Gehl 400 corn Chopper

[oldfarmall]

Hello-

I bought a Gehl 400 chopper 2 years ago. Has a one row corn head. First year I chopped with a Farmall 450 hooked to it. Second year I got a bigger tractor, international 856 diesel. First year, it was all myg 450 could handle, 1st gear t/a back and full throttle. This year the 856 ran it fine, but you for sure knew it was back there. Worked the 856 good.

I sharpened the knives with the built in electric knives sharpener. They had a good edge in them. Set the shear bar until the knives made a slight "ticking" sound.

I do have a backup antique single row corn chopper, IH McCormick model 36, 1958 vintage. This chopper cuts better than the gehl and takes much less horsepower. The IH chopper is a 6 knife flywheel cut chopper, not drum style cut and blow like the gehl.

Why does the gehl 400 take so much more horsepower to run? Where gehl choppers known for being horsepower hungry?


I only fill about 12 chopper wagons per year to fill a small 12x35 silo for my steers. Have been seriously thinking of going old school and finding an old IH 16 chopper as a backup to my 36. Since I am not setting any world land speed chopping records, a little more time in the field for 12 loads is no big deal to me.

Thoughts on the gehl 400? What am I missing? I have heard they were great choppers. So far, I am on the fence.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Hello-

I bought a Gehl 400 chopper 2 years ago. Has a one row corn head. First year I chopped with a Farmall 450 hooked to it. Second year I got a bigger tractor, international 856 diesel. First year, it was all myg 450 could handle, 1st gear t/a back and full throttle. This year the 856 ran it fine, but you for sure knew it was back there. Worked the 856 good.

I sharpened the knives with the built in electric knives sharpener. They had a good edge in them. Set the shear bar until the knives made a slight "ticking" sound.

I do have a backup antique single row corn chopper, IH McCormick model 36, 1958 vintage. This chopper cuts better than the gehl and takes much less horsepower. The IH chopper is a 6 knife flywheel cut chopper, not drum style cut and blow like the gehl.

Why does the gehl 400 take so much more horsepower to run? Where gehl choppers known for being horsepower hungry?


I only fill about 12 chopper wagons per year to fill a small 12x35 silo for my steers. Have been seriously thinking of going old school and finding an old IH 16 chopper as a backup to my 36. Since I am not setting any world land speed chopping records, a little more time in the field for 12 loads is no big deal to me.

Thoughts on the gehl 400? What am I missing? I have heard they were great choppers. So far, I am on the fence. View attachment 164706

The cylinder will give a finer cut, especially if you add a screen. Flywheel cut is a bit coarser & the flywheel is meant to throw. Which is why you don't fill the silo with a cylinder.

Mike

 

[oldfarmall]

The cylinder will give a finer cut, especially if you add a screen. Flywheel cut is a bit coarser & the flywheel is meant to throw. Which is why you don't fill the silo with a cylinder.

Mike

Hi Mike-

Thanks for the reply. Any idea why the Gehl 400 cylinder machine takes so much horsepower to run? My Flywheel cut IH chopper uses much less HP and cuts finer.

I am thinking of looking for an IH model 16 chopper with the 9 knife cylinder cutter. My IH 36 flywheel chopper works well, but with all equipment, I like to have a backup.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Hi Mike-

Thanks for the reply. Any idea why the Gehl 400 cylinder machine takes so much horsepower to run? My Flywheel cut IH chopper uses much less HP and cuts finer.

I am thinking of looking for an IH model 16 chopper with the 9 knife cylinder cutter. My IH 36 flywheel chopper works well, but with all equipment, I like to have a backup.

The finer cut robs the tractor of power. For example, your 856 may have a good workout on your 400, but would have no issue on a FH84. I can put down a lot of acres with that same unit on my 560D.

The IH 16 would be equal to a Gehl 300. Both are based on the Ronning harvester.

Mike

 

[want@1070]

Best choppers Gehl made, we had 2 , first one had 1row , ran it with 830 Case o matic ,, the we acquired a two row ,
830 struggled, then put a 1030 ,Case on it, about pulling hard, we always made sure the tip of the sharp knife hit first.
Especially when you get it pre-owned. Sometimes the knives got sharpend back so the heel of knife would strike the
shear bar . This would make it pull harder . Hope this makes sense, I think this was a fairly easy pulling chopper.
I hope you can get everything adjusted correctly, I can look , I may have operators manual,
I heard deere and Fox choppers were more power hungry. You have a nice looking chopper,
Can you e mail me in members section .