Flail choppers

[longmeadowfarm]

Does anyone know where I can get a New Holland model 38 flail chopper serial number list by model year? The model 38 was manufactured from 1979-1992. New Holland began manufacturing them again a few years back calling it a crop chopper..same model 38. My NH dealer says that NH doesn't have such a list.. which was somewhat confusing to my dealer as well as myself.. not believable was my response. I'm looking at a number of used machines and would like to know how old a machine I'm looking at. Although age and condition don't have much in common..do they. Thanks

 

[rrlund]

I think you answered your own question in the last line. With something that's crowding 25 years old at best,I think condition would be the only factor I'd worry about.

 

[longmeadowfarm]

As the closest used flail chopper is 130 mile away and 4 hours out of my busy day... it would be nice to understand what year the machine is, as a number of improvements were made along the way. I found a brochure from 1995, so the years manufactured 1979- 1992, which I uncovered earlier is wrong. Also the machines with letters in their serial numbers have a series of improvements.. cupped rotors, easy adjustable knives, etc.. but without the serial number by year, finding out what I may be looking at would be rather bothersome. I suggest that 50% of used flail choppers have been used up...and on closer inspection ... looking like they have been rode hard and put away wet.. ..

 

[rrlund]

I've got a Gehl 72C like that. I don't know that the spout wouldn't actually fall off of it if I hooked on and tried to move it. I kept it around to chop corn stalks but haven't even used it for that in several years now.

New Holland probably didn't use anything like "Lot Numbers" the way New Idea did,did they? The dealer always told me that on anything New Idea,the serial number didn't tell them anything,always bring the lot number.

 

[Fordfarmer]

Can't help you with the serial numbers.
As far as I know, the 38 has been in continuous production since whenever it was they started. I think they were always called Crop Choppers.
Have you asked if the seller can/will send pictures? Maybe they would be willing to take pictures of specific areas/parts of the machine.
I've owned or run a Gehl 72, JD 16a, NH 36 and 38, and a Fox-Brady 5084. The Fox is easily my favorite, although some parts are no longer available from Hinniker.

 

[alliscombines]

Still producing the 38 flail chopper ( crop chopper).

 

[longmeadowfarm]

I own a Fox 844 which has been undercover except for chopping season.. doesn't owe us anything... but I'm afraid it's just plum wore out. You're right,Hinniker doesn't have many parts left in inventory. I can get the flails but many of the recutter/blower parts are no longer available. I need the blower band and a chute liner.. both not available. I can rebuild the paddles, but only one knife block is available.. need two. I guess I could fashion the parts needed, but I'm not sure its worth the expenditure of time and money at this juncture.. last machine built around 1985. Nice machine in its day.

 

[Fordfarmer]

Wow! Guess I got my blower band just in time - I replaced mine a little over a year ago, and the chute liner probably 7-8 years ago.

 

[Fordfarmer]

Was thinking about this during milking. If there were changes made during production, looking at the parts diagrams on NH's website should show some parts listed as "used before serial number. ..." and "used on and after serial number. ..." This won't give you the year a particular machine was made, but it could tell you if it was made before or after a design change.