Combines lexions are precision machines not bulldozers

2rotorsrule

Guest
You're right, get used to more maintenance time every morning. More belts to wear out...chains to wear out. And the combines shake themselves apart, it isn't always operator error. We don't RamRod our 480 but everytime you reengage the threshing give it 15 minutes to let the dust rebalance the cylinder. I've run our 480 for 4 years, and it does a quality job, however, after spending the past 2 days back into our 1998 TR98 and remembering how smooth and quiet of machine it is even with double the hours.....the Cat_Claas is still a pretty crude machine. The cab is noisy and everything vibrates. Yes it is a good corn machine and has fair capacity in wheat, but I'll operate_maintenance a New Holland anyday over a CAT.
 

1stfarmboy

Guest
The pulling tractor might be a little extreme, Maybe more like a 13 bottom Salford plow being pulled by a Challanger 865...
 

Cutter

Guest
1stfarmboy, it is true that lexion harvesting products are precision built. It is also true that they are built to withstand some of the toughest harvesting conditions known. The lexion combine is a worldwide product, much like Deere and CNH are attempting to achieve, whose neccessity is to able to harvest in all conditions with minimal reconfiguration of threshing and separating elements and cleaning sieves. I agree with your comments related to combine performance being relative to the quality of of the operator. Today's modern farm machinery operator has far more machine control that was available to them just ten years ago. Example, custom application equipment. With GPS guidance_steering, VRT, fly-by-wire_full system fingertip control (most of which are systems and controls becoming standard equipment on combines and tractors - "the mule vs. steam engine"),the operator must always be ready to make necessary changes on the fly, making the machinery the most productive possible, pending the operator's capability. Now, you are finding more and more custom application grade equipment "on farm." lexion combines are the only combines constructed with the strength to ensure long-term ownership and up to very agressive operation. Belt life isn't a modern day problem for combine harvesters and like machinery, as much as it is fatigue. Thus, lexion's total use of heavy duty cast drive and and variator pulleys and single-piece steel idlers to always ensure long belt life. Every machine experiences mechanical failure now and again, but at a low rate. Excessive rates are due to the lack of proper operator operation and sevice and maintenance.
 

batman

Guest
Sometimes trouble is caused by operator error but we drove 2 460 cats for four seasons and had one this year for the 5th season against case 8010s We had a lot of non operator related problems with the cats things just failed or fell apart. I go back a long way with IH when the first rotarys came out. We never had as much trouble in 20 years with IH as we had with the cats and I hate to say the 8010s as well. We rebuilt the threashing components on the 460 two seasons ago and went over everything else we could think of. This season the cat hardly mised a beat put about 400 hrs on it ,one idler brg. and an altinator thats all. It had a near perfect year it has about 1600 hrs on it. I think its finaly broke in.As for the 8010s they will be the envy of the industry
 

lex

Guest
I am confusedIJ Are you saying the CAT 460's are treating you well or poorlyIJ 400 hours without missing a beet sounds good to meIJ
 
 
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