Combine + Grain cart = TRIBINE

Around the year of 1997, a man from Logansport, Indiana had an idea to increase harvesting capacity and decrease harvesting labor requirements. His concept was basically a combine that pulled a 1,000 bushel hopper directly behind it.  The machine was articulated to be able to steer, where the tail of the harvester connected to the front of the 1000 bushel cart. As I understand it, from 1997 to around 2012, he built three prototype machines. Each new machine (I'm sure) incorporated new ideas and benefits to his dream futuristic combine. The goal was to have 1,000 bushels in the hopper and unload into a semi-trailer in 2 minutes and then right back to harvesting. This concept harvester eliminated a tractor, 350 bushel dump cart and an operator, to catch grain on-the-go and then dump into the semi trailer. I first became aware of it in late 2012 or early 2013, when he had just built the fourth prototype machine, using a Gleaner S-77 combine platform !!  Man, I was all in over this !!!!! The most radical design change in harvesting since WW2 (according to him) was now working in fields of wheat, corn and soybeans and it was a GLEANER platform he chose to build his concept machine with !!   I know little to nothing about the three previous proto's, but by now the TRIBINE had large drive tires in all four corners and was true 4-wheel drive. The steering was mainly articulated at the tail of the harvestor and front of the grain cart. It also had crab steer at each of the four king pins (for getting close to a truck) and compound steering (for sharper turns on the end of the fields). Well, apparently the GLEANER platform wasn't going to cut it capacity wise, as a Class 7. I'm sure he was getting lots of interested parties calling him and suggesting what it would take for them to purchase one of his new harvesters. So, from 2013 with GLEANER S-77 (at 370 HP) to a totally new design by 2016, with a 38 inch diameter axial rotor with TWO engines, totaling around 650 HP !!   Well, the other machinery manufacturers were watching and re-thinking their position in the harvesting markets as the TRIBINE kept morphing itself into a larger and different machine. Today, everyone's unloader system is about double the BPM, shortening unload time, and grain tank capacity is also larger. Many of the large grain carts you can buy now are waaay more than 1,000 bushels and 1500 bushels is becoming more common every season.  Where am I going with this ??   Think about the hundreds of farm equipment manufacturers from 100 or more years ago, who didn't make it.    I believe in my lifetime, I have witnessed the beginning, the struggle to make it somehow someway work, and in the end, it didn't.  I watched a brave man with a dream bet everything, and I don't think it has turned out well. I admire those who have more guts than I've ever had to follow their dream.  Google: Tribine Harvesters and there is tons of information on this subject.

Edited by DrAllis - 27 minutes ago at 7:33pm