# 1375 massey/hesston discbine



## mndairyfarmer (Jul 18, 2012)

can anyone tell me the good or bad about this machine. i have a 946 deere moco now and wondering if this would be a step up? not real familiar with hesston. any advice would be appreciated.thanks


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I think it's a rebranded New Idea 5515. A friend had one and he's happy with it. It'll give you a wider cut than the JD.


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## bryce (Jul 10, 2012)

I have the 1365, the only difference I can tell from the their website is they redesigned the rock guards. There are only 2 problem's I have that are hesston engineers' fault.

The first is that the bracket that holds the gearbox in line with the tractor at the pto hookup is not strong enough. I welded some 1/2 inch plate to the side of it at a 90 degree angle so it looks like angle iron instead of strap. This is only a problem on the three point hook up version, the drawbar version doesn't have this issue.

The second is that the helper roller in front of the conditioner rolls is not big enough/strong enough to hold it's shape, it eventually bends and vibrates the bearings off. At first it was every 2 years, then every year, an now it's every 15 hours of cutting that we have to replace the bearings. We could put a new roller in there but that would cost a lot and eventually have the same problem. What we're going to do is bolt in some steel plate so it's like the 1340's and remove the roller completely.

One other problem on my machine is one side only lifts 3/4 as high as the other, but that was because the dealer put the cylinder from a 1372 on because they didn't want to wait for parts, which is fine short term, but I need a swather that lifts all the way.

My dealer let me demo a new holland H7450 and there is no way I would take the new holland over the hesston. The hesston took less horsepower per width, was quieter, cut 3/4 inch closer to the ground, steered better, looked better, better windrow formation. The Hesston also cut prettier in downed hay and cuts the same at 15 mph or 2. The new holland cut looks crappy past 10 mph. The hesston does take a little more to get started because it has more inertia in the cutterbed. Also, we've cut blocks of cement in half with our hesston without any damage but to the knife. The new holland has a weaker cutterbed that would probally need a new shock pro hub in these situations.

I haven't ever seen a JD moco in person so I don't know how to compare that for you, but it cut's amazing after you fix those 2 problems.

Hope that helps.


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## mndairyfarmer (Jul 18, 2012)

Bryce- what is a helper roller? i looked at a cat(hesston ) and dont remember seeing anything but steel conditioner rollers. i do shear the hub on my jd if i hit something such as small rocks. they shouldnt be out there anyway but it happens. i do love my deere, its built heavy, can cut at any speed, but i just spent $4000 in replacing gears in the cutter bar. a bearing broke and took out 8 gears. not suppose to happen they told me but did. i think i have about 3000 acres thru it. not happy. how do you like steel rolls? i have only had poly so would be new for me


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## bryce (Jul 10, 2012)

This is the helper roller, in front of the 2 conditioner rolls.









The bearing that keeps going out there at the bottom. After cutting a lot it get's covered in dirt and hay. I'm sure that doesn't help.









Extra brace I welded.









We run about 680 acres through it a year. I know someone with steel on rubbers that seems to do the best job at making nice fast drying hay. It just might be set up more proper than ours. It dries the fastest without breaking/shredding leaves off like rubber on rubber does in some conditions. Steel is second best at making good fast drying hay, the nice thing is you never have to adjust it or replace rolls, which might happen with rubber on steel with higher acres. This guy cuts about 400 acres a year.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

I run a Case 8850HP (hesston) and it has a steel plate that guides the hay to the conditioner. It works well in all conditions and speeds. That helper roller is a joke and not needed IMO. I think the plate is about $300 bucks and would solve your problem. Ray


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## JoshA (Apr 16, 2008)

I had the 12 foot model pull type [1372] and replaced it with a 15 foot on a self propelled. Loved the first one, so far loving the second. Did not run many acres through them, only 3,000 acres on my 15 foot now, but I would say we are not easy on our discbines... I'd recommend getting the hydraulic tilt / angle.


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