Friday, October 7, 2016

Harvest: Grain: Early Self-Propelled Combines

See also Versatile combines.

See also First. Some of the photos in these notes should be moved there.

33 photos including some in operation

Keight Burditt Jr posted two pictures of their 1973 MF 760 doing its last harvest in 2016. The comments have a lot of information about models, years, and prices.

Roger Cordes shared Jeffrey Amos's photo
This is the first photo I have seen of a Ford combine. I wonder if they put blue paint on someone else's combine.
[Update: same as Oliver 51 except for paint and engine. One year Oliver made 51 Fords and 50 Olivers.]
After some text and still pictures, at 1:52 there is live-action. It is so strange seeing a Ford implement painted in red instead of blue.

Massey-Harris or Massey-Ferguson


Tractor and Machinery posted, 1,098 comments!
Photo: AGCO.

Richard Moses commented on the above post

Rusian Langeo posted
W Dan Halverson posted
My Maternal Grand Parents Adam and Olga Gottfried Harvesting Mustard in Montana !

David Hawke posted the comment: "Anyone have a picture of a '50's era Massey Harris combine with a bagging platform instead of a grain tank, rode many hours on one of those helping dad back in the day."

Marc Verplanke commented on David's posting:
Massey Harris 726, 1950
Mike Welte Pretty Sharp old gal, but why did you bag rather than run it off on a wagon or a truck?
David Hawke Back it the '50's the smaller mixed farms in the area didn't have fancy equipment and trucks, just 1 tractor and maybe a pickup in they were lucky in fact most were still threshing so a bagger combine was the cheap option. Once combining was done just jump on the tractor and wagon and pick up the bags from the field.


Chris Fink posted
Self propelled clipper around a 1947. Have to go back and pick it up soon.
Graydon Fisher Very nice and now rare too!

Massey Harris Heritage Page shared
We have this mass harris clipper combine was wondering if anyone could help with decals like where to get them from ??
[Is "clipper" a specific model number? Or a marketing name for a series of models? ]
Chris Fink posted four photos with the comment: "Finally got the Masseys home yesterday. The small one is a 35 and the other is a 72. Just need to get the motors running."

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Blain Griggs commented on the above posting
Those are a pair of dandy combines....There doesnt seem to be very many 72's left....Dad had one from 1962-65...It was a 1959 model....A neighbor 8 miles east also had a 72..Theres one sitting 15 miles from me thats pretty well gone..
This is one of five photos posted by Colin Cloude
 These are Massey ferguson 400 s built in Kilmarnock Scotland! 10 ft cut 1966 models restored in 2008.David Schutz Growing up on the farm in the 60's, we had a Super 92, then a 300 & then a 410, all with gas engines & no cabs. In the early 70's, Dad bought a 510 with an air conditioned cab, a diesel engine & quick-tach bean & corn heads. We thought we hit the big time.


A posting with a video and a still of a "123sp." The resolution is not good, but I think I see a M-F logo. (Update: 123sp was IH's first model.)

A video tour of a Super 80 by "The Farming Life."

Bryan Bisher posted
[The model number is hard to read, but I believe on the front it is 96.]
Sam Bezner posted
Massey Ferguson 92 hillside
Steve Warne THAT couldn't have worked out very good! Those didn't have any clearance anywhere, anyway! LolSam Bezner They're rare as hen's teeth though,I've only seen pics of ONE!Edgar Wilson Had a 92 and a super 92

David Jury posted
Photo I found in an album of Dad harvesting oats in his Massey 587 years ago.


Combines Harvesters Threshers shared Colin Cloude's photo
Garret Smith commented on a posting
1968 [Massey-Harris] Super 92 - 2013 9795
[I wonder if the cab is what made it super.]
The cab is not what made it super. The text in the following advertisement is bragging about the capacity.
Combines Harvesters Threshers added
Excerpt from above advertisement
Combines Harvesters Threshers shared Noel Wilson's photo.
Massey Ferguson 587 harvesting barley in Tasmania .
It was purchased new by my father in 1970 , it was made in Victoria Australia
YouTube did offer Part 2 after I watched Part 1, but the other 9 parts are going to have to wait for another day. Again, you can right-click the image to get the URL so that you can watch it in a new browser window.


