Jeffersonville, OH | KyRedman - 6/12/2023 13:24
Chris, can you advise on wear as far as at 600 or 1,200hrs etc? I have a friend that has always ran Gleaner, keeps excellent records,, he seemed to be at about 1.97$ per acre at 2600 hours over that span.
I usually figure per hour not acre. Easier for me since customers acres vary, but they know about how many hours they average per harvest, and that compares easier across machines from customer to customer.
Dollars/hour, I usually ballpark $6-8/separator hour for most machines. Honestly, the new machines even being out since 2016 I'm still getting a handle on what that number should be, because we haven't had to do any major repairs to throw in there. Sure, some wear items, but no bin floors, bin augers etc.
Normal wear in 600hrs should be minimal in Corn/Soybeans...adjust feeder chains, maybe move cylinder bars around a little to maximize wear if you're into that kind of thing, and depending on your crop mix, maybe you'll need chopper knives, or turn them. I have customers that replace chopper knives much earlier than needed because they don't turn them, or look up the chute to see they need turned in time.
1200hrs is right on the bubble where you may need feed chains, and normally the accelerator rolls will need done at that point (or sometimes before). You'll be on the 2nd/3rd set of chopper knives, and probably between 6 and 12 cylinder bars depending on whether you move them, or just wear them out. Also will usually need a couple belts in there, but not a ton. Rotary screen, maybe hydro and separator belt, again depends on other factors like crop mix for separator belt and terrain for hydro belt.
This is all what we see in Central Ohio, Pennsylvania, Northern KY, etc where I am tasked with supporting the bulk of my machines. We do a little wheat, but not a ton. The wheat guys out west will wear out feed chains and chopper knives faster than we do, but their cylinder bars and augers will wear longer compared to a guy running a lot of corn.
I have a customer that runs machines 3 years, approximately 700-750 separator hours, and his repairs in the 3rd season are normally minimal. Usually pays us for the oil change and inspection, and we go through and adjust chains and belts, align idlers, and turn his chopper knives. Beyond him, all my other guys with S9's either do their own work unless it's major or under warranty, or don't call me until it won't run, so it's hard to get an accurate number for repair bills.
Ass for major things, we don't see the transmission issue like others have said. 1 combine from 30ish S9's so far has needed any kind of shifter work other than a random calibration. We do put in a couple Pivot jackshaft bearings under the cab, but they have made that bearing bigger since 2016. I think 2018-2019 when they made that change. Unloader u-joints still can be an issue at times, AGCO has made a few changes over the years working on addressing it, and it's better, but still very random when you lose one. Same with accelerator roll gears, one combine will run 1500hrs and never break a tooth, others will take a couple gears in 800hrs...random. It's not enough I've put them on my 600hr or 1200hr lists yet, but you may see them. I'm curious if the 2023 change to wedge-lok hubs on the gears will make a difference, I think they will. I think it's a hub getting a little lose that eats the teeth.
So, long post to say, $6-8 is what I've said for years, if you want, say $10/hr and I still think we're much less than others from what I hear. You'll also hear they can do more acres/hr than we can, but that all depends on location, crop, and host of other factors as mentioned above. Gleaner has said for years the have the lowest Total cost of ownership, and my customers tend to agree from what they tell me, and what I hear from customers with my tractors and other color combines, and what repair bills they tell me about. I hear a couple of them tell me about $30K repair bills every couple of years...I'm busy enough and short employees so I don't try really hard to educate them about our machines...if they really wanted to know, they'd ask me...
Also, that number really isn't labor, or much labor included. Most of my customers buy parts, and do the work themselves. If you're paying for dealer shop labor I'd say it's the same price as parts.
It's also good to ask a local dealer as well, since there are difference in how machines are used from one area to the next...if you have a local Gleaner dealer!
Chris
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Anyone here running a S9 series Gleaner?
