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Gehl 600 or JD 3800?

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Honkey

03-12-2003 09:02:51




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I need some info on these two machines. What years were they made? Do both have recutter screens?

There are a couple coming up at auctions soon, and I gotta to know what to look for and if they were any good.

Thanks




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Terry

03-17-2003 11:35:49




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 Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Honkey, 03-12-2003 09:02:51  
We had a 600 several years ago and traded it for a 700. The 700's and 750's are much better than 600's, but the 600's are OK. Gehl's are built a little heavier and pull a little harder on the pto, but they are tough and we've had very few problems. All the big dairies around here use Gehl. I don't like the corn heads on the JD's. If you wonder a little off the row, or get into some grass undergrowth, the JD's will ride the corn down. The newer Gehl corn heads have rubber gathering chains and fingers that pull the corn, grass, whatever, into a knife, so they rarely clog. As far as hay heads, they are all pretty similar. Don't run your head too low and try to avoid rocks. They will ruin your knives very quickly.

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JMS/MN

03-13-2003 06:34:10




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 Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Honkey, 03-12-2003 09:02:51  
Gehl made much tougher forage choppers than JD. I bought a 2 year old 600 in 1977, used it until I sold the dairy herd in 2001. 70 cows, cut all the corn silage and haylage. Up to 140 acres alfalfa 3x per year, usually 40-50 acres corn silage each year. Ran it with everything from a 4020 to 2470. Still works fine. New knives and cutter bar about every three years ($600). You can get the newer (3038) head now with belts instead of chains, for corn. It is adjustable for 30-38inch rows, needs no additional parts, just wrenching to change row width. Good solid machine. Rebuilt the gear box once, replaced over-running clutch once, not bad for 25 years.

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Honkey

03-13-2003 08:03:41




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 Re: Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to JMS/MN, 03-13-2003 06:34:10  
JMS/MN,
Thanks that's what I needed to know. I think I can get the Gehl a little cheaper than the JD. It's at a little smaller auction. I'll see if I can pick up the Gehl.

Thinking about putting in some forage sorghum and chopping 1st cutting of alfafa and just maybe some barley and field peas, not this year, it's not looking like much of a small grain year. Depends on how it goes!

Are the pickup heads any good? Got a lot of rocks here, will they eat them or do they have some kind of rock trap?

Thanks again,
Matthew

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Steven

03-12-2003 13:18:48




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 Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Honkey, 03-12-2003 09:02:51  

The 3800 were made in the late 1970s And went into the 1980s. The 3800 is vary good. I don't see many around here now, but we had lots of them at one time. The 3800 has the J type knifes, but some farms had them updated to the DuraDrum. If i remember right the 3800 was made only with 1000 rpm PTO. The DuraDrum is well liked by farmers. The 3940 was the first John Deere forage harvesters with DuraDrum. The John Deere corn head is nice and small and not heavy.

The Gehl 600 is not much of a forage harvester. I don't think much of a Gehl in the first place. Fox was big around here at one time, but they lost out in wet years. To big and heavy! I'm told parts are getting hard to get for Fox.

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Honkey

03-12-2003 13:59:46




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 Re: Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Steven, 03-12-2003 13:18:48  
Steven,
Do you know if the 3800 used gathering chains on the head? Or did they have use belts like the later models? I would guess that the gathering belts would be better. Is the capacity of a 3940 greater than a 3800?

Thanks



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Steven

03-12-2003 14:18:19




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 Re: Re: Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Honkey, 03-12-2003 13:59:46  

Yes the 3800 used belts on the corn head. The older 35 and 38 also used the belts. I don't have a book to tell me the size of the 3940. The 3950 is 18 inches. The 3970 and 4720 are 22.7 inches.

The 3800 i'm sure is 22 inches the same as the 35 and 38.

I have a 35. I use it for straw. I have chopped next to Gehl 600s My 35 will out do the Gehl 600.



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mike

03-24-2003 19:36:58




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Steven, 03-12-2003 14:18:19  
the 600 gehl has got a lot more capacity than your little 35 has got.



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Honkey

03-13-2003 08:12:35




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Steven, 03-12-2003 14:18:19  
Steven,
I don't need alot of capacity, I will only be using a 100 HP tractor on it. I think the Gehl will be alittle cheaper. I don't know much choppers. Thanks for the info.

Matthew



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mike

03-24-2003 19:39:28




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Honkey, 03-13-2003 08:12:35  
the gehl would be a better chopper to get. the parts are cheaper. and it will pull easier on the pto under load.



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Tim(nj)

03-12-2003 11:03:51




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 Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Honkey, 03-12-2003 09:02:51  
Deere choppers have a reputation of being inferior where I live. Nary one to be found. Most numerous brand here was Fox, then Gehl, then New Holland.



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T.J.-N.J.

03-12-2003 16:42:57




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 Re: Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Tim(nj), 03-12-2003 11:03:51  
Tim are you going to the auction on the 22nd, ought to be some neat stuff. T.J.



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T.J.-N.J.

03-12-2003 16:42:12




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 Re: Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Tim(nj), 03-12-2003 11:03:51  
Tim are you going to the auction on the 22nd, ought to be some neat stuff. T.J.



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T.J.-N.J.

03-12-2003 16:41:53




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 Re: Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Tim(nj), 03-12-2003 11:03:51  
Tim are you going to the auction on the 22nd, ought to be some neat stuff. T.J.



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Honkey

03-12-2003 14:05:48




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 Re: Re: Gehl 600 or JD 3800? in reply to Tim(nj), 03-12-2003 11:03:51  
Tim,
What years the Gehl 600's were made? Are they older than the 3800's?

Thanks



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