MF 510 was the "top dog" in its day.


Eric Pedersen posted three photos with the comment: "1974 MF combine brochure."

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Mike Taylor posted, MF 860
Troy Rose Best combine out back then. Dad had a late 82 model ran that till 1992
Colin Cloude posted 11 photos of his MF 860 during harvest.

Geoff Walker posted six photos of older Massy combines.

Minneapolis-Moline

Andrew Brown posted eight pictures with the comment: "Found this old girl in my travels today, thought y'all would enjoy"
Hugh Macague That's a rare bird

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Case

Combines Harvesters Threshers added a new photo.
Thomas C Stanley posted seven photos with the comment: "my 600." Later, he posted 20 more pictures.  Because they are redundant or details, I'm not going to copy them. You will have to join the group and follow the link if you want to see them.

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Thomas C Stanley posted seven photos of putting on the header.

Mikal Kamelchuk posted
1962 JI case 660
Blaine Griggs posted
This 660 Case sold Friday on a sale near Tyro,KS..I was watching the other ring when it sold..It was a pretty straight old combine..
Thomas C Stanley Last year of production too a 1970

John Steen Slant head Chrysler 6 cylinder.


Thomas C Stanley 660 did not have a 225 slant-six Chrysler it had a Case 201 four cylinder power plant or could have a Case 188 dsl engine as a option the 700/900 and 960 had the 225 Chrysler.

Rod Burkard posted
It has been fun and challenging working on the combine, can't wait to put it back to work.
Rod Burkard Gas

Kevin Golembiewski posted
Thanks for the add into the group. Our 660 Case running wheat this past summer. I also have a 600 Case.
Case doesn't do a very good job of putting the model number on their combines.
Jim Schwartz updated

Kyle Kolle posted two photos:
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Thomas C Stanley updated the group photo
[660?]

Big Tractor Power posted
1968 CASE 960 combine harvesting corn.
Mikal Kamelchuk posted
1972 JI case 1060

One of four photos of a Case posted by Jon Fiedler
Jon Fiedler posted some photos with the comment:
Finnished up corn harveat yesterday. My 1160 still has a few bugs to work out and some patching to do, but it did fine. Before next year I'll have to clean the gas tank out and work on the carb again, but otherwise it worked good.
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Two of 9 photos Thomas C Stanley posted of a 1660.

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Thomas posted a sequence of 13 photos of his 1660 cutting barley.

Steve Ching posted photos of a 1660 and 1665.

Gleaner

James Shaver posted three photos with the comment: "Thinking about selling the old girl what do you think a good price is have a 2 row corn head and a grain head." A comment indicated it is a Model E.

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I think the original post was off a couple decades. I believe these to be mid-60's C2 gleaners. Fun to see these oldies when they were new.

Lane Valley posted 21 photos of a Gleaner F

Lewie Hoskinson posted three pictures of a 1969 Gleaner K:

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I've seen several comments that speak highly of the simplicity, capacity, and good separation of the N7. So I was glad to come across some pictures of it. Brennan Davis posted four photos.

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Blaine Griggs posted
Brand new N-7 Gleaner mudding out 25-28 bushel double crop beans in November 1981...My brother worked for our local AC dealer...This combine had 10 demo hours left on it so we got it all day on a Sunday and used them up....It had a 25 ft ? header...It was tough that day so had the rotor set almost clear down to knock the beans out..This thing was a horse and ran 5 MPH plus in mud that was often much deeper than this..On the lower end of the field it almost was dragging..We got stuck once but my 715 IH pulled it out..Knocked out 100 acres by dark but still had over 100 acres left.....On Monday morning I filled it with fuel and took it back to the dealer and steam cleaned it for him..I think the list price was $128,000.....1981 was another wild weather year....Mudded out all the wheat that summer and most of the soybeans that fall..
Blaine Griggs I think we were taking 9-10 30" rows so it was probably a 24 ft?Robert Borneman amazingly up through 81 24 foot was the biggest header they offered. finally in 82 with the launch of the 300 series header they offered up to a 30 foot, and my personal favorite, the 27. No one else offered a 27, and they are great, still fits across a bridge, but a couple extra feet over a 24 or 25.

