# john deere vs new holland windrowers



## hickey farms (Mar 8, 2014)

This is my first post on this site but I need a little help on this one. I'm going to purchase a windrower this summer and need to know the pro and cons. I use 2 center pivets now which I'll keep for a backup. I guess my real question is can I make dry hay with a 16 foot cut here in lower half of Michigan without using acid. I'm a dedicated new Holland owner but the john Deere r450 has its advantages like the 38 drive wheel cabs a little nicer and there are a lot of used ones with a 13 foot cut where new Holland h8060 are all 15.5 or 16 foot there are very few 13 foot but my dealer said they stopped making them and the dealers out west bought all the heads..price wise the new Holland is cheaper but either way I was looking to spend around 100000 for one. The turtels on the new Holland shorter which is better for short grasses compared to Deere just wandering what your guys thoughts were thanks shane


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

hickey farms said:


> This is my first post on this site but I need a little help on this one. I'm going to purchase a windrower this summer and need to know the pro and cons. I use 2 center pivets now which I'll keep for a backup. I guess my real question is can I make dry hay with a 16 foot cut here in lower half of Michigan without using acid. I'm a dedicated new Holland owner but the john Deere r450 has its advantages like the 38 drive wheel cabs a little nicer and there are a lot of used ones with a 13 foot cut where new Holland h8060 are all 15.5 or 16 foot there are very few 13 foot but my dealer said they stopped making them and the dealers out west bought all the heads..price wise the new Holland is cheaper but either way I was looking to spend around 100000 for one. The turtels on the new Holland shorter which is better for short grasses compared to Deere just wandering what your guys thoughts were thanks shane


My neighbor has 2 JD swathers. But the reason he has them is the bid on them were lower then New Holland or Hesston. It's been awhile since I looked under neath the head of a JD or a NH, but last time I checked NH has augers. I can't remember if JD does or not. If not I would go with the JD. I spent too much of my first summer learning to windrow getting grass cut out after wrapping around an auger of an old NH windrower. I don't like augers in hay cutting equipment being used for grass hay. But that's my opinion. You might also ask yourself why are their more used JD swathers then NH out there? Is it because guys trade them in for other brands more often or does JD just sell more in your area. Also have you considered Hesston?


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

I run r450's, they have 16' heads on them . I never owned any NH 's but a good friend runs them with 18' disc heads , I know he has had hell with turtles and rotor motors. Maybe you ought to check with some dealers down this way , I know there are lots of very low hour used machines.. American equipment out of Kansas, P&K enid okla. , western equpiment clinton okla............ The 38's are the best thing they ever done to a swather and the ride is nice . I know I have done cut 12 to 14 ton triticale, heavy sudan / shorghum feed, oats , wheat hay and alfalfa , I have been impressed on how much they will eat and operate fast . I am not trying to sell green but they are sure nuff cutting machines. When my friend has tall feed to cut he calls me due to having so much trouble feeding it through his NH ? I dont know for sure why but I like getting all the swathing I can get. . Most of our cutting is irrigated circles, we do very little dryland................


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

panhandle9400 said:


> I run r450's, they have 16' heads on them . I never owned any NH 's but a good friend runs them with 18' disc heads , I know he has had hell with turtles and rotor motors. Maybe you ought to check with some dealers down this way , I know there are lots of very low hour used machines.. American equipment out of Kansas, P&K enid okla. , western equpiment clinton okla............ The 38's are the best thing they ever done to a swather and the ride is nice . I know I have done cut 12 to 14 ton triticale, heavy sudan / shorghum feed, oats , wheat hay and alfalfa , I have been impressed on how much they will eat and operate fast . I am not trying to sell green but they are sure nuff cutting machines. When my friend has tall feed to cut he calls me due to having so much trouble feeding it through his NH ? I dont know for sure why but I like getting all the swathing I can get. . Most of our cutting is irrigated circles, we do very little dryland................


18' heads seem like to much to me to ever get dried if a heavy crop.


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## hickey farms (Mar 8, 2014)

Kind of my thoughts as far as drying on 16 foot head. The big thing is their isn't any one around my area that uses them in any brand my salesmen is the same way he trys to push another center pivot on me. The ones I been looking at are out west az cal and OK both dealers are more then happy to sell me a new one but they Dont stock any of them all have to order them. I would like to run one before I buy it.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

hickey farms said:


> Kind of my thoughts as far as drying on 16 foot head. The big thing is their isn't any one around my area that uses them in any brand my salesmen is the same way he trys to push another center pivot on me. The ones I been looking at are out west az cal and OK both dealers are more then happy to sell me a new one but they Dont stock any of them all have to order them. I would like to run one before I buy it.


I was talking to a Hesston/MF sales guy a couple weeks ago and he said due to the new pollution regulations this year they can't get in any new Hesston/MF swathers until June. He said the ones they sold last year Hesston was paying a fine to the government to even sell them as they weren't meeting the requirements. Maybe the same thing is happening to JD, which is why they have to order them in. I think they also cost more then $100k no matter what brand you look at.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

Teslan said:


> 18' heads seem like to much to me to ever get dried if a heavy crop.


Your climate is not like ours down here . It is high desert type climate ...................dry sob most of the time...........


