[AT] California Combine history was Saskatchewan

[Herbert Metz]

Many decades ago when I was probably sixteen, was driving the tractor
pulling our Case 12' combine, and going with the small prevailing wind
which was just strong enough to blow an occasional cut wheat head just
before its going into the threshing chamber. A few of these heads landed on
the good old Waukesha engine powering the combine.  I did not think much
about it because they normally blew off when we changed directions. I
looked back again and they were on fire. Dad was on the combine but could
not see this.  I stopped, we got the fire out carefully without getting
burned, and before it spread to the very dry wheat stubble, etc.  I will
never forget those couple minutes. Most every wheat harvest there was a
couple wheat field fires that made the area newspaper; most were from
vehicles driving through the stubble.


> [Original Message]
> From: Al Jones <farmallsupera at earthlink.net>
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Date: 10/4/2011 7:25:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] California Combine history was Saskatchewan
>
> I am fascinated by combines.  The pictures of the giants from the 1800's
and early 1900's pulled by dozens of horses, are a sight to see!
>
> I have two IH pull types, 52R's.  The earlier one is a sacker with a
Continental Y69 engine, the later one is a bagger with a Farmall Cub
engine.  I need to find a good home for the sacker.  My "dream" is to have
a nice 70's model Massey Ferguson 300 from out of the mid-west in my
collection, and maybe even 25 acres of my own to run through it!  This was
my dad's first combine he bought used in the late 70's. I was a LITTLE kid
but I can remember how B-I-G it looked!  Rode over a lot of acres in the
cab with my grandaddy, I heard him say that he never expected to be a "big
enough farmer" to operate a combine.  Back then a Deere 4400 was a big
combine here, Massey 510 was MASSIVE.  The 300 ended up catching fire and
burning up, it was replaced by a later, diesel 300 with quick-attach
headers. It was worn out when it left us.
>
> Al