Earliest hydro combine

used red MN · Mar 18, 2021

The Rust pic by todays sub picture poster Thehickdaddy has me wondering what the earliest hydro drive for a combine was? Being a red guy could you get one in an 151 or 181? I am pretty sure you could in the 03s but I have not seen one because I am sure they were rare. I know the 15s had them. How about JD or Massey? TIA on any comments!
Purpose built hydro drive tiller

lugnuts2030 · Mar 18, 2021

Hrdro drives in combines came available in the mid 60's.

cornerpost · Mar 18, 2021

Believe IH beat Deere by a year on first hydro combine. Guy old enough to be my dad had a late model 105 diesel hydro combine and really liked it.

lugnuts2030 · Mar 18, 2021

Its no big deal really which manufacturer had the first hydro in a combine because the Hydro units were build by outside companies like Eaton or Sunstrand which are almost idenical and are probable built in the same factory. The Brand that works for a consumer is what is important and the color its painted has little to do with it.

GreenEnvy · Mar 18, 2021

JD came out with the hydro option in 1965 and IH offered it the same year. I've seen a couple of 403s with hydros but they have all been scrapped.

GreenEnvy · Mar 18, 2021

Its no big deal maybe because Massey poo hooed the idea until they offered one in their combines.

Dugger · Mar 18, 2021

(reply to post at 13:10:27 03/18/21)

There are several 403s and 105s that have hydros
Still operating
I looked a two of each this year and that was just in Illinois
There were two on tractorhouse recently
I think they both came out in65 or 66
I even own a case hydro but its a 69
Dugger

Dugger · Mar 18, 2021

(reply to post at 13:10:27 03/18/21)

There are several 403s and 105s that have hydros
Still operating
I looked a two of each this year and that was just in Illinois
There were two on tractorhouse recently
I think they both came out in65 or 66
I even own a case hydro but its a 69
Dugger

TDS · Mar 18, 2021

If memory serves me correct I believe Gleaner had the first hydro combine.

lugnuts2030 · Mar 18, 2021

Nothing wrong with Variable speed in smaller combines, less costly. In bigger combines variable speed gave problems no matter what color.

lugnuts2030 · Mar 18, 2021

Hydro is a great thing for when plugging alot and having to back up.

4520BW · Mar 19, 2021

do you know the difference between a hydo and variable speed combines? The brakes work on a variable speed machine.( most of the time)

Case Nutty 1660 · Mar 19, 2021

all of my Case combines have belt variable, they were ready to release hydro in every machine from 960 and up (the 960 rice machine had the option in late 1968) Case said it took a fraction of the hp to move a machine with variable compared to the HP eating hydro but they had it ready as customers wanted it, as for problems on mine,, only thing I have to change is a bearing once every ten years or so,, belt life runs thousands of hours which makes them far cheaper than even doing yearly oil/filter changes on a hydro,, I do like hydrostatic drive though sadly case dropped production of combines along with other harvester lines in Dec of 1970,, it was a bad decision I always felt.

mulcher · Apr 4, 2021

Hydro? I thought it was a big deal going from Dad's Ih 101 with the variable lever between the seat and the console with 6 or 7 notches to pick from to the neighbors Minneapolis Moline combine with a little hydraulic lever to run the variable speed.

Brian CO

fixerupper · Apr 12, 2021

The Gleaner L had a higher horsepower engine in the hydro version to make up for the parasitic loss.

Earliest hydro combine

used red MN

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