fluid drive

Has anyone on this forum have or had a Massey 21A with fluid drive. Picture of 21 shows lever that worked it and picture of MM combine shows similar fluid drive. I know many of you had the big Bomber tires.
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It was full slip with the lever forward and as you pulled it back it brought your speed to where you wanted. It worked in all gears. Drawback you had no engine braking going downhill. Had to use the hand brake which was like a emergency brake on old time cars.
 
As I remember on the SP Minneapolis-Moline combine the drive was called a "Thompson Fluid Drive". A very good system that gave variable speeds. The problem was going down hill it would free wheel and the only control you had was foot brakes. back in the late 60's I remember a machinist friend of mine putting one on his South Bend Lathe. I have a couple of "project" M-M combines here in the pasture with the Thompson fluid drive on them.
 
The MM I had was maybe different than what the MH had then as it was just a clutch running in oil is how I would describe it, as it had no speed changes just in or out, but I would guess you could have used it to creep thru heavy spots without doing damage to the clutch, as far as being like a Case-O-Matic no it is nothing like that on that MM, Case-O- Matic has a torque convertor with a lock up clutch as well giving you two tranny's in one I have many COM units as well as selling many of them new very good units most people who had operating problems with them had never been taught how to use them correctly
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Hmm that looks like what was on the MM I had as well, maybe it did not work correctly or I just never used it right, I only drove it a few times the first on a 20 mile trip home when I bought it and then a few trips around the yard before parking it, did not realize they could vary speed interesting, I would bet on a hill that was real interesting if they free wheeled
 
Tom: I had a MM combine like the picture and I made it into a swather. The fluid drive on it worked just like the Massey. Looked like it and all. I swathed millet and oats with it and some wheat when we had to destroy some to be in the farm program.
 
My dads 21A had the fluid drive installed when he bought the combine new in 1948. The MH Dealer by the name of Bill Wolf put it on. He "Bill" bought these fluid drives war surplus, They were out of Tanks. He first used them on fishing boats out of Seattle WA. The fisherman loved them as it was easier on the nets as they pulled them in.
 
Oliver 40 and I think the 35 combines had a very similar unit. It did not freewheel though. Dad had a 40 and 35 both. We have lots of hills and I don't remember having to use the breaks going downhill.
 
Was that type of drive an aftermarket option? I've never been around a real 40 but I have a brochure for one and all it shows is a belt variable speed drive hooked to a 6 speed tranny. The other option was just a direct drive from the tranny to the axle/diff giving 6 speed with no variance in them.
 
(quoted from post at 18:48:24 02/25/14) Was that type of drive an aftermarket option? I've never been around a real 40 but I have a brochure for one and all it shows is a belt variable speed drive hooked to a 6 speed tranny. The other option was just a direct drive from the tranny to the axle/diff giving 6 speed with no variance in them.
You are correct. We bought a 33 Olivier new and then traded for a new 40. They were the regular Olivier 6 speed transmissions with variable speed belts. The 33 was manual actuated in that a lever with many notches worked the belt drive. The 40 had a small hydraulic cylinded on the end of the shaft. In all my years I have never seen a fluid drive system on a Olivier combine.
 
I have one from a mm combine stolen from case nutty. I have been told they take considerable power just to run the thing. Any body have experience along that line? My idea is to use it for speed control on shop made ATV for around my place.Opinions and comments welcome. It is bacicly the unit used in olivers lugamatic. Hope B&D reads this forum as I did get manuel from Charles city oliver .
 

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