My dad bought his 90 special around 1957. He did custom combining in California mainly for dairy farms in the area. In those days the raised and ground their own feed for their dairy cows. My dad stopped around 1975 because the dairies went to silage corn. The massey was my dad's pride and joy but due to health issues even if he had a job he couldn't run it so it sat out back as a monument. One day in 1983 a local rancher planted 350 acres of wheat and contracted an outfit to cut it. The contractor backed out so the rancher who was a school mate of mine asked if we still had the combine. Is yes but its been out of action for many years. He said if I could get it going I could have the job. I went out back and started working on it and my dad came by and said, what are you doing to the massey. I told him the story. He was the happiest I had seen him in years. He helped me get it ready and we cut all the wheT without one problem. She then went into permanent retirement and after a few years my dad passed away and I gave the 90 to a guy that wanted to restore it.
That is an amazing story. Glad these Massey’s have a special spot in your memory and your dads life. Pretty cool to hear stuff like this. Thank you for sharing! All the best
Austin, thanks for sharing that one. The old Massey brought back sweet memories. When I was a kid growing up on a farm in Illinois, my Dad bought a new Massey Harris 82 with 10’ head in about 1957. Looked just like the one in your video. I rode with him for hours on it cutting wheat. He was showing me controls, teaching me about it. The next year I was 12, and he let me operate it cutting wheat. Even custom cut wheat for the neighbor. The old guy was shocked but he watched and complimented my skill to me and Dad. I haven’t missed a year yet operating a combine of some sort, I’m 75 now and still going. Thanks again young man for bringing back such fond memories! I hope you guys polish up that old girl and keep on display. It looks in such great condition, amazing how well preserved.
What a great video. So nice to see antique combines in that condition still exist. No cab, I cannot imagine all the dust the operator inhaled over the years of operation.🤧
As I recall they had a Chrysler industrial gas engine mounted under the long feeder house on or near the front axle. Made for an awkward place to service the engine, a head bumper and back scratcher. It was a good machine, threshed and cleaned wheat very well. The dealer we bought it from brought his Dad out to set it on first day. The old gentleman had run steam threshers in his younger days, and he could set a combine to do a perfect job, clean sample of wheat.I’ve watched old movies of those machines, owned by the custom cutters, maybe 8 or 10 of them running one behind the other out in the Kansas plains. Awesome sight. Just some thoughts of the good old days. ☺️
I spent many harvest seasons under 90-degree sun on that open cab driving a 90 in the upper Midwest as a young man. Those were the years before no-till when you had to swath the grain and then use a pickup on the combine to pick up the windrow. I ate a lot of dust and I can still feel those raspy barley beards under my t-shirt. Thanks for the memories.
That was awesome, even knowing you had it pulled out and loaded on the semi, the suspense was still killing me between every moo and wooh as you inched it out of the shed. How many times did you think that shed was gonna fall down before that combine came out? So what is the plan for the Super 90, are you starting the 'FullLine Museum"? It would be an interesting video to see a comparison 'then and now' match up of what is similar and what has changed in combines over six decades. I wonder what the 'original' owner and his son would say after a ride in tricked out 9T? That had to make for some long hard days working that thing with no cab comforts and no GPS - LOL. The insta pics were great too - it must have taken forever hauling with a pickup truck. Great job Austin, can't wait to see the next vid when you get it cleaned up. Hope you're doing well - take care 😎
When I saw "Super 90" I thought you meant the MF Super 90 Massey made in the early 1960's I noticed on the filter is that it was for the MF 95 and 97. The MF 95, 97 and 98's were tractors MF bought from Oliver and Moline and served as a stop gap until the 1100 was ready to be rolled out.
37 inches of threshing power...and easy to unplug the cylinder. We had a 1954 90 Special and a 1960 Super 92 that we used until 1972 when we changed to two 410's.
Hey Austin, I wish you a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year, I hope your target sales targets aren't too high. I am very worried about Jan. I hope he is fine?
Hello. I enjoyed watching your video alot. I live on a farm by Reward Saskatchewan. Who's Combine was it and where the farm and town where the Combine was if I may ask you
No I am not shutting it down! Just needed a break and was waiting for my laptop to get fixed but I have a video ready for Saturday morning! Thanks for checking up on me!