[AT] Windbreaker out of storage

Indiana Robinson robinson46176 at gmail.com
Sun Nov 23 18:02:32 PST 2008


On Sun, Nov 23, 2008 at 5:21 PM, Ralph Goff <alfg at sasktel.net> wrote:
> John, that windbreaker of yours is what we called here a "heat houser". In
> fact that was a brand name which became kind of generic. My Dad had one on
> the Cockshutt 50 for all the years he used it in cold weather and he would
> not go without it in winter. That big Buda six cylinder blew a lot of warm
> air back to the driver's area which made all the difference between being
> able to work or freezing to death in winter. Just being out of the wind was
> the biggest benefit. The engine heat was just a bonus effect.
> That heat houser was actually designed for the smaller model 30 tractor but
> Dad extended it using a few pieces of old binder canvas.
> I believe he also used binder canvas to construct a makeshift wind break on
> the old Massey 60 combine. Those machines had almost no protection for the
> driver from wind, dust or rain. When it came to late fall harvesting that
> was one of the coldest places on the farm, sitting out on the platform of
> the old combine in cold windy conditions. I think the coldest he ever
> experienced was running a neighbour's 542 Cockshutt in the fall of 69.
> Straight cutting wheat on Nov. 10. The ground was already frozen and he
> worked til about 3:00 in the morning to finish that field of wheat. They
> really earned their money in those days.
>
> Ralph in Sask.

=============================


I have been trying for days to recall the exact name of the heater cab
we used to have that we used on the TO-20 and the Jubilee. I also
later used it on my 8N. It was made in one of the small towns on US 52
between Indiana state road 9 and Rushville IN. It was either in
Morristown, Gwenville or Arlington IN. I think it was called "The
Original Half Cab" as a brand name. I got rid of it (stupidly)
probably 20 years ago. It was a very superior product compared to
anything I have seen in farm stores since. The frame was a serious
frame and instead of the windshield wrapping around you it was just
slightly curved. It had nice doors with windows on both sides and side
windows below the windshield so you could see down under the front. It
also had a buggy top with it that was curved at the front bow so that
it fit nicely over the top edge of the windshield. It covered far
enough behind you so that you could stay pretty dry in a downpour as
long as it didn't blow in hard from the back. Is any one else familiar
with them? I came up empty searching.
-
I never saw a factory made canvas cab on a combine but I have seen a
lot of home made cabs on them. They mostly showed up in the early days
of using combines for running corn instead of picking ear corn. Most
home made cabs here were plywood and plexiglas. I have also seen tin
ones made of metal roofing.
-
I have ran a lot of corn in really cold weather but my combines always
had cabs. They mostly had fresh air intakes but no heaters On one John
Deere 45 I took a 50' roll of new heater hose (about $17 at the time)
and ran it from the engine to the cab and made a loop around the
perimeter of the cab at the floor and then wound it around and around
the support base for the seat then back to the engine. It actually
worked quite well all things considered. The hose around the perimeter
kept the windshield from fogging and my toes worm and the wraps around
the seat kept my bum warm. A lot of the heat migrated up under my work
coat and kept my back warm.
-
The coldest I ever worked at field work was back when we were having a
farmer/school teacher friend doing our soybean combining (we were
still picking ear corn). That was a lousy fall/winter and about
everybody was way late with field work. It just kept raining and
raining and the fields were just soup. We were waiting for a dry
streak or a freeze and the guy doing the job had a bunch of work to do
ahead of ours. It didn't freeze hard or for long until about Xmas. He
got everybody ahead of us ran and finally started our soybeans on the
14th of January and was running at night. He was using a Gleaner,
about a K or earlier I think and it had a cab but no heater. We ran
about all night at 14 below zero. He had to run with his cab door open
or his windows frosted up so bad he couldn't see. I was running wagons
up and down the road on an open tractor (MF-65 if I recall correctly)
and unloading. I got really cold on the road but I would start the
unloading and run in the house a few minutes to thaw out and then head
back to get another wagon. He had a big thermos of hot coffee and I
refilled it for him several times and kept shuttling hot sandwiches to
him.
Never want to do that one again. I think it took me 3 weeks to get
warm again.   :-)


--
"farmer"

"Good clean muck never hurt nobody!!!"
Morris Moulterd


Hay and Straw Exchange (Buy it, sell it and trade it.)
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/HayandStrawExchange


Francis Robinson
Central Indiana USA
robinson46176 at gmail.com



More information about the AT mailing list