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Dave: I have a friend who owns one of the last steel threshers built by IH. This machine is a big unit, selffeeder with band cutters. This machine had been his uncles machine when new. He told me the last year his uncle used it they had traded all their tractors with belt pullies and for a new 656D, 504 gas and a new 205 combine. Combine didn't come. IH dealer found a pulley for 656 and his uncle pulled a wagon of sheaves up on each side and put the 4 most able men he could find pitching in. 656 just purred with it. Since he has restored the thresher on threshing days they have used an assortment of tractors JD-R, JD-70, Cockshutt 40 and a WD9. Each year the guys try and get 2 wagon loads of sheaves in there. Trouble today, is find 4 men in good enough shape to work the thresher and tractor. Most of the participants are 60+. Usually the guys pitching sheaves suffer more verbal abuse than tractors. They have another threshing crew, small machine with Farmall H, guy feeding the thresher is near 90, he insists the entire crew chew tobacco. He usually has one or two stomach casualties, and gives them a lot of heat. Once when he was threshing he noticed a lady he knew bent over picking up something from ground. He yelled," Mary go home and put your pants on." The speed with which Mary straightned up, you would have sworn her dress was over her back. Yes the inter action at these shows is great. Without humour it wouldn't be the same. I find that awfully hard to read here on forums. I seem to regularly get myself in trouble about once a month, saying something I shouldn't. A lot of forum participants are quite serious.
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