Small Combine Harvester for Sale: Prices and Hire Costs

A new small combine is still a large purchase. Manitoba’s 2026/2027 machinery guide lists a Class 6 rotary combine, the smallest size it costs out, at C$600,000, and a Class 10 at C$1,000,000. That is why many buyers of a small combine harvester for sale look at used machines or at hiring a custom operator, who charged about $38 to $44 an acre for corn in recent Iowa and Wisconsin surveys.

This guide covers what “small” means for a combine, Case IH’s smaller models, new and used price ranges with their dates, what a custom operator costs, and a calculator that shows whether owning beats hiring on your acres.

What counts as a small combine

Combines are sold in size classes based on engine power. The Manitoba farm machinery cost guide (2026/2027) starts at Class 6 (301 to 360 hp) and runs up to Class 10+ (626 hp and more). In North America, the smallest new combines sold today are mostly Class 6 machines, such as the Case IH Axial-Flow 160 series.

Below that, there are three other groups you will see in listings:

• Older small self-propelled combines. Class 3 to Class 5 machines built decades ago. Look for these on the used market and at farm auctions.
• Pull-type combines. These run off a tractor’s power take-off. They need a tractor with enough horsepower, so check the manual before you buy.
• Mini and plot combines. Compact machines for research plots, seed growers, rice paddies or very small grain fields. They cut a narrow strip and hold little grain.

The right size depends on your acres, your crops, your field shapes and the time you have to harvest. A small machine on too many acres means grain stands in the field longer and faces more weather risk.

How a combine harvester works

Every combine does the same four jobs in one pass. The header cuts the crop and feeds it in. The threshing system, a rotor or a drum, rubs the grain from the heads or pods. Sieves and a fan clean out chaff. The grain goes to a tank and is unloaded into a cart or truck, while straw and chaff are spread behind.

The Axial-Flow combine was launched in 1977 by International Harvester, now part of Case IH, according to the Case IH company history. The Manitoba guide also prices rotary machines in each class.

Case combine harvester price by size class

Case IH does not publish list prices on its website; it sends buyers to a “Build and Price” tool and to dealers. Its current US line has two families:

• Axial-Flow 160 series: 348 to 375 hp, Class 6 and 7, with a 300 to 350 bushel grain tank, according to the Case IH 160 series page. This is the smallest Case IH combine in the US range.
• AF series: 634 to 775 hp, Class 9 to 10+, with tanks of 455 to 567 bushels, according to the Case IH AF series page.

For a neutral price guide, farm economists build cost tables from purchase prices by class. The Manitoba guide uses these purchase prices for new rotary combines, in Canadian dollars, without a header:

These are planning prices for a cost guide, not dealer quotes. Real deals vary with options, trade-ins, dealer discounts and exchange rates. The header is extra: Manitoba lists header rental rates of C$14 to C$364 an hour, depending on type and width.

US figures point the same way. University of Illinois farmdoc daily (October 2025) says the list price of the combine in its cost model rose from $587,000 in 2021 to $741,000 in 2023, a 26% jump. That model is for a large combine, so a Class 6 machine sits below it.

If you are comparing brands, see our guide to Fendt combine prices by model before you talk to a dealer.

Chart

New rotary combine purchase price by class

Canadian dollars, without header, planning values

Are combine prices still rising?

Price growth has slowed after the big jump of 2021 to 2023. USDA’s Agricultural Prices report (September 2026) shows the prices-paid index for self-propelled machinery, which includes combines, at 171.2 in August 2026, unchanged from July. The wider machinery index was 2.1% above August 2025.

Chart

Combining cost per acre at 3,600 acres

US$ per acre of corn, new combine, farmdoc cost model

So list prices are high but not climbing fast right now. Interest rates and diesel prices matter as much for your yearly cost. Farmdoc’s model used a 5.5% interest rate and $3.50 a gallon diesel for 2023, up from 4.5% and $2.75 in 2021.

Small combine harvester for sale: new, used or mini

Most people searching for a small combine are choosing between three routes. Each one fits a different farm.

New Class 6 or 7 combine

A new mid-size rotary machine gives you a warranty, current grain-loss sensors, yield mapping and guidance. It suits farms that harvest enough acres each year to spread the cost. The farmdoc analysis found per-acre combine costs fall sharply as acres rise, and it flagged a cost disadvantage for farms harvesting under 3,000 acres a year with one large combine.

Used small combine

A used machine is the most common route for small grain farms. There is no public national index of used combine prices, so check recent auction results and dealer asks in your own region, and note whether each figure is an auction result or an asking price. Before you buy, check:

• Separator hours, not just engine hours. Wear on the rotor, concaves and sieves follows separator hours.
• Rotor or cylinder, concaves and rasp bars for wear and cracks.
• Feeder house chain, bearings and belts, which are common repair items.
• Header fit. Make sure the header matches your crops and that parts are still sold.
• Parts and dealer support near you. A cheap machine is costly if parts take weeks to arrive during harvest.
• Service records and a test run in crop if the seller allows it.

If you can, have a mechanic you trust inspect the machine before you pay.

Mini and plot combines

Mini combines suit research plots, seed plots, specialty grains and very small fields. They are easy to move and store. They have narrow headers and small tanks, so they are slow on larger fields. Ask the seller about the crops the machine is set up for, the cutting width, the grain tank size and where you can get parts.

