The running changes on the 1209's that others have mentioned are an important consideration. The earlier ones had a lot more problems with wobble boxes and floating. The wobble box itself wasn't an issue - but rather (as mentioned) the mounting plate which could break loose. More commonly it wouldn't completely break loose, but bend a little, not get caught, and put excessive strain on the box as it was no longer in alignment. Broken knife heads and spitting bearings in the box would soon follow.
One of the other issues on the 1209 was the gearbox seals leaking, not being caught, and ruining boxes by running dry. My experience is that this is caused by the vents they have on the gearbox fill plugs, which are prone to plugging/jamming (especially in dusty environments) and thus don't vent when they get warm and the air expands. The air can't escape through the vent, so it blows out a seal. Problematic on both the wobble box and roll drive gearbox.
The 1219 has some significant improvements, incorporating all the running changes that the later 1209's had and a few others. The 5 bar reel of the 1219 was a big upgrade - really helped deliver the crop to the rolls much more smoothly and allow for faster travel speeds. While some people talk about going at a decent clip with the 1209, the general consensus (and my experience) seems to be that you seldom exceed 4 MPH.
Some people love the 1209's, some people hate them. If maintained and in good condition, I'd consider them a, 'meh', haybine at best. I think the New Hollands of the same era are a little better, and can travel a little faster. But I also recognize a lot of smarter people might argue the opposite. The one good thing I'll say about the 1209 vs the NH is that the rubber is vulcanized to the rolls a lot better.
If I was looking for a used haybine of that era, I'd be far more focused on condition than brand. Especially regarding the rolls. To me, the value of a used haybine would be 70% dependent on the condition of the rolls, 20% dependent on slop/backlash in the wobble box and gearboxes, and 10% on brand.
I will say this: The best older haybine I've used by far is my IH 990. The float on the head isn't overly superb, but they're fast, simple, rugged, and foolproof. They used the tried & true IH balanced head for their knife drive, which is so well built that Rowse is still using them on their new mowers today - half a century after they were designed. The rolls on the 990 are also one steel and once cross-ply rubber, which will last pretty much forever compared to the vulcanized chevron style of the NH and Deeres. And the IH rolls automatically separate when the head is lifted, making them pretty much impossible to plug. The chevrons on the NH and Deere probably crimped a little better when they were new, but once the corners on the chevron bars wear down their crimping capacity is greatly reduced. The IH still crimps as well as it did when new. IH got a bad rap in haying equipment because of their troublesome square balers and the 816 haybine (which was a complete joke). But they sure got it right on the 990. My 1209 hasn't moved since I got the 990. I might end up having to use the 1209 ad Dad's this year, but more likely I'll bring down the IH - it's worth it
This post was edited by DanielW on 05/19/2023 at 12:34 pm.
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