Thoughts on combine

[young tractor]

Hi guys am looking for your valued opinions. I am small farmer looking to get bigger. Right now I have a pull type combine and pick and shell my corn. I am starting to look at John Deere combines. I am truely an Oliver guy, but JD are what is common around and parts availability is important. Would you rather have at 4400 or 6600. What is the difference between the 00 vs the 20 series in each. I heard that parts availibility for the 4400 is getting harder than the 6600. Can I get by with stick vs hydrostatic drive? Are the 4420 and 6620 easier to get parts for than the 4400 and 6600. I appreciate all of your advice.
 

[oliverkid]

I know were you are coming from, im an Oliver guy to and I was lucky enough to come across a nice 525 for cheap. Anyhow, I have experience with 3300 and 6600 Deeres. They arent bad machines. The 6600 can be a pain in the a$$ to work on depending on what needs fixed, but all around a good solid 6 row machine. If you do go 00 look for a gear drive, the hydros can get pricy to fix if there is a problem, and the gear drive units are just about bullet proof. Parts arent aproblem at all, Deere still supports them pretty good and what they dont supply, the after market has picked up.
 

[jm42]

the amount of acres you are farming or want to be farming may influence the size. You are thinking correctly with the focus of what is available and in your area. for the money you can probably buy the 6600 for the same if not less than the 4400. If you go the JD route try to get one that has the rotary screen set up. early ones were flat screens and some had overheating issues. Hydro is always my first choice for ease of operation. not a lot of difference in a 4420 over a 4400, I think hydraulic swing auger was the main change, others may know more. Try to find a diesel engine, make sure the row size of corn head you want will match the combine and the combine tire set up. A lot to take into consideration when you are trying to size the next combine to the operation your planning to have. I always tried to look at the future and what the resale value would be if I need to go to the next level. good to see young bucks wanting to grow the operation. best wishes to you!
 

[paul]

I'd look at a 6600 or 6620.

The 4400 is smaller, will cost almost the same, and get less done.

6600 & 20 have a lot of life left in them for parts and such.

Hydro is nice, you won't go back if you get one; but nothing wrong with the stick, get along just fine with one of that's what you have.

The 6620 is newer, a few better features, will handle a 6 row better; nothing wrong with the 6600, going to be older, less features, cost less.

--->Paul
 

[G706]

Go as new and as big as you can afford, and get a diesel. I've run a 7700 and a 6620 and would go for the 20 series. Since you say you're an Oliver man I will say that I really like my 8600 White diesel hydro and ran about 100 acres of grain and grass seed through it this year. So if you could find a real nice 7800 Oliver .
 

[Super A]

A friend of mine ran a 7700 up until the 2011 season. Upgraded to a 9500. According to him, some 33/44/66/7700 parts were beginning to be NLA. Personally, from watching him they seem awful hard to work on, if there was any dealers support reasonably close I would look at a Gleaner or an older IH axial flow.

Al
 

[Dale in IN]

I have JD 6600 gas stick that will be coming up at auction some time in late Jan. 643 corn head and 215 grain head. The engine was majored at 2170 Hours and it now has 2750 on it. It also has a rotory screen from an IH that workes just fine. Tires are like new. Has slways been kept in the shed since I have had it. Located NC IN.
 

[Deere Scotty]

I personally dont like Hydrostat"s at all. The 4420, or 6620 would be fine; but whats your price range?
 

[Moline_guy]

I would also agree go with the 66 over the 44. Go diesel, we have all gear drives and have had no problems with the drive variables, so unless your going to get a 20 series, I would stay away from the hydros. Our 6600's with the 359 diesel engines are real cheap on fuel and start real good in cold weather. We ran a 4400 gas years ago, the 6600 will run circles around it,especially in a heavy crop. 7700's are getting about as cheap as the 6600s in our area also, but like others stated go with the later models with the rotary screens.
 

[Allis Dave]

We've had a 4400, 6620, 7720, and now a 9650 on our farm. The 4400 was a nice little combine, but it gets stuck pretty easily and runs out of power. It's fine for a small operation, but I would go with a 6620. They're easier to get parts for, have a lot more power and capacity, and has a much better cab to keep bean dust out of your lungs.
 

[Yeahbut...]

Have to consider the particular hours, there are some 4400/4420's out there with very few hours. 6600 was a big machine and most were run over a lot of acres compared to some of the 4400's. You're not going to find a one owner 66xx where the guy had 100 acres and it never spent a night outside, but they are out there if you look hard enough at the 44xx size... Unless you run 2 serious tandem grain trucks then the capacity isn't going to matter much.