Saving a Threshing Machine?

Just thinking....
There are MANY "Prairie Dinosaurs" (Threshers) all over my state and wondering what it takes to get one operational? Never worked with one but am fairly knowledgeable on farm equipment

1. I am guessing for parts you are on your own, left to fabricate anything you might need, including flat belts and chains, Im also guessing anything that may be missing is going to be EXPENSIVE to fabricate or replace if you even do it yourself? could you make new belts out of round baler belt and lace them together yourself?

Never looked real close, but are these machines typically equipped with modern bearings? or are they just greased bushings? If shafts are froze or rusted up can it be freed up?

How big of a mess is this to get into or should I just forget it? I don't want to have more than a few bucks tied up in one deffinately not thousands.

Thanks in advance for advise....

Make your own belts if needed.Bearings are older greasable bearings/ bushings/wood blocks.'New' parts are not available.But they are simple machines.Worthwhile project.Go for it!

Personally, I enjoy going to threshing shows and enjoying the results of someone else"s hard work!

As to bearings, the majority are sleeve type, not a huge deal to rebuild if needed.

Chains are mostly available just need to know where to look.

Belts are not a huge deal either for the most part. Belts on the machine will all have aligator splices and if you know someone who has a round baler that replaces belts as part of regular maintence just ask for their castoffs. Otherwise just a matter of opening up the checkbook. The main drive belt is a bit of a different story as splices are not real acceptable here.

Grainpans (under the cylinder) will commonly rust out but can be patched.

If it has Rockwood paper pulleys it is just a matter of opening up the checkbook again. PaperPulleys in my experience has very rapid turn times but range from about $50 to $200 per pulley.

Really the key thing is condition when you start. If the separator has set in the grove when the owner got a combine in the 50's my thoughts are consider it a parts machine. If they put it in out of major weather it is likely worthy of being made a runner.

Not a expert here but these are my observations having worked around this stuff some and I did own a 22" McD machine for about 9 months.

jt

I own a McD thresher. The biggest thing is keeping them under cover. If you don't have storage space then you're just trading one section of sky for another.

many sitting outside are way beyond restoration unless you have a pile of money and time, find a shedded or running one, they are not that hard to find and with something that old you will still have to do some repairs and parts fabrication, I bought a shedded 22" IH back in 94 for $35 and still had to pull the grain pan to repair it, I spliced belts out of belting I bought at farm sales and I ran it that fall .

Look at it closely.Crawl under,over,around,inside....Then decide if the amount of work that may be involved/required is something you would be comfortable with.It all depends on it's present condition.ANYTHING is restorable....only time and money are limiting factors