For a look at the largest machines at the other end of the range, see our big red combine new and used cost guide.

What hiring a custom combine operator costs

Hiring someone with a combine is the main alternative to buying. Surveys from extension services give the going rates. They include the machine, fuel and operator unless stated.

Chart

Average custom combining rate, corn

US$ per acre, survey averages

• The Iowa State 2024 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey found an average of $44.05 an acre for corn combining, $42.00 for soybeans and $37.65 for small grains. Complete corn harvest with grain cart and haul to farm storage averaged $71.90 an acre.
• The University of Wisconsin 2025 custom rate report found $38.47 an acre for corn, $38.45 for soybeans and $37.12 for small grains cut straight.
• The Texas A&M AgriLife 2026 custom rates survey found an average of $34.73 an acre for corn combining, plus hauling and any overage charges.
• The Manitoba guide estimates a custom rate of C$40 an acre for a Class 6 rotary combine and C$35 for a Class 9, based on its cost model, before header rental (its Class 9 example with a 35 ft header comes to C$37 an acre).

The ranges are wide. In Iowa, corn combining ran from $30 to $80 an acre. Field size, distance, yield, downed crop and timing all change the price. The trade-off with hiring is timing: your fields wait until the operator gets to them.

Chart

Range of reported custom combining rates

US$ per acre, lowest and highest survey responses

Own or hire: work out your break-even acres

The key number is the yearly cost of owning a combine, spread over the acres you harvest. Ownership cost is mostly loss in value plus interest on the money tied up. Operating cost is fuel, repairs and labour for each acre. If owning plus operating costs less per acre than a custom operator, owning pays.

The calculator below uses a simple straight-line method: yearly loss in value is the price minus the resale value, divided by the years you keep it, and interest is charged on the average value of the machine. It leaves out insurance, housing and taxes, so add those to the operating cost if you want them in. All default values are examples only. Use your own quotes and today’s prices.

A few ways to lower the per-acre cost of owning, as farmdoc notes, are to share a combine with a neighbour, do custom work for others, or keep the machine longer.

Try the numbers for your own farm below.

Technology on modern combines

Newer combines carry tools that older machines lack. On the Case IH 160 series, the maker lists dual displays, a camera that shows grain quality, and Harvest Command automation that adjusts settings as conditions change. Case IH says its precision technology on these machines comes without a subscription.

The main tools you will see on modern machines are:

• Yield and moisture monitors that log harvest data by location.
• GPS guidance and auto-steer to reduce overlap and operator fatigue.
• Automatic settings for rotor speed, fan and sieves.
• Remote data sharing with managers, agronomists and dealers.

On a used small combine, check what still works. An old yield monitor may not talk to new software. You can add aftermarket guidance to many older machines.

▶ Six plain steps to start precision farming without buying a robot. · 4:18

Plan harvest with field data

A combine runs better when you know which fields are ready first. Crop maturity varies across a farm, and across a single field. Satellite crop maps can show which fields are drying down and which are still green, so you can plan the harvest order and the custom operator’s visit.

Farmonaut gives satellite vegetation maps for your own fields on web and mobile apps. Use the maps to decide which fields to scout before harvest. A satellite map shows crop change; it does not tell you grain moisture, so check moisture with a meter before you combine.

Related pages on our site: farm fleet management, large farm management, crop traceability, carbon footprint tracking, weather API documentation, satellite data API and mobile apps.

▶ How a satellite farm advisory flagged a yield drop in a maize field. · 9:13

Five checks before you buy

1. Count your acres by crop for the next five years, not just this season.
2. Get custom rate quotes from local operators, and compare them with the survey rates above.
3. Run the calculator with real prices for the machines you are looking at.
4. Check parts and service within a short drive of your farm.
5. Talk to your lender or accountant about financing and tax treatment before you sign. This guide is not financial or tax advice.

How we checked the numbers

All prices on this page come from public extension service surveys, a provincial cost guide, USDA reports and the maker’s own website. Each figure is shown with its year and its basis: Manitoba purchase prices are planning values in Canadian dollars, farmdoc’s figure is a list price used in a cost model, and custom rates are survey averages. We did not use dealer asking prices for new machines, because they change with options and offers. Figures were reviewed on 30 October 2026.

FAQ

How much does a small combine harvester cost?

The Manitoba 2026/2027 cost guide uses C$600,000 for a new Class 6 rotary combine without a header. Used small combines cost far less, but prices depend on age, hours and condition, so check recent auction results in your region.

What is the price of a Case combine harvester?

Case IH does not publish list prices online; dealers quote them. As a guide, farmdoc daily used a list price of $741,000 for a large combine in 2023, and the smallest Case IH US models are Class 6 and 7 Axial-Flow 160 series machines.

Is it cheaper to hire a custom combine operator?

On small acreages, often yes. Survey averages were about $38 to $44 an acre for corn combining in Iowa (2024) and Wisconsin (2025). Use the calculator above to compare with your own ownership costs.

What size combine do I need?

It depends on acres, crops and your harvest window. Divide your acres by the days you can harvest and by the hours a day you can run, then compare that with the work rate of the machine. Manitoba’s guide estimates about 10 acres an hour for a Class 6 combine.

What should I check on a used combine?

Check separator hours, the rotor and concaves, the feeder house, belts and bearings, the header and local parts supply. Ask for service records and a test run.