1944 Massey-Harris Harvest Brigade photo's

This message is a reply to an archived post by Bob Bancroft on February 20, 2012 at 15:43:47.
The original subject was "Re: 1944 MasseyHarris Harvest Brigade photos".

Yes, it is possible to operate a combine very late and sometimes it could be all night in Kansas, if the operators could stay awake. Especially if there is a southwest dry wind blowing. You can tell from the sound of the machine when to quit. Starts to moan.

One of my nephews did the harvest run for 2-3 years. They were paid by the acre instead of by the hour, so they kept the combines running as long as possible. Sometimes he just shut the machine down, crawled under the combine and slept for 1-3 hours and then went back to cutting. Twenty hour days were not unusual - but when it rained they sat around and didn't collect any pay. I knew one custom operator who had his crew assemble machinery for dealers when it rained, instead of letting them go drinking; that was the only way he knew how to keep a crew together when the weather cleared up.

I grew up in western Kansas and we ran the combine (a Massey super 92) VERY late. The elevator was often open until 11pm. I laugh about that now as I farm within 30 miles of the eastern border. The Co-op closes at 5pm. Usually I can cut long enough after that to fill all of the trucks to dump the next morning. Running long after dark is a rare event here. Even sitting in the cab of the 9500 with the radio on I can hear when it is getting tough. Feel it too, as the cylinder is at my feet. Nothing like the combine kicking you in the butt and telling you to stop.

Farming in Europe, nice days are rare, and I remember many times when the crop was finally dry, weather nice, adnd it was time to go. We would go up to the dew is there and the crop sticks to the reel, the straw windrwo are 4 feets tall.
For that, you need a tough combine, like the 860, and her cast iron drum. The very first Axial flow here were called "Combine for the young married farmer", because you were sure to be home for supper, as those combines were no good in 160Bu/ac wheat after the sunshine is over. Most elevator quits at around 1 to 2AM.

When the due does not come up, we keep going, because it is usually a sign of rain. In the case, the elevator are also staying open, because they do not want your test weight to go down after that extra rain. I remember running the combine up to 6AM, fuel her while greasing up, and my dad going back at it and finishing the fields before the rain come at 9AM.

Farming in Europe, nice days are rare, and I remember many times when the crop was finally dry, weather nice, adnd it was time to go. We would go up to the dew is there and the crop sticks to the reel, the straw windrwo are 4 feets tall.
For that, you need a tough combine, like the 860, and her cast iron drum. The very first Axial flow here were called "Combine for the young married farmer", because you were sure to be home for supper, as those combines were no good in 160Bu/ac wheat after the sunshine is over. Most elevator quits at around 1 to 2AM.

When the due does not come up, we keep going, because it is usually a sign of rain. In the case, the elevator are also staying open, because they do not want your test weight to go down after that extra rain. I remember running the combine up to 6AM, fuel her while greasing up, and my dad going back at it and finishing the fields before the rain come at 9AM.

Best memories I ahve are with the 860. We were customs cutting at 10 miles from home, arrived at the farmer at 10PM, after we had finished up another guy. Hook up the header again, went for one hour. Then thick drops of rain came, I had to put the windshield wiper on, the reels were wet but it was not that much rain yet. The neighboug with the Lexions quits while the MF keep going as the rain settle down. Huge thunders roaring everywhere in a big wheeat field and the Perkins V8 screaming in a 60-70F summer night while lightings are striking to give you some lights,, with the 4020 straight pipe coming to you every so often to get the crop away from the 860... I would say that driving combines felt never so exciting. We finished up on time. I drove the combine back to the farm at around 5AM, under 4inch of rain in one hour pouring from the skies...