Rice Harvesting

[pnustedt]

Anyone have any experience with the Yanmar combine harvester? Would be interested to compare notes as I've just ordered one and take delivery in a couple of weeks.

Also need a tractor and baler. I like the Kubota M5000 4WD but I'm having difficulty getting baler specs./brochure out of the dealer - anyone know much about them?

[Maizefarmer]

PNUSTEDT

Yes - I am an authorised service agent for both Yanmar and Kubota - and stock spare parts for both makes - and more specifically the products you are talking about.

First question: - which model do you have, and look at the VIN data plate, is yours a CKD/N (complete knockdown kit) from the Yanmar plant in China and put together in Thailand, or is your from Japan.

Generally both are great products, but a few points to pay attention to in the first few weeks/month or so, of use.

- watch the bearing seals (for lubrication leaking through)

- watch all belt tensions (particularly units assembled in Thailand from Chnese kits - the belt tensions are often not setup correctly - quite abit of slipping and undue wear - not serious, but keep an eye on it)

- Tracks - this is where you can quickly run into high maintenance cost if things go wrong: check track tensions. Clean all dirt and stones out from the tracks and the rollers after use each time - and DO NOT DO NOT use a jet power sprayer to clean the track assemblies - it will damage the seals on the drive hubs -which will cost you a rather rather amount to repair - the single most expensive components on the combine after the engine.

....... and last but not least, make sure whoever has the responsibility to operate the machine follows the maintenance procedures religously.

The most common cause of downtime in Thailand on these units is damage caused by:

a) low oil/hydraulic fluid levels and the use of just any old hydrualic fluid on hand - insist on the correct grade been used, and each time it requires topping up find out why i.e. check the filters - and

DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT use "counterfeit filter elements" - pay the full price for the genuine articals, and just in case you don't know - the fact that a filter is branded and boxed up to look like genuine is no garuntee that it is genuine. Order a couple of spare filters with your combine - they will be genuine. The way to check "dodgey" filters is they inevatibly will have spelling errors in the the graphics printed on them, or on the boxes they come in - 99% of the time there will be a spelling or typo error of some sort. I can't emphasize enough the importance of making sure you do not run your combine with counterfeit hydraulic/oil filters.

Other problems leading to down time -

c) not cleaning out the sieves after use each day and not lubricating the sieve mechanism as per the maintenance schedule.

Otherwise, happy harvesting.

The M5000 4WD - I have a container leaving Japan 28 - there is space for a 5000 in that, and I have one leaving Amsterdam next week - into which I can put a 5000 as well. I am off to Holland tonight to finalise shipping on a container, so if you are seriously interested I can probaberly pick one up there for you and get it into the container - more than likely a low hour good condition 2nd hand one.

Baler - I have none myself but can put you in touch with the right people/companies in Thailand.

If my M5000 "solution" apeals to you - drop me a PM - and we can take the matter further. The idea would be to have the M5000 broken down into its main parts (i.e. axle trumpets, engine, rear case, wheels, and bolt on parts/accesseries. It's then put into a 30ft container with 2 - 10 other broken down tractors adn they all come into the country as spare parts (which is essentially how every tractor brought into Thailand is brought in. Get the container into the workshop/yard, take all the parts out and re-assemble. Much cheaper than importing complete units.

Now, having made an effort to sell myself - I am quite happy to send you a brochure for the M5000 and a number of bailers, if you PM your postal address to me.

Let me know either way - oh, and send me your phone number so I can give you a ring.

By the way I will be meeting up with some other forum members in Europe on Thursday and Friday - will be back in Loei on Sunday afteroon.

Tim

Anyone have any experience with the Yanmar combine harvester? Would be interested to compare notes as I've just ordered one and take delivery in a couple of weeks.

Also need a tractor and baler. I like the Kubota M5000 4WD but I'm having difficulty getting baler specs./brochure out of the dealer - anyone know much about them?

[pnustedt]

Tks for your comprehensive reply Maizefarmer, what a tremendous resource this site is.

The harvester model on order is a 448T and I was assured by the dealer that it is imported from Japan. I should have it delivered in a couple of weeks - in good time for the October harvest. The machine will be operated by my brother in law, wife's nephew and myself. I will get both Eng. and Thai manuals and be very hands on when it comes to maintenance. Your tips on points to watch are most appreciated. If the business plan works out we will be purchasing further machines in the future.

For the Kubota M5000 - there are two in stock here in Sisaket, I was surprised at the deals being offered and I expect to buy one of these this week.

