# Hesston Advice



## cameron (Dec 22, 2014)

I am looking at buying either a Hesston 8200 with a 12' head or a Hesston 8400 with a 14' head and was wondering if there are any outstanding pros/cons that should suggest one is preferable to the other. Both machines have Cummins diesels, both have about the same number of hours (one is at 3900, the other at 4200), and both were run about the same number of hours per year (based on the maintenance records).

Thanks.


----------



## cameron (Dec 22, 2014)

Hate to reply to my own post, but I'm still hoping to hear from anyone who's operated either of these beasts. The distinguishing differences I've been able to track down seem to be:


The 8200 has a direct drive sickle, the 8400 uses a hydraulic drive
The 8200 has a single sickle, the 8400 has a double
The 8200's engine is normally aspirated and produces 73 Hp, the 8400's engine is turbo charged and produces 100 Hp. Both are 3.9 L diesels
The 8200's pumps are belt driven, the 8400 has direct drive pumps
The 8200 has a single speed ground drive, the 8400 has a 2 speed ground drive

But I'm not sure how to value these differences - I'm new to the world of SP winegrowers.

How valuable is having a 2 speed ground drive? My fields are all close by (though I do have an off-again-on-again deal for some hay ground about 10 miles away) and any significant travel would be done by trailer.

The direct drive single sickle of the 8200 seems like less a maintenance headache than the double so my question is does one perform better than the other?

Direct drive pumps seem like the simpler system, but am I missing a hidden maintenance gotcha here?


----------



## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

I used to have a 8400 and really liked it. Have had no experience with a 8200. Mel


----------



## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

I have a JD 2320 with no road gear. 9mph tops. I have a field 4 miles away and cut my brother's 11 or so away. Not certain what 2 speed you refer to is but guessing road gear? It has gotta be worth at least 2-3k in my book.


----------



## cameron (Dec 22, 2014)

Yes, I think it is a road gear (at least the switch has 2 positions "road","field"). Dealer simply said "2 speed".


----------



## discbinedr (Mar 4, 2013)

A good Cummins 3.9 is worth $2500 here. Thats only the motor.


----------



## Thumbtack (Jun 18, 2012)

Don't know what you are cutting but if its grass you will want the double sickle. cuts some much faster than a single sickle.


----------



## cameron (Dec 22, 2014)

I'm cutting a grass & clover mix.


----------



## MT hayer (Mar 1, 2014)

Cameron, I highly suggest you go with the 8400. Very good machines when maintained correctly. I can fix and drive them with my eyes shut. Look at the glass in the cab to see if they have been re glued. The cabs are tight enough that when you slam the door with the fan on, the glass flex's each time. Several other things to look for. Send me pictures and I can tell you what to look at.

The 8200 isn't much different than a 8100. They are light built and are not the same machine. Hesston got a bad name because they sold these cheap. Then everyone complained that Hesston was bad. You don't take a 4 wheel drive tractor and dozer to a job that should have a D7!!! It may get you by, but not good in the end. And the saying you get what you pay for applies to these.

The 8400 is the commercial machine of the day. Well built and will run many more hours. It may need a thermostat, valve cover gaskets and such. It will have the 2 speed which is electric. Hydraulic float may need to be resealed and the bearings in the drive axles tightened. They are a twin sickle drive and with good guards and sections will cut anything. What shape are the conditioner rolls? I can sure answer any questions you have!


----------



## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

The 8400 is a lot more machine and easier to maintain. There are more than a few still running around here. And the road gear gives you like an extra 5 or 6mph (about 14mph on the road).


----------



## cameron (Dec 22, 2014)

My thanks to all who replied and to MT for coaching me through the finer points of evaluating an older used Hesston.

The end result is a bit of good news/bad news. The bad news is that 8400 that was available locally sold before I got my act together (Oh, what a difference 24 hours makes). The good news is that I found & bought a low time Case 8840 (a Hesston 8400 with different paint) the next day (I may be slow, but I do learn).


----------