IIRC the biggest flex was 24, 27 and 30 were rigid only.
Robert Borneman It took John Deere till 2012 with the S690 to finally build a combine with a factory bin that was bigger than the N7...
Blaine Griggs commented on his posting above
Blaine Griggs commented on his posting above
Hugh Macague commented on the above posting
Mine and a mates N7 Series 3. Running a 300 Series 30ft head. Only just bought her.
Blaine Griggs posted
My new 1983 model F3 Gleaner stuck cutting 18 bushel double crop beans in November 1983.....My brother easily pulled me out with the 2390 Case..We are about 75 ft from a blacktop road...1983 was a lousy year from start to finish..Couldnt buy a rain all summer and then mudded everything out that fall.

McCormick or IH

You don't see a video of the old units very often. No one had a video capable device in their pocket. I'll bet they didn't have power steering back then. I hope they at least wore ear plugs given that they were setting right next to the engine.

Daniel Dickel posted
[I read 101 on the front of the bin.]
TractorOfTheWeek, two more pictures in the posting
1959 IH #101 Combine, produced between 1958-62 and replaced by the 303.
Back then corn was in 36" rows. That seems big enough for a horse to walk between the rows.
Jennifer Bolyard posted
My husband started on these. Dryland wheat Washington state. Probably around 1967.
Jennifer Bolyard I correct myself, this was probably a few years later. I will see if I can find his first combine.
[The number on the combine looks more like 181 than 101, but it is hard to tell.]
Greg Druffel posted
IHC 141's leaving factory, Can't read the sign. Pic from Wisconsin Historical Society archives. Must be in the 1950's.
[I wonder what the "slanted things" are on the cars behind the combines.]
Wisconsin Historical Society (source)
Color photograph of a farmer harvesting grain with a McCormick No. 141 harvester-thresher (combine) and an International truck.

International Harvester Collectors Chapter 37 Eastern North Carolina posted
First Self-Propelled Combine by IH testing the model 123-SP (self-propelled) combine (harvester-thresher) in a field. The machine was International Harvester's first self-propelled combine.

International Harvester Collectors Chapter 37 Eastern North Carolina posted
123-SP Combine and International Truck , McCormick-Deering 123-SP harvester-thresher (combine) and an International truck in a field. Circa 1944
 
Gallatin History Museum posted
Representatives from the International Harvester Company show locals Spot Anderson and Wallace Cox the first self-propelled International combine in the Gallatin Valley, September 1949.
[There are quite a few comments about ancestors and what combine they used.]
International Harvester Collectors Chapter 37 Eastern North Carolina shared


14 photos of a 141.

Seven photos of harvesting including some ground storage. A comment indicates a 141.

A 141 for sale for $800 with a spare engine.

Dan Cox posted three photos with the comment: "68 303 Whats it worth?"

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Farmer Justin Bohle posted
thanks for the add, here is a 403 diesel that my friend and i brought home a few years ago. very nice machine
Combines Harvesters Threshers added
Debra L. Barnes Back in 1960's the 403 Combine was top of line built by International Harvester !!!! No cab - if wind was wrong ;-; the operator had to suck it up with dust !!! Cabs at the time were a huge improvement !!!! Year or two late -- they put a cab on these combines !! Maybe two years later --had a heater & air cond. in cabs !!!

Ryan Bennett posted
My gramps and my dad in the local parade. Circa 1961?
[IH 403 or 503. Judging from the rectangle on the bottom of the air intake, it is a 503. They were produced 1962-68.]
Mike Gorman posted
Here is my & dads IH 503 & my sister lol


Five photos of a 616.

