I believe we might have made history this season with 2 ford 642s in the same field at the same time running together maybe not history but for this day n time it is unheard of and never before in this county has a ford 642 every ran we ran ser#1535 and #2008 these combines are some bean eating machines with the right grain tables on them any one else still using 642 fords
- Thread starter 2fordguys
- Start date
Chris in SK
Member
There was a guy called Haley that used to post on here regularly. He ran 642's custom combining until he quit a couple of years ago. He posted lots of info and photos.
we are just south of Louisville ky we just got back in to grain farming this year after a 30 year brake I found the first 642 in MI with 1500 hrs ser#1535 the my dad found #2008 In MN with 715 hrs that baby has a lot options auto steer header control ac air ride seat top of the line for its day then just last week we bought two with hydro's the two we are running are gear drive I hope to have one of the hydros running for next season
Brent Blocker
Member
The bean head you run are they the older blue heads or are they the newer green claas heads what size heads do you run
Brent Blocker
Member
The 642 with serial # 2008 is it a hydro or gear shift, we have serial # 2001 but do not want to sell it, it also has auto steer, factory header control, we bought it when it was only 2 years old, a guy ran it too hot and cracked engine block,we bought a Ford 2704ET engine off a new holland TR70 it is identical to original engine but is turbo charged we rebuilt engine and installed it in our 642, it has a lot more power than original engine. we run a new style 6/75 corn head, but run orginal 15' bean head, we have always wanted to find a good 17' head but have never found one, do you have all 15' heads ?
dairyman
Member
We?re currently running a pair of 15 foot heads with the hart carter gen III floating cutter bar. These heads are the later ones, the one pictured is blue but the green one we have is identical. We?d love to find a pair of 20 foot heads but they were not common in our area and it?s a 6 hr drive to st Anthony Indiana to get one from hopf brothers so we haven?t done that yet.dave
dairyman
Member
We?re in north central Ohio. Usually we get parts from k&l equipment in fort recovery but we do get used parts from Gabe. Don?t know the serial numbers off hand but I can tell you my brothers machine is the first one with the bremkey seat so if you have a parts book you can look that up. His is a hydro and has been fitted with a mud hog axle, the other one is a 1978 model year and gear drive that one is my wife?s machine.
Destroked 450
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harned, Ky
Hey 2fordguys, where are you located, I'm south west of Louisville.
Don't have any combines but would like to look at a Ford, we have a couple of 601 side mount pickers we use, we do out farming with Ford tractors.
Was coming back from Corydon, In. a while back and meet a pickup pulling a Ford combine (didn't get the model number) north out of Brandenburg toward the Mauckport Bridge.
Was that you?
6610 w/cab
5000
4000
400SU
4500
881D
Brothers
3400
671D
MIL's
5600
3000
Got as few to choose from.
Hoping to get a 7710 some day.
if it was a blue combine it was me I was driving a blue 4700 IH truck I'm in Lebanon jct I bet we have met in the past at one thime I had about 200 old tractor sitting aroud here I own Bluegrass Trailers
you better get in your truck and get over here today ive got about 15 acers to run today
you better get in your truck and get over here today ive got about 15 acers to run today
Destroked 450
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harned, Ky
Not far at all, been by your business several times on I-65.
I'm west of you in Breckinridge County, have family in Vine Grove.
I'd like to see them run but got to much going on myself today, maybe get by another time just for a look see.
HAD old tractors laying around or still have?
I love looking through old tractor stuff, couple of my tractors were build from others scrap.
We may have met, but it's likely you know my brother. He was the Ford parts salesman for Arms Equipment in McQuady till they burnt in the mid 90's, and parts manager for the New Holland dealers in Hardinsburg till a couple years ago.
Ward's Equip, then Thornhill's and now Hobdy, Dye and Read.
Destroked 450
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harned, Ky
Yea Drane Farm Equipment is about 10 miles from me.
Discount on trailers for YT members! That's a good idea!
I've been thinking about getting a new stock trailer in the next year or so.
Booneville: Your close to Rudolph Brothers, most of the Massey combines around here came from Rudolph Brothers.
The modular home I live in was setting in a mobile home park in Chandler when I bought it in 03.
Destroked 450
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harned, Ky
Bought a used brush hog from them a few years ago, good people, I've known them since they were kids, did a little business with their dad.
Although they have and sell a little bit of everything, they specialize in used combines and parts.
I don't own a combine, so we don't do a lot of dealing with them.
