JF 1350 Forage Harvsters

[JD_7520IVT]

Just wondering if these JF forage harvestors are really what they make out to be.

Anybody have any comments about them?

[dfarms11]

under the right conditions I can load a 13 ton truck in 9 minutes, you do the math. The big self propeled ones are not any faster

[poorboy]

From what I saw the cut on the JF harvesters is slightly longer and more ragged looking than the other choices (often 1.5 inches long). This is ok if you are using it yourself, but if custom chopping for a feedlot it may not be acceptable. A friend that does custom work had one, and every job he did, the customers complained about the job it did. For cows or backgrounded animals it may be perfectly fine.

The biggest problem is not enough dealers, so parts supply is a problem. A silage chopper broke down on a hot day is about as bad as it gets. There are usually more people involved than a harvest or seeding operation and an open bunker of silage sitting while you go for repairs. The further you are from the dealership, the poorer the choice a used machine will be.
I have seen them run, and am impressed at times. A lack of a metal detector is a major downside in my opinion. Who wants small bits of wire and nails in the cattle feed, let alone the chance of wrecking the cutterhead.
If I lived close to the dealer, I would buy one for my own use, as I feed only cows and a few finishing animals.