Harvest Time!

Took my great-granddad's 60A to the field yesterday. Planned on having two 60As in the field, but my help took a trip to Florida. Cut a sample and took to the elevator for testing, and they said no one else had brought anything in yet. Got a good report, and cut for the rest of the afternoon. Decided to use the 8N to run the combine, as it was determined in 2016 the hopped-up B still didn't have quite the power needed. I was limited to 1st gear most of the time and going uphill was still a struggle. However, with the 8N I was able to run 3rd gear (6.5 mph, according to TractorData), about 3/4 throttle, all afternoon on the flat ground, as well as the slopes! You could tell the combine was back there, but it still pulled great and seldom bogged the tractor down. Perhaps my favorite thing was being able to travel uphill with a full bin and not be spinning my tires. I can't believe I almost bought a Farmall Super M for this job when the 8N does it fine and sips the fuel. Used just shy of a half tank all afternoon. 

Edited by CrestonM - 31 May 2018 at 3:24pm

Thank you! 

B26240 wrote: Good job Creston !!  Will you do the whole field with the 60?   Good thinking on taking a sample to the elevator first to make sure they would take it. Mark

Lookin good there buddy....I gots a WD that shore would look good in front of that 60..good to see that 8N handled it ok...we're couple weeks til wheat harvest here....gotta get the L3 goin....

Hard to believe there are places already combining when here they are just finishing corn and bean planting and the dairy guys are making first crop haylage.

Creston, looks like you need the 27" unloading tube extension.

Ranse wrote: I love the old truck Creston. I'm surprised no one else mentioned it. Has that thing got the original engine in it?

Edited by CrestonM - 31 May 2018 at 9:54pm

Had to get the Polaroid out for old times sake yesterday. Scanned it to the computer. Dad said if it weren't for the light bar and vertical pipe on the 8N, he'd swear that was his grandfather. From what everyone says, we have much the same height/build.

Edited by CrestonM - 31 May 2018 at 10:54pm

CrestonM wrote: Ranse wrote: I love the old truck Creston. I'm surprised no one else mentioned it. Has that thing got the original engine in it? Thanks! Yes it does! It's a 1951 6400 with a 235 babbit pounder. A friend of my grandpa's bought it new in '52 and used it for custom cutting. Went to ND and back a few times, then my great-granddad (not the same one who owned the All-Crop) bought it in 1957 I believe. Has 90,407 original miles. Original paint, too. Did a "bandaid overhaul" over the winter...rings, new head, valves, pull shims out of the rods, carb, seals, etc. It smoked pretty bad and used/leaked a quart of oil every 10-ish miles. Lacked power. Couldn't hardly start it without flooding. Turned out the head was cracked on 4 cylinders. Finally found a new one in Oregon (1950-52 heads are different from all other years). Now it's running great! So glad I did it! The carb rebuild helped it a lot...generally when I start it I just barely hear the starter turn over and it roars to life.  It's slow going with such low gearing, but the buzzin' half dozen has tons of low-end torque. I about stalled the last V-8 Chevy grain truck I drove (1973 model), because I was so used to this one. Really had to wind the V-8 up to get going with a load on.

Great older period photos & follow-up stories. Thanks for posting. I also love the photo of the grain truck/8N/combine. The red/white water jug sitting on the truck's front bumper brings back lots of growing up memories on the family farm.

Ditto! The heads on the winter wheat here emerged literally just yesterday. Corn just got done (for me; most of it around here is already up about 6"). One month ago, we had our last snow; usually (85% chance) we get some snow in May. Love to see the videos!

Creston thanks for the videos. Brings back memories we used one to cut milo in the fall.

Creston, hats off to you in so many ways!  That's great how you've got that stuff working so nice.

Creston,  I have a water bag for you to hang on the front of that old truck.  It would probably look closer to the period than the jug.  Jug looks good tho.  Thanks for posting everything.

A water bag is about a foot square, maybe a bit longer then wider made out of canvas. It has a metal strip holding the top together and the sides are sewn up Has a round opening on the top on one side with a cork it in.  You fill the bag and it gets wet ans sweats and in the breeze, keeps the water fairly cool.  Most guys would hang them from the mirrors of there trucks or on a fence post or on a hanger on the tractor. Ah, the good old days!