An innovative combine built to last

Iowa farmer looks for reliability and grain quality

Gary Ballard is serious when it comes to buying equipment. The last time the Marshalltown, Iowa, farmer bought a new combine, the year was 1984. Careful maintenance keeps his equipment in good working order, but over the past year, Gary has increased his acres by 50%, so capacity was a big issue. "We were running a lot of acres through an '84-model machine," he says.

He knew he needed more capacity, but he didn't know if he should buy a second used Class VI combine, or a new Class VII. There were lots of things to consider such as manpower, maintenance on two machines versus one and efficiency, just to name a few.

Knowing he would have to live with his decision for years, Gary did a lot of research.

"When you're running an 18-year-old machine, a lot of dealers bring their combine for a demo, because they know it's just a matter of time before you're going to buy," he says. His local John Deere dealer brought a Class VII combine for Gary to try (his 1984 combine was a Deere). "Then, New Holland brought theirs out and I was impressed ‚ very impressed," says Gary.

Marshalltown, Iowa, producer Gary Ballard had three criteria for choosing a combine: capacity, reliability and grain quality. New Holland's CR combine met them all.

"Grain quality has always been a major factor because I take pride in what I haul."
—Gary Ballard

Getting to know New Holland

Gary had never bought a big piece of New Holland equipment, so he wasn't sure what to expect. But, he had three criteria.

The first was capacity. The CR has it. The second was reliability. Never owning New Holland before, Gary wasn't sure about this. After looking at the components and taking a factory tour he felt confident in the product. "I ordered special high-abrasive wear parts that are normally for rice harvesters because of the longevity. We do keep machines as long they are sized for the task at hand and as long as they make us happy," says Gary. "After using the CR for a year and looking at the wear on the parts, I know it was a good decision."

Gary Ballard with his children, Garrett and Stefanie

The third thing he wanted was good grain quality. "Grain quality has always been a major factor, because I take pride in what I haul," he says. Gary used to raise seed beans, so when he demo'd each combine, he took his shake out screen. With the John Deere combine he tested, he shook out 3% fines. With the CR demo, it was just .3%.

Even in corn, he can see a difference. Before going into a dryer, he has a fines wagon that sucks off the chaff. Last year with the CR, he didn't have to dump it once. With his old John Deere, he had to dump it every two or three days.

Another thing Gary noticed right away when he demo'd the CR was the exclusive self-leveling sieve. In central Iowa where he farms, there's flat river bottom ground and also gently rolling hills. "When we're on the rolling ground, we donít lose capacity with this machine," he says.

The demo showed him something else too ‚ "Not only did the machine perform well, but it started to let me see into the dealership and the company," says Gary. "I am very impressed with the design of the machine, the dealer knowledge, and the support of the company. They are really out to build a superior product."


Home | Products | Parts & Service | Dealers | Used Equipment

New Holland E-Store | 2007 Shows | News Releases | Publications | Contact Us | CNH Capital