Sam Bezner shared Geoff Mackenzie's photo
Photo/Owner Chris Muir
International 915 24ft front Bat Reel same motor as the International 1066 Tractor
When International Harvester introduced the 15 series combines in 1968 the company had been building self-propelled combines for 26 years and had over a half century of experience in the combine business. The 15 series were the most luxurious combines from IH to date. The series included the 315, 615, 715, 815 and 915. The combines had space age features inside roomy air-conditioned cabs equipped with an electronic digital monitoring system and gauges and controls were positioned for easy operation. In the decade of the 1970's IH combines grew up. IH introduced its "Big Mouth" combines with 48 inch wide cylinders on the the 815 and 815 combines. The 915 was IH's largest combine to date offering the power and capacity to handle an 8 row corn head. IH was also ready to meet the smaller operators needs in the 1970's with a range of combines that shared IH big combine features in a smaller package.
Monitor control was first introduced on the big 915 combine in 1968. This feature provided a reliable means of monitoring combine functions. The 915 was a big step up in combine capacity for IH with a 150 hp DT414 engine and a standard 146 bushel grain bin. The 915 was the first combine from IH that could handle an 8 row head. Unloading all 146 bushels was not a problem on the 915. The 12 inch turret hydro swing auger standard on the 915 and 815 combines could crank grain out of the bin at 1.9 bushels per second. In less than 80 seconds a farmer could have the truck full and be back in the field harvesting.
IH 915 Combine Rice Combine and Edible Bean Combine
The 15 series rice combines were well suited for big rice operations. The IH 915 rice combine offered a 116 bushel bin, the 815 rice 106 bushels and the 715 rice 65 bushels. The rice combines included the standard equipment found on the corn and grain IH combines with extras such as a spike tooth cylinder and concave in place of a rasp bar, raised leveling auger, feed conveyor divider sheet, special mud shields and an adjustable guide wheel axle. The 15 series models listed above were also offered as an edible bean combines. The edible bean combines offered a bucket type grain elevator, special slow/high speed variable cylinder drive, stone retarder, perforated screens and a raised leveling auger on the 116 bushel 915 to prevent scuffing.
Blaine Griggs posted
This 715 IH gas hydro with 18 ft head sold Friday on a sale near Tyro,KS...It sold for $300 and had 2 like new 28Lx26 drive tires...
Blaine Griggs Yes,they are over $1,000 each new...These tires hadnt been over 50 acres...Tubes are $150 each..

Steve Ching 715 hydro was a rare machine up here in E SD. Dad had a 715 with the German diesel engine. He had a 20' head for soybeans. It was a good little machine.

Blaine Griggs posted
My 1420 IH shelling corn in 2001..

Sam Bezner posted
453.
CHT added
Bo Macnab Early 80s, model 1470
Jim Burrill They were converted to hillside machine for Case International in Spokane Washington by the RA Hanson company I was fortunate to help build & test the prototype in 1978 which led to a good contract, I can't remember how many the company did but there are still some running. The prototype would level over 50% & with the 4 wheel drive option there wasn't vary many hillside's left un cut.Butch Martin Not built anymore and nothing replaced it.Matt Schwisow 42%
[The comments include photos of other hillside combines including a John Deere. It sounds like quite a few of them are still being used.]
John Warwick commented on the above posting
IH 453 LEVELED SIDE TO SIDE AND FRONT TO 
Sam Bezner posted two photos with the comment: "IH 453 Hillside"
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Sam Bezner posted
John R. Brabb Case IH 1470. Probably the best hillside system ever developed as far as stability and maximum leveling ability.

I wonder how they combine hillsides now.

Sam Bezner shared Joel Daniel's post of 6 photos of an IH 1420 and a New Holland. I include 5 of them.
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Chase McCune posted a video and 8 pictures of an IH 715. I include 3 of them.

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Oliver

Randy Jones posted
it is a oliver model 40 rice special

See 1959 Ford 611 above.

Ken Martin posted 1969 pictures of Olivers and IHs. I put it here since I have plenty of other IH postings.

John Deere

I was surprised that cabs were rare until the late 1980s. The 1980s is when we had the big farm recession.
(new window)


Michael Joas posted five photos with the comment: "Pictures of a John Deere 45 round back combine we painted."
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Bob Parkin posted
Bringin "45" home from Minnesota.
Bob Parkin That one spent its prior life in soy beans and corn. Just cuts wheat now. I still have the corn bars for the cylinder and the sprockets for corn.