As for the baler, I have just been talking to Siam Balers of Saraburi - this appears to be the best bet at the moment. Maybe I will buy direct from them or thru a local dealer.

[Maizefarmer]

PNUSTEDT

Just for my own personal curiosity, do you mind if I ask some questions - and make some suggestions.

448T

Sounds like you might be offering a contractual harvesting service - did you specify a flow meter on the 448T? In any event - you have a good machine, make sure the driver maintains it, and it'll give you little to no trouble

M5000

a) Which M5000 series model do you have - 4cylinder or 5 cylinder block (both excellent)

Are you aware that you can get dual speed rear pto output stub config i.e. 540rpm & 1000rpm (if not, and if there is still time to specify that, I suggest you ask for that option) -doubles the range of powered implements that you can choose from.

c) Transmission - the M series (from 5000 thru 9000) come with several transmission types - I won't bore you with all the detail, but if you are going to be using it a lot in rice paddies I suggest you to specify equal ratio transmission output for front and back wheel drives i.e. this will allow you to use the same size wheel rim setup on the front as is on the back - see picture below - the pic on the top is okay, no prob's, the pic on the bottom - great setup for rice paddy work. In any event the M series are in my opinion Rolls Royce quality tractors

I wish you all the best.

Tim

Edited September 13, 2006 by Maizefarmer

[RamdomChances]

Punstedt, can i ask what sort of price they are going for up there ?

MF, same question really. (approx is fine)

When I eventualy get around to it thats what I was looking at geting as well.

what a tremendous resource this site is.

Most of thats down to MF, he's really brought a new dimension to this forum

[pnustedt]

We didn't specify a flow metre (and don't know if one is on the harvester). It's a bit late now but maybe can look at it later. We're paying about Bt900K for it. We will be contract harvesting (once we have done our own rice).

The M5000 has an SU after it's name! It is 4 cylinder. Special promotion is on the one as in Maizefarmer's first pic. The stub at the back is single speed (540rpm), strangely they offer two speed on the smaller machines. Price is about Bt600K plus plough and harrow. We are going for heavier duty stuff. They are offering all sorts of rubbish with it as a promotion, e.g. gold jewellery! So we still have a bit of talking to do on price.

The baler price at the dealer is currently about Bt440K and I'm not sure how flexible that is yet. The dealers around here have never sold one before and seem to know nothing at all about them. I may buy direct from the manufacturer.

If you wanna try the machines out RC you would be welcome if in Sisaket sometime (although may be a bit busy during harvest time).

Tks again for the help and suggestions.

[mixedbreed]

Hi Pnustedt,

Just thought I might throw my 2 bits in to the conversation. The family has a bit over 500 rai on which we have approx 100 rai of rice paddy, approx 50 rai of Mun (tapiaco) and the rest is in Ruzzi grass. This year the family eventually decided that mechanical harvesting of the rice is probably the best way to go (70 workers took a week last year to cut by hand) and so we took the long drive and visited all the machines we could find. That included Kubota, Yanmar, and 3 of the bigger Thai manufactures. In the end we bought a machine from Kaset Phattana in Phitsanulok. Both Japanese machines just have to many moving parts for my liking. The Thai machine may need fixing daily but anybody can fix it. I must admit, if Yanmar would import their new GS360 model from Japan at a reasonable price I would be right upfront in buying one. Their official answer is they don’t intend to in the immediate future.

Now as to my opinion on tractors. We are the proud owners of a Ford 6610 84hp tractor. A Yanmar 28hp 4wd tractor and a Yanmar 35hp 4wd tractor.

The Yanmars are used in the rice paddies. Light and powerful enough to run the roter-tillers they do amazingly well in the wet rice fields. The heavier machines can only work while the ground is drier. We have excellent service from Yanmar, in fact they had left a 35hp tractor on the farm for several months for field evaluation, we only bought a new one when they eventually came and took theirs back.

The Ford is used for the silage cutter and the hay baler.

Hay baler,(square bales), hay cutter and silage cutter are all Italian machines (Abbriata) imported through a dealer in Bangkok. They provide the service and repairs. So far after 3 years they are still performing well.

Incidentaly, I have just purchased a small flail mower to go behind the Yanmars that we use to “cut and carry” to feed the cows that we are raising for beef. The same manufacturer (from Muek Lek, just out of Korat) has just built us a larger machine to tow behind the Ford to silage chop corn. We will build a second concrete pit and try our hand at corn silage this year, we have been very successful with Ruzzi grass silage. He has also built us a manure spreader. Just receiving it now so haven’t had time to give it the torture test.

Don’t know if this info is of any assistance to you, but though they are not easy to find there is the occasional choice out there.

