JD 1360 Discbine

Also, how do I tell if it is a sound machine?

Beyond that, check that the bar is in good condition. Grab the discs and see if they're tight. Side play isn't good. Look for rock damage, etc. Those are the big things.

Rod

I don't think you'll have quite enough power to run one especially on hills. We just got a Kuhn FC4000G which is a 13' center pivot disk conditioner and it calls for at least 115hp although Hesston only calls for a minimum of 85 hp on the same size mower. It seems like in general hay conditioner's are in the condition they appear to be in, in other words very few I've seen look good cosmeticly unless they have had the same care mechanicly. If you could I would see if you could get an oil sample out of the cutter bar and send it off somewhere to be tested to see if there are metal shavings in it. The other thing I would be concerned about would be how good the conditioner rolls are since them and the cutterbar will be the most expensive to repair. Otherwise just basic things like belts or chains should be easy to check but I think you'll be able to tell alot about the machine when you first see it. I spent over a year shopping for a disc conditioner and we ended up buying this one year old demo Kuhn machine because it didn't cost all that much more than the used ones equipped like we wanted.