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Kansas City, Missouri | Alright, I’ve been thinking… Why hasn’t anyone put together a swap kit to drop a Cummins into an S-Series Deere combine? We all know that Deere’s 13.5L is… well, let’s just say it’s not exactly winning any awards for reliability. Blown head gaskets, injector issues, oil consumption — you name it, that engine’s probably done it.
Back in the day, Kinze stepped up and gave Deere owners a lifeline with those repower kits for the 30 and 40 series tractors, so why not do the same for combines? Imagine pulling that 13.5L anchor out and sliding in a reliable 15L Cummins X15 — more power, better fuel efficiency, and a lot less time wrenching in the shop when you should be harvesting.
I mean, the market’s there. Look how many guys are already rebuilding or swapping engines in their S680s and S690s after Deere’s “best” engineering didn’t quite hold up in the real world. A plug-and-play kit with the right mounts, plumbing, and wiring would sell faster than seed corn on an early order discount.
So, what’s stopping someone from making it happen? EPA regs? Cost? Or is Deere just too protective of their proprietary tech? Feels like a huge opportunity for some aftermarket company to step up and give us the combine version of a Kinze repower. What do you guys think — would you swap a Cummins into your S-Series if the kit was available? Or are you holding out hope that Deere’s next engine won’t need a field-side funeral at 1,500 hours?
Edit: I've been looking at the auction results for S680s and I have noticed that around the 3000hr mark they bring almost nothing because that's around the hrs when a 13.5 will let go. My thought is if someone made a kit to put a good motor in them, even and older Deere engine, it would be an economical way to step into a newer combine that wont blow its motor on you.
Edited by PatrickMahomes69 3/24/2025 12:35
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Why Hasn’t Someone Made a Cummins Swap Kit (or CAT)for S-Series Combines?
