Australian Farmer Loves His Chinese Combine

Australian Farmer Loves His Chinese Combine COMBINES Miscellaneous 20-1-17 Ken Popple couldn't be more pleased with the no-frills Chinese-built combine he bought a couple of years ago. It replaced his previous Case/IH combine at a price that seemed too good to be true. "It was $60,000 cheaper than a U.S.-built machine," says Popple, who grows 2,500 acres of small grains, lupines, canola and canning peas near Beckom, New South Wales, Australia. "It's got the same basic components as better-known makes with-out the fancy extras you find on U.S.-built machines. It suits my purposes just fine. "It's economical to run, using only 3 1/2-gal. of diesel per hour, compared with 5 1/2 with my old Case. Parts availability is no problem. As for durability, I'm sure it'll at least last until I retire in five years." Popple's machine was the first Chinese-built combine ever sold in Australia. It's powered by a 150 hp engine and features a 20-ft. open finger reel header, a 4-ft. dia. cylinder, and five straw walkers. The belts and transmission are manufactured in China, but many other parts, like the engine, are made in Europe. Because of Australia's drought last year, the combine saw litle use. However, the first year he bought it, Popple harvested 800 acres of wheat and other crops with it. The combine is imported from China by Armstrong Machinery, West Wyalong, New South Wales. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, K.J. Popple, "Hillside", Beckom, New South Wales, Australia 2665 (ph 69 782 325).

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