AGCO Tractors, Combines, Balers: Brutal Conditions, Amazing Tools

Jason Lynch and his father-in-law, Curtis Coombs, use their Hesston® by Massey Ferguson 2270XD to bale wheat straw in the hilly Palouse region of southern Washington.

“To make a nice straw bale with [low] humidity,” adds Lynch, “is a huge challenge because the straw literally just blows apart. That 2270XD, I would go several days without a single knotter issue. I mean they’re just very low maintenance and very reliable.”

“The baler is just an amazing tool,” says Coombs.

Extreme conditions in the Palouse aren’t limited to baling, and use of AGCO equipment has a growing fan base for its reliability and versatility. Byron Seney, who farms about 11 miles north of Coombs and Lynch, uses a Challenger® LB34B baler and Challenger 560C combine.

Like Coombs and Lynch, Seney praises the performance of his baler, producing as much as 35,000 bales a year on hills and flatland. As for his 560C, “the fuel efficiency of this Challenger combine versus the competitors that I’m still running [provides] about a 30% savings. The combine handles well. It’s got great power.”

Both operations also use Massey Ferguson® high-horsepower tractors. Coombs and Lynch run an MF8737, while Seney has two MF8670 tractors, and both appreciate their fuel efficiency, as well as versatility and ability to run on the steep hills they farm. They also work with Walla Walla Farmers Co-Op and salesman extraordinaire Steve Bughi. “The co-op’s been great to work with,” says Seney, noting they have the parts he needs and terrific service.

Read the full story and watch the video, Kings of the Hills: Baling Wheat Residue in the Palouse, at https://www.myfarmlife.com/features/kings-of-the-hills-baling-wheat-residue-in-the-palouse/.

Written By: Richard Banks