Combine and Harvester Financing

iLease Capital finances combines and harvesters for farms, custom harvesters and agricultural businesses purchasing new or used harvesting equipment. From a mid-range rotary combine with a grain platform to a high-capacity machine with a corn head or draper, call iLease Capital at (866) 545-3273 to discuss the exact combine, header, seller and equipment package.

iLease Capital finances combine and harvester equipment from John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, CLAAS, Gleaner and other established manufacturers in transactions up to $5 million plus. iLease is an equipment finance broker with access to 50+ lenders, which gives buyers a financing channel for dealer purchases, qualifying used equipment and larger harvest-equipment packages.

Combine Financing Starts With the Exact Harvest System

A combine is not simply a tractor with a header. It is a harvesting system that cuts or gathers the crop, threshes grain from the plant, separates remaining material, cleans the grain and carries it in an onboard tank until unloading.

That makes equipment configuration central to the purchase. Combine class, threshing and separation design, grain-tank capacity, unloading rate, propulsion, tire or track package, precision technology and header all influence what the machine can accomplish.

A used combine also has more meaningful usage measurements than model year alone. Engine hours show total running time while separator hours more closely reflect time spent with the harvesting system engaged. Neither number should be read in isolation. Crop type, maintenance, header load, field conditions and prior repairs all help explain the machine's condition.

For financing, identify the complete machine. A combine sold without a header is a different acquisition from a package containing a draper head, corn head and header trailer.

Combine Classes and Capacity

Combine classes provide a useful shorthand for capacity but they are not the only specification that matters. Current manufacturer lineups span multiple classes and manufacturers continue to offer increasingly high-capacity platforms.

Case IH currently places its Axial-Flow 6160 and 7160 in the Class 6 and Class 7 range. Its Axial-Flow 260 family includes the Class 7 7260, Class 8 8260 and Class 9 9260. Above those machines, the AF Series reaches Class 10+.

CLAAS similarly offers several capacity levels. Current LEXION and TRION families cover mid-range through high-capacity harvesting. Current LEXION 8000-family configurations include large grain-tank options for high-output harvest operations.

New Holland's current CR lineup also reaches the top of the market. The next-generation CR10 and CR11 are designed for high-capacity harvesting and use the brand's Twin Rotor architecture.

Those differences show why one blanket "combine price" or "combine size" description is not useful. A buyer needs to match acres, crop, yield, harvest window, header width, grain logistics and available support equipment to the machine.

John Deere Combine Financing

John Deere is one of the major combine brands in the U.S. market. Buyers encounter several generations of S Series machines along with the newer S7 family and the high-capacity X9 platform.

The S Series used market includes machines such as the S660, S670, S680, S690 and later S700-family models. Configuration varies substantially by generation. Header type, 2WD or 4WD configuration, tire or track setup, precision equipment and hours can create large value differences between apparently similar machines.

The X9 1000 and X9 1100 occupy a different capacity tier. These machines use a dual-separator design and were developed around very high harvesting throughput. A buyer comparing an X9 with an older S Series combine should not treat them as interchangeable merely because both can harvest the same crop.

For used Deere combines, document engine hours and separator hours. Verify the included display, receiver and other precision components because removable electronics may not automatically transfer with every sale.

Header compatibility also deserves attention. Feederhouse configuration, header drive, electrical connections and header width need to match the combine.

Case IH Axial-Flow Combine Financing

Case IH built its combine identity around Axial-Flow rotary harvesting. Current U.S. offerings demonstrate how broad that family has become.

The current Axial-Flow lineup spans several capacity classes. The 160 Series serves the Class 6 and Class 7 range while the 260 Series moves through Class 7, Class 8 and Class 9 equipment. Case IH also offers the AF family at the upper end of its harvesting lineup.

Used Case IH inventory spans many earlier generations including 140, 230, 240 and 250 Series machines. Buyers should verify rotor, concave, feeder, cleaning system and unloading components as well as engine and separator hours.

The combine's controller, display and precision package should be listed clearly on the purchase order. A machine advertised with guidance or automation features should be checked to confirm that the hardware needed to operate those features is included.

New Holland CR Combine Financing

New Holland's CR combines use Twin Rotor threshing and separation. The current family spans multiple capacity levels including high-capacity CR platforms.

The differences among CR machines can be substantial. Horsepower, grain-tank capacity, unloading system, tire or track configuration and automation features can all change the acquisition.

For a buyer, the financing question is therefore not simply whether a New Holland combine qualifies. The exact CR model, age, hours, header, propulsion and technology package define the asset.

Used CR machines should be inspected for rotor and threshing wear, feeder condition, cleaning-system wear, unloading components, driveline condition and electronics. Service history becomes increasingly important on high-hour machines.

CLAAS LEXION and TRION Combine Financing

CLAAS offers a different harvesting architecture and has meaningful representation in high-capacity combines.

Current CLAAS U.S. combine families include LEXION and TRION. LEXION machines use CLAAS threshing and separation systems designed for high-throughput harvesting while TRION provides additional capacity choices for operations that do not need the largest LEXION configuration.

CLAAS also offers TERRA TRAC versions on certain machines. Tracks change the machine's undercarriage, transport and field characteristics and can materially affect value.

A used CLAAS inspection should include the threshing and separation components, feederhouse, tracks or tires, unloading system, electronics and service history. Confirm that the dealer or independent service support needed for the machine is practical for the buyer's location.

