John Deere 96 Combine

[greenbeanman in Kansas]

I learned of an auction today that is to be held on Saturday March 20th that has a John Deere model 96 combine on the listing.

Amish owned so I expect the number is correct and from what I can gather from the archive photo most definitely a pull type.

Auction is ½ mile south of Yoder, KS at 9:30 a.m.

I know that my tractor doesn't have enough hp for one so I don't know that I will attend. Might be snowing Saturday anyway.
Sale bill? Hopefully so.

 

[DeltaRed]

You can buy a bigger tractor.Sounds like that is rare or one of a kind.I'd like to find one.By the way,what kind of tractor do you have?how big?

 

[Roger H]

They must be mennonite instead of amish because the tractors would be on dutch rubber instead of tires & most amish dont use a tractor in the field, only for stationary power

 

[LenND]

We had a JD 96 for years--bought it new. Same as the JD 95 SP with 40 inch cylinder. Ours was PTO and pulled with 706 IHC. They are not rare in this part of the country. Still see one being used once in a while.

 

[Scott 730]

Is the 96 set up for 540 or 1000 PTO???

 

[greenbeanman in Kansas]

The sale bill doesn't even say it is a pull type and therefore does not even give the PTO speed or other info. 14 foot header.

My tractor is a compact Ford 1720 with 27 hp. Archive photos spoke about a JD R not being enough and the family going to 830s so I'm convinced I wouldn't have enough ponies.

I had occasion to work with an older Old Amish man a few years ago and he willingly allowed me to ask a number of questions and explained their faith, different sects from Old Order Amish to Mennonite.

He explained that because Kansas gets so hot during the summer and it is so hard on draft horses that it was decided to allow farmers to use tractors if they wished to but the tires could not be inflated.

As modern day profit margins shrank and larger farms were needed to provide for a family tractor horsepower sizes increased. I've seen a lot of 4010 and 4020s as an example.

Sometime in the 1980s the horsepower had somewhat out distanced the no air tire riggings and it was decided that they would be allowed to use air to aid in the tractor traction. Some changed, others didn't and it remains so today.

I've lived in this area since 1982 and I don't recall ever seeing draft horses working in the fields other then pulling hay wagons. It is probably done, but I've not seen it.

Horses are used for transportation by many of the individual sects, but many use their tractor to pull trailers instead.

I guess you could say that while they are indeed Amish they are much different than those in PA & OH.
Yoder Heritage Day

 

[Scott 730]

I should clarify that I was wondering in general what PTO speed was used on a 96, not specifically about the 96 on the auction bill.

Would a 730 Diesel have enough juice to pull one???

 

[LenND]

The 96 PTO combine could be set up for either 540 or 1000. All we did was turn the gears around in the gear box. Pulled it with 656IHC (540) or 706 IHC (1000)

 

[DeltaRed]

Where are you? Can I buy one (or a 65) and haul it to west Colorado?

 

[Moline_guy]

Dad ran the 96's for over 20 years. Good, simple machines, very few belts and didn't take a lot of horsepower. We had one set up with the standard 1000 pto and his first one he swithched the gear box gears around to run 540 and ran it with a 900 case. 27hp probably wouldnt be enough, but if you had a small swather and slow enough tractor gear it could be done. The 900 case was 70 hp and handled it fine with a 16' swather. If its shedded and nice, those are hard to find.
This picture was taken in the late 80's in a very dry year combining grain millet.

 

[Anonymous-0]

That'd be like having a john deere 95 combine running 14' of wheat having 27 hp. The 95's had 90 hp. Plus you have to pull the 11,000 pound combine with a 3000 pound tractor.