, buddy. You can sing all the praises you want about your Cat, but I've had all I can take of them. This one has burned me. As far as Cat reducing the bill from $14,000 to $2100, it's called "trying to sweep it under the rug." At one point, they had called to invite us to a meeting in Canton to try to figure out why they couldn't break into the market in our area. Shortly thereafter, they called back and cancelled it. What's up with thatIJ Perhaps the reason they can't seem to penetrate this area is because every time someone drives by, they see our Cat in the field with it's wings up. If I had a dime for every time someone asked me: "Why are the wings always up on that CatIJ" I'd be able to pay all of its repair bills! You can "insinuate" that I'm a liar, but I guarantee you, I have a stack of bills to prove it. You "hope I have better luck with the STS"IJIJ What STSIJIJIJ I have another year of misery to look forward to with this Cat! By the way, I should mention that the Cat mechanics are good...it's just that they have to come entirely too often, resulting in outrageous bills. It's not their fault--they're good guys. It's the company. I'm glad so many people you know are so pleased with Altorfer...unfortunately, we have not had the same experience--and that's a fact--no matter your perception.

The heads would crumple, the snouts fall apart, straw-walker bearings, magnetic clutch, fanspeed regulator, flighting after year one, inside grain tank, the list goes on. We had major welding bills. Other guys with Cats in this area take their own mig welders to the field. It's terrible to be in fear of what might go wrong every time you go to the field.

Catlitter, It's hard to imagine that you had all those problems with your combine.I know of a guy here in Ohio that ran 5000 acres through a lexion 480 with 30 ft. corn and bean heads with very few problems. Had a Cat F30 bean head and a JD 12-30" on the machine. Running 190 bu.ac 17pct. corn at 5 mph..Could run faster, but the corn was down.

I really don't care that it's hard for you to believe. It's fact. Plain and simple. I am glad that you know a guy who has had good luck with his lexion. Mine is a lemon, and it seems from other posts that there are others out there who have had bad experiences with their Cats, also. All we want is to get rid of the beast! (The last comment was added by "me" (catlitter's wife). I had to suffer through this terrible experience, also. Believe me, the kids and I don't want to see another harvest with the Cat in the field. Broken down Cat=longer harvest=less family time. It's fine if you some of you guys want to keep your blinders on and don't want to think that a Cat could posssibly have made a lemon...however, for those with more of an open mind, we just want you to be aware that it could happen to you.).