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## hickey farms (Mar 8, 2014)

Yeah they do I was looking at used ones but I dont want to buy someone's else's junk and trying to stay away from new 100k is around my price range.there isn't very many hay farmers in my area all cash crop I think this is why they Dont have any in this area.


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## hickey farms (Mar 8, 2014)

We have the lake affects most of the time we have a 4 to 5 day window our ground is all clay and full of stones unsuitable to farm lol


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## MT hayer (Mar 1, 2014)

I do believe the New Holland self propelled has the auger in it. The crazy thing is the pull type New Holland doesn't have an auger. Doesn't make sense! I was haying up north last year and a fellow had something like 60 hers on his new Deere disc machine and the engine locked up! Humor level was zero! In the start of second cutting. It sure depends on your dealer and service. I sure agree with you on the want to try one first. Have you thought about a Macdon?


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

MT hayer said:


> I do believe the New Holland self propelled has the auger in it. The crazy thing is the pull type New Holland doesn't have an auger. Doesn't make sense! I was haying up north last year and a fellow had something like 60 hers on his new Deere disc machine and the engine locked up! Humor level was zero! In the start of second cutting. It sure depends on your dealer and service. I sure agree with you on the want to try one first. Have you thought about a Macdon?


doesnt macron make the jd wind rowers now? I thought I had read they were going to a year or so ago?


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## ETXhayman (Jul 19, 2012)

Teslan said:


> doesnt macron make the jd wind rowers now? I thought I had read they were going to a year or so ago?


About a year ago I was looking into the John Deere swathers and found out that Macdon does indeed make the John Deere swathers...actually its more like John Deere buys Macdon swathers and paints them green and yellow, at least thats how I understood it.


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## discbinedr (Mar 4, 2013)

I think JD makes a swather and rebrands MacDon as their deluxe version.


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## Guest (Mar 8, 2014)

I use to own a krone Big M I. Recently sold it. It could knock a lot of hay down in a hurry. Ever consider a Big M? Three nine foot windrows instead of 1 larger 15 or 18 foot windrow.


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## MT hayer (Mar 1, 2014)

How come you sold the bigM? I test drove one in Colorado and it sure was quite a machine! Did you have any issues with the gear box? How about a tractor mounted set? Then you can utilize the tractor the rest of the year. Claas, Krone, Potinger? You have to have the European tractor with front 3 point, pto, and reversing fan. There are a couple in my neck of the woods, big outfits though. I think they are sets of 10'?


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## Guest (Mar 9, 2014)

MT hayer said:


> How come you sold the bigM? I test drove one in Colorado and it sure was quite a machine! Did you have any issues with the gear box? How about a tractor mounted set? Then you can utilize the tractor the rest of the year. Claas, Krone, Potinger? You have to have the European tractor with front 3 point, pto, and reversing fan. There are a couple in my neck of the woods, big outfits though. I think they are sets of 10'?


Wow how did you know about the gear box? Yeah we had some issues with the gearbox last year. Pain in the ass to get it out. I sold it cause i downsized in hay production and am doing a lot more straw. More demand here for straw. Still doin some hay tho just dont need a 30' machine! I like tge looks of those triple mowers too. Maybe on a fast fendt! If your looking id look at triple mowers for tractor or Big M II.


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## MT hayer (Mar 1, 2014)

Hah, well I try to keep up with things! in case I come across a decent buy, I need to know what to look for on whatever piece of machinery. The ground I cover, typically is 5 mph and less so I don't think it would pay. That's why I use the draper head. There are a number of bidirectional tractors with push pull setups. If you don't push them they work good, you push them, and heating and bad things happen.

For hickey farms, I don't know your tractor setup, but I would sure look into a triple mower. Maybe your ready to update tractors anyway? Like bobs said, you can get some hay down! Three hours cutting with thirty feet makes the baler man nervous!


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## hickey farms (Mar 8, 2014)

Not looking to trade in anything anytime soon but I've been watching YouTube videos and the sp looks what would work best me. Leaning more towards the r450 just because it has the taller drive wheels also I can find a few used ones out west with a 13 foot head.


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

I have a hw340 15.5' head. I think maybe I would like a Deere a little better, used to have a pull type Deere and never touched cutterbar except the odd shear hub from time to time. I can't say that about this one although it is closing in on 1800 hr so what can you expect . Never had any issues with the auger.

When I was shopping for one I too wanted a smaller head until I looked at a couple and saw drive tires right at the edge of the cut. After having the big head I would not get a smaller one. Everything gets tedded here anyway so might as well have the efficiency if your paying the bill on one of these.


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## Jharn57600 (Dec 23, 2013)

We ran a hesston 12ft 8550s for 10 years and traded for a 13ft MF9760 last year. The 13ft allows for wider tires than the 12 did I would still like 38's but it works good with the wider tires. We did pull the tail wheels in one notch to avoid running standing crop down on sidehill contours. I'd check into MF, our new price wasn't much more than your 100k goal. I think they did come out with new models this year and they no longer offer the 4cyl quad boost so the price for that Hp range may have changed. Whatever you get make sure it can lay a wide windrow. I would describe the power as adequate, the motor doesn't slow me down but I can make it work in tough conditions.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

I would go JD all the way but have you ever concerned a Massey WR9770? They are the best windrowers out there and one might be able to get a cheaper price since they came out with a new series.


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