Gleaner Combine Financing

Gleaner remains a distinct combine brand with both current equipment and a substantial legacy fleet.

Current Gleaner offerings include the T Series and S9 Super Series. Gleaner also offers dedicated headers including draper and corn-head configurations.

Gleaner's design and crop-flow architecture differ from several competing rotary platforms. That means a Gleaner should be evaluated as its own machine rather than described using specifications borrowed from Deere, Case IH or New Holland.

The used market includes many earlier Gleaner generations. On older machines, parts support, service history and condition can matter as much as model year.

Headers Are Part of the Harvesting Asset

A combine without the correct header cannot perform the intended harvest.

Common header categories include corn heads, rigid grain platforms, flex heads, draper heads and pickup headers. Header width and design need to match the combine's feederhouse, power, hydraulic and electronic capability.

Draper headers use belts to move crop toward the feederhouse and are common in small grains and soybeans. Corn heads gather rows and separate ears from stalk material. Flex platforms are designed to follow ground contours more closely for low-growing crops such as soybeans.

Pickup headers serve crops that have already been windrowed. Their use can be important in crops and regions where material is cut before combining.

When a combine and header are being purchased together, provide both assets on the equipment schedule. If the header is coming from a different seller, disclose that at the beginning so the complete transaction can be reviewed.

Engine Hours Versus Separator Hours

Used combine buyers should ask for both engine and separator hours.

Engine hours generally reflect the total time the engine has operated. Separator hours reflect time with the harvesting mechanism engaged and can provide a more direct indication of harvesting use.

A machine can accumulate engine hours during transport, idling and other non-harvesting operation. Separator hours narrow the focus but still do not reveal crop conditions, maintenance quality or operating practices.

The relationship between the two numbers can be informative. It should never replace physical inspection and maintenance records.

Verify hour readings against service documentation when possible. On higher-value purchases, a dealer inspection can help identify wear that is not obvious from photographs or hour meters.

What to Inspect on a Used Combine

Start with the feederhouse and crop-entry path. Inspect chains, slats, bearings and wear surfaces.

Move into the threshing and separation system. Rotor or cylinder components, concaves, grates and associated wear parts can require substantial labor and expense when replacement is due.

Inspect the cleaning shoe, sieves, fans and grain-handling components. Check elevators, chains, augers and the unloading system for wear.

Review the residue-management system including chopper or spreader components. Examine final drives, transmission, tires or tracks and steering components.

Leaks deserve investigation rather than dismissal. Combines contain hydraulic, engine, cooling and drive systems operating in a dusty environment.

Finally, test the cab electronics, display, cameras, guidance components and automated harvest features. Modern combines can contain valuable technology that affects both operation and resale.

New Combine Financing Versus Used Combine Financing

New combines provide current technology, dealer support and predictable configuration. Manufacturer programs may also offer promotional financing to eligible buyers.

Used combines offer a much broader price spectrum. A farm may choose an older machine with manageable hours because it matches acreage and budget better than a new flagship.

Current used-market asking prices vary enormously by model, year, hours, propulsion, technology and whether headers are included. Older machines can be listed in the tens of thousands while recent high-capacity combines can carry asking prices in the several-hundred-thousand-dollar range.

That spread is too broad to use as a valuation shortcut. Compare the exact model, year, engine hours, separator hours, propulsion, technology and included header against current market evidence immediately before publication or credit review.

Dealer, Auction and Private-Party Combine Purchases

Combines are frequently purchased through franchised dealers and agricultural equipment dealers but auction channels are also significant in the used market.

Auction purchases can offer access to machines from fleet reductions, retirement sales and dealer inventories. They can also carry short payment deadlines. Contact iLease before bidding when possible.

Private-party transactions can be considered when the seller and equipment can be properly documented.

For any acquisition, collect the manufacturer, model, serial number, year, engine hours, separator hours, purchase price and seller information. List headers and trailers separately.

Financing a Complete Harvest Equipment Package

A combine purchase can extend beyond the power unit.

The transaction may include a corn head, draper, grain platform, header trailer or other harvest equipment. Some operations may also acquire a grain cart or other logistics equipment during the same replacement cycle.

Provide line-item pricing for each asset. This makes the equipment package clear and avoids treating a large invoice as one unidentified machine.

iLease can evaluate eligible multi-asset transactions through its lender network. The final structure depends on the borrower, equipment, seller and transaction.

How Lenders Evaluate Combine Financing

Combine transactions can be large and highly equipment-specific. Lenders may consider the borrower's credit profile, time in business, cash flow, existing obligations, equipment value and requested structure.

Age, hours and resale profile can matter on used machines. A common late-model combine with a recognizable secondary market may be viewed differently from an older or highly specialized harvester.

Documentation requirements vary. Smaller transactions may qualify for streamlined review while larger combine purchases can require financial statements, tax returns or additional information.

iLease Capital is a broker rather than a direct lender. Access to 50+ lenders allows a transaction to be evaluated across multiple institutional funding sources.

Financing Amounts and Monthly Payments

iLease Capital finances equipment transactions up to $5 million plus. That can cover a single combine or a broader harvest-equipment acquisition.

Monthly payment depends on the amount financed, term and lender pricing. Because combine values vary so widely, payment examples should be based on the actual machine and transaction rather than a generic combine assumption.

Call iLease Capital at (866) 545-3273 with the model, year, hours, seller and purchase amount to discuss the transaction.

Start your application at ileasecapital.com/apply, it takes about three minutes and there's no hard credit pull.

Frequently asked questions