Brent Blocker
Member
We have a very good extra 20ft green claas head as we have some larger claas 116 & 228,we have several heads including 25' which we use the most on 116, if you would care to send me your email, that way we would have it, we are in northern Indiana,if we decide to sell it we could let you know, my email is listed
Man it seems like it has been forever since i posted in this forum! I could not pass up the chance to add to a 642 Ford thread. 2fordguys i really hope you have great luck with your 642's.I made a good living for years with mine but it was not always easy.What i found out very early on is that you BETTER have a parts machine to go with your good one. As you know by now nothing on a 642 is normal American stuff. Bearings are metric,chains are metric,hydraulic hoses are British,and even fuses and bulbs are different.I still have nine(two running machines) but i am patiently waiting on scrap price to go back up a little and then they will probably be gone. I plan to keep one running one and a parts combine.I still have a bunch of corn and grain heads as well as several motors.I know this is not the "for sale" forum so administration if this is not allowed please delete. I still have a 20' rigid grain head that I completely rebuilt a few years ago that i would be willing to sell as well as a 20' Claas true flex head off of a newer Dominator(Fits right on the Fords). I also have a 6 row 30" corn head that I will sell. I really hate for these heads to go for scrap and would be willing to make someone a HECK of a deal if they are seriously interested. I also have a complete Ghilcrest 4 whheel drive kit that i will sell.It was made for the 642 hydrostatic combines. For at least ten years of my life i spent each day either running a 642 or working on them getting them ready to go again. The last five years i custom cut we ran my two over a minimum of 2000 acres a year and sometimes more than that. For todays combines that was a drop in the well but for my two old beaters it was a tall feat! I know them like the back of my hand so if you ever need help please dont hesitate to ask.
Brent Blocker
Member
Haley;
Sound like you have been around Ford / claas combines for years, we to have had Ford combines for years, dad had Ford/ oliver 611, brother has Ford 640 combine which was made prior to 642,I have a 642 that I bought with 300 hours with bad engine,and like you know ever part of machine have used it since 1982 and still use it some every year,always good to chat with someone else that has had a lot of experience with Ford/claas combine.My brother is needing some parts for his 640 Ford Combine would you have any or know of any for parts for it,we are located in northern. My email is listed if you want to contact me
Sound like you have been around Ford / claas combines for years, we to have had Ford combines for years, dad had Ford/ oliver 611, brother has Ford 640 combine which was made prior to 642,I have a 642 that I bought with 300 hours with bad engine,and like you know ever part of machine have used it since 1982 and still use it some every year,always good to chat with someone else that has had a lot of experience with Ford/claas combine.My brother is needing some parts for his 640 Ford Combine would you have any or know of any for parts for it,we are located in northern. My email is listed if you want to contact me
tractorguy2
Well-known Member
Back in the 70's the guy that owned the welding shop in town got the bright idea to start custom harvesting. He bought two Ford 642 combines. They had 20 or 24ft platforms and six row corn heads. They were the very first six row machines around here. Most were still using two and three row machines.
I can only remember once when both combines were running at the same time. They were lucky to keep one running.
About 1984 the banker auctioned off their equipment and their welding shop. All the farmers in town said the Ford combines are what ruined them.
I can only remember once when both combines were running at the same time. They were lucky to keep one running.
About 1984 the banker auctioned off their equipment and their welding shop. All the farmers in town said the Ford combines are what ruined them.
Destroked 450
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harned, Ky
Don't think the color of the combines had much to do with their down fall.
In the 70's Crop Production Association (a government lending service) was telling farmers to buy equipment, land. Prices were up and interest was down, several farmers bought into it buying new tractors, combines, tillage equipment, land or cash renting more crop land.
Then the agricultural crisis hit in the 80's, grain prices bottomed out, interest rates jumped, farmers couldn't make their payments.
Several PCA's in our area failed taking farmers with them.
I know a number of good hard working farmers that lost everything because they listened to the lenders.
My brother just about took us under, took a long time and public jobs to get back to where we was.
BigIron_EastKS
New User
Hello "2fordguys"! I came across this thread as I am trying to do a little research on the Ford 642. I am about to list 4 of them on an auction in the near future--there really are 4 of them in one place, and they are all running! However I am struggling to find consistent information about them online. It sounds like you know them inside and out! Also "hayley" and "Dugger" also seem pretty knowledgeable on this combine. Would any of you be willing to help me out?
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