Broken Straw Walker

[waugh621]

Good evening, long time no post.
I am looking to purchase a combine and have found what i think is a good deal? The only issue is it has a broken straw walker. How hard would this be to fix and it the machine worth it. It is a john deere 4400 diesel and comes with a 215 grain table.
Thanks Nate
He is asking $2600 for the combine and head.

 

[casecollectorsc]

Should be able to find a used walker at a salvage yard....or braze a patch of 16 gauge on the old one.

 

[Tony in SD]

Should be able to find a used walker at a salvage yard....or braze a patch of 16 gauge on the old one.

X2

 

[wore out]

Good evening, long time no post.
I am looking to purchase a combine and have found what i think is a good deal? The only issue is it has a broken straw walker. How hard would this be to fix and it the machine worth it. It is a john deere 4400 diesel and comes with a 215 grain table.
Thanks

Good evening, long time no post.
I am looking to purchase a combine and have found what i think is a good deal? The only issue is it has a broken straw walker. How hard would this be to fix and it the machine worth it. It is a john deere 4400 diesel and comes with a 215 grain table.
Thanks NateView attachment 120204View attachment 120205View attachment 120206View attachment 120207View attachment 120208

Sometimes walkers break because the combine has been severely plugged with wet material to the point the walker cranks get bent and forevermore put stress on the walkers as the cranks rotate and the motions don't quite match up.

Or if the bearing boxes aren't kept snug and there's "play" that bangs the walker around in operation it can break a walker. Sometimes the cranks wear A LOT "out of round" and a new bearing block can't be shimmed properly to eliminate rattling around on the crank.

To me, finding a used combine with a broken straw walker would at least raise a yellow flag, wondering what caused this, and if will happen again.

GOOD luck, perhaps none of my "doom and gloom" has happened and a patched up walker will last a long time. My point was to make you aware of worst case scenarios that could really sour a deal.

 

[used red MN]

How hard would this be to fix and it the machine worth it.

How would we know if the machine is worthy of this fix if you don’t tell us the price?
The parent company of YT has a used walker for $325, not sure what shipping would be.
JD PN AH99693
ASAP Used JD 4400 straw walker
Should be fairly easy to replace just take the bearings off the front and rear crankshafts.
Here is a link to the JD4400 parts catalog.
If you are not familiar clicking the “4400 combine” at the upper left will allow you to see all the parts sections for that machine. That is the old parts book the new one does not have the diagrams for older machines. If you put a part in the cart and check out it takes you into the new parts book.

 

[oliverkid]

Had a buddy that bought a super clean what I would consider a cream puff 7720 several years ago. Paint shined and had new firestone rubber all the way around. Got it home, ran a little over 20 acres with it, broke a walker. Put a good used walker and new bearings in it, ran a week or so and broke that walker. Finished up the season with his old 6600. Got the 7720 in the shop. Pulled all the walkers and both cranks. Couldn’t find anything that stuck out as out of the ordinary. Put the cranks back in with new bearings. Put all the walkers back in with new bearings. Put a brand new walker in to replace the broken one. Could roll the entire assembly over by hand just as smooth as could be. Made it half a season and broke 2 walkers. He finished the season with his 6600 and cousins 6620. Sold the 7720 as is and bought a different machine. Moral of the story, when buying a mystery machine with a broken walker it could be a simple fix, or you may never fix it.