Good luck with the crop this year.

[pnustedt]

Tks MB, your experience with the Phitsanulok machines is very interesting because I am the only member of the family who wanted the Japanese machines in preference to these. My main reasons for rejecting them were the quality of build and design - they seemed to have been thrown together by Heath Robinson with too many exposed belts with infeeding nips which would injure someone. The heavy stuff (including engine and petrol tank) was on the top, a couple of metres up, compensated for by enormous tracks at the bottom. Also, many of the paddies near us were too small for such large machines. That said, there are a number of them operating near Sisaket. I was surprised by your comment about the Yanmar having too many moving parts - that was my feeling about the Phitsanoluk machines. Incidentally, the smaller harvester they manufacture was "sold out" for this year and they were only offering an enormous beast at a discount price.

I was offered a larger Yanmar machine but felt the 448 was about the right size for the paddies here. Yanmar were also offering to supply the whole package with tractor and baler and, after talking several days to Kobuta, am beginning to feel they (Yanmar) may be a more professional supplier.

There is a lot of pressure from around the village for us to get a machine because it is getting more difficult each year to get the rice harvested by hand, we have about 30 rai to rice and my wife's uncle about 70 rai.

The only mechanisation on the fields at the moment are iron bufaloes (the family have a few and expect that they will continue to use them) and the occasional contract tractor (usually New Holland/Ford) but a few John Deeres are appearing.

Baling is a new concept to them and I'm not sure how it will catch on - but I wanna try.

I will be most interested to compare notes on this years' harvest - it's my first year and I never thought that farming would be so exciting!

[RamdomChances]

If you wanna try the machines out RC you would be welcome if in Sisaket sometime (although may be a bit busy during harvest time).

Thanks for the info pun, not much call for rice harvesters around here, but combines are being increasingly used. Are you out here full time now then ? I've ever I'm over that way I'll drop you a line.

Hi mixedbreed, nice to hear from you again.

[pnustedt]

Are you out here full time now then ?

Hi RC - yes, here full time. Finding things to do to stop the grass (or is it rice) growing under my feet! Good to hear from you.

[Maizefarmer]

PUNSTEDT

Negative – the flow meter is an optional xtra. Anything

Between Baht885 – 945 (K) is about right for the 448 in Thailand.

…… and if you are contracting, adding a GPS may be an option – there can never be any argument about how many rai you have harvested ( “the satellite doesn’t lie”).

There is little regulation by manufacturers in Thailand over dealer retail pricing – they leave dealers to set their own pricing – hence there are always “promotions” going on and “xtras” been offered.

The SU - Special Utility– anything around Baht 560 – 615 (K) is about right.

If you want the parts for dual pto speed and large front rims – I can offer both later if the dealer can’t/does not want to offer them to you. I think he is trying to move stock that has been sitting on his show room floor for sometime (hence the promotional extras.). If you send me the VIN I can check on Kubota’s dealer database to see when it was made and imported – if you wish.

RDC

M5000’s are much the same price up here – and its much the same across Thailand – except right down south, where there are a lot of “grey market” examples brought in from Malaysia – far more Kubota tractors than other makes – Kubota been the big tractor name in Malaysia, and can be as much as 20% cheaper!! (yup, that much).

They really are a well built product – solid and with top class engines & drive train – you’ll never break an M series drive-train.

There is a 4 pot machine up here (in a Loei delearship) with 2034 hrs – just over Bht 400K – dual pto and big front rims (so its been used in a paddy field. Back tires are about 60% and fronts are about 75%. ROP.

Adding a dual pto and converting the drive train ratio for smaller front wheels is down for Baht 43K and 79K respectively. Changing the pto from 540 to 1000 or from 1000 to 540 is about Baht32K. Which is best – 1000rpm is always more versatile (and it’s a lot easier and cheaper to reduce rpms with v-belts than it is to increase).

The difference between Thai and Jap/imported rice harvesting machines:

The local machines are by and large copies of the imported machines – an effort to beat the costs of imported machines. They tend to be heavier, less reliable and of poorer quality components, and in the long run cost more to maintain and run.

But – they have one advantage which contractors find attractive: you’ll always be able to get parts for a local made machine and get it up and running the same day – and from a daily cash flow perspective Thai contractors always find it easier to accommodate regular small maintenance costs than occasional high maintenance costs (even if the regular small costs add up to more than the occasional high maintenance costs).

I know guys up here who have added auto-lube systems to there Thai made harvesters – which have turned them into machines as reliable in the long run as the Jap imports.

Tim