Greg Larsen posted
This would have been a cool picture in the late 70's. What makes it even sweeter is it's my Dad and Twin Brother and I took it in October 2014. Don't laugh their paid for!!!
Two of the photos posted by Adam Burtnett are self-propelled:
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In 1954: "Introduction of the No. 10 corn head allows farmers to cut, shell and clean corn in one operation for the first time, up to 20 acres daily." The model introduced in 1954 that could use this head was Model 45. [AGweb (has videos, but they seem to be broke. It is still useful because it has a timeline.)] (I love it when manufactures use lower numbers than the previous model to confuse us.)

Farmers Life, cropped
A two year standing in front of them for scale.
Restored John Deere Model 45 compared to a 9670. This link is well worth following for additional photos and a side-by-side comparison of the specs of each combine. 
Hugh Macague posted three pictures of a 45R with the comment: "Getting the John Deere 45R ready for harvest, darn birds pooped all over the front!"

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Lance Wagner posted two photos with the comment: "Sidehill Sunday! Lol." It is a Model 95H.

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Combines Harvesters Threshers added a new photo.
Greg Druffel Right. The "squarebacks" [95] came out in 1964, "roundbacks in 1959. (posting)

Several photos of a '59 and '69 Model 95.

Sam Bezner posted
Cover photo.
My 8820. I know it doesn't seem that old,but it's a 36yr old machine!Sam Bezner A good operator can get a 8820 to out cut a lot of machines....They were a capacity monster. I did a lot of work to this one. Last crop I cut with it before I got out of farming was 2010. Did 640 acres in just over a week and had one break down,alternator took a dump.....I kind of wish I hadn't sold it.
Jim A. Fuhrmann posted
I found a photo that appears to be a view of an assembly line inside the John Deere combine plant.
Linda Chamberlain Vintage photo of the Harvester Works, making the square back style Model 95's.

Carsen Culpitt posted
Prototype 1400 series combines being tested in Texas in the late 70s
[Judging from the comments, this is a protype axial flow, so that means it should be IH. ]
Keith Schroeder This picture is in the book "Red Combines 1915-2015"
Carsen Clupitt commented on his posting

Carsen Clupitt commented on his posting

Old farm tractors dead or alive posted
Jens Schafer shared
[A video of a 90 in action. The above add for a 60 taught me that 90 was the largest model at this time.]


Videos

1:30 demonstration video

Video of a Massey-Harris #35. This was a smaller (more affordable) combine for the smaller farms in the Midwest such as dairy farms. A comparison of the combines designed for smaller farms.

Video advertising Massey-Harris #80 and #90.. It includes an animation of the internals! And then it has a song about the Massey-Feruson #300, #410 and #510. At the end they show a combine with a cab. It is a #760.

Tyler Feranec posted a few videos of a Gleaner F2. It seems these were so well liked that farmers still use them because they are paid for and easy to maintain. Adam Hasselback posted four pictures of F2's.
Video of  "1970's Allis Chalmers Gleaner F2 K2 Combine Demo Pak Tape"

A vintage combine show, 9:35
2016 combining bee, 2:01
An old time harvest with combines from the 70's and 80's, 17:49, use the slider to skip the artsy sunrise. Of note is the plug at 3:16; a "fountain of wheat" at 7:35; the breakdown and runout of straw on the left at 12:08, and this scene includes a modern pull-type combine. The is also a scene of unloading into an old truck. But it takes the wheat to an old auger into a modern truck at the edge of the field. Grain elevators would have been a lot closer during the era of the old truck.


1957 John Deere 55, 0:39
Mid 50s Massey 90 picking up a swath with a sund raking pickup, 1:51, 1969 JD 55 and 1957 JD 55
Massy Ferguson Super 92: 1,5:30 and 2,3:57
John Deere 105s, 3:27
John Deere Combines 40, 45, 55, 95, 105, 7:18

History of Wheat Harvest Combines, Part 1 2 3 4 5
A history of combines harvesting from pull machine to self  (1949-1968), 13:53
History of JD combines, 3:20.  At 3:19 is a picture of 970 with thick straw stream at back and small chaff stream in front.

IH 615 Combine and New Idea 325 Corn Picker

New Holland 3560AL hillside combine. Skip to -2:00 to see what he has to do to turn around.



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