chris.watson Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Loving these pictures Phil, keep them coming mate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 When I first sat in that 38 cab It felt like a spaceship and far bigger and better than the Claas machines! Its kind of sad that MF never managed to capitalise on the early big Droningborg built combines as they were a match for the best. Mind you I'm not sure the little ones were quite so good, The bigger machine was an 31XP which has long since gone from that farm, but they always stayed Massey even when they briefly went over to green tractors. The farm in question now have a brand new Centora 7382 which I hope to catch up with this weekend. The little MF27 belonged to a 500 acre arable farm which has long gone and been replaced by another feckin stud farm owned by Arabs..........Grrrrrrrr!! Don't get me started. That's all on classic MFs, next up New Holland. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 12, 2017 Author Share Posted August 12, 2017 (edited) Heres a pair of nice pics of new New Hollands sat on G J Pecks old Lisle Lane Ely depot. 1987 was the last year of the yellow cutter bar before it was painted black from 1988 onwards. How about some model manufacturers making some old New Holland machines instead of Claas all the time!! Edited August 12, 2017 by bluegreen 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.watson Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 If I remember rightly Phil, the Massey 38's and 40's that were around my area had problems with burning out. Strutt and Parker had a 40 which burst into flames. Did many catch fire around your way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 13, 2017 Author Share Posted August 13, 2017 Hi Mark, ...........................The four New Holland TF44s were owned by Henry Thompson farms who I later discovered bought them too harvest only 1200 acres!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can still remember talking to the farm manager on one occasion where I questioned the "over capacity", he said that because they also had 1200 acres of salads and veg they needed to be able take cereal crops at optimum times and very quickly so they didn't interfere with salad harvesting. That was in the days before hoards of migrants appeared, so labour was scarcer to find. Still I suggested that one Claas 480 would easily clear the lot, but seeing as the TFs were over 10 yrs old at the time of our conversation he preferred to remain with the cheap option. And then a couple of years later Guy Shropshire bought them out along with several neighbours and now harvests over 4000 acres of cereals with one 780tt (yawn!) and has an army of machines and migrants working on the rest of their 10,000+ acres! Hi Chris, I do remember one of the locals MF40s going up in smoke but that was in the mid late 90s when the big MF was well established. Claas rotaries have a far greater notoriety for becoming bonfires than other makes, mind you there are a lot more Claas machines than other brands. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 13, 2017 Author Share Posted August 13, 2017 The first pic is Sid Taylors big TF46 near Newmarket with 20ft head in beans back in 87, he remained NH for years, last I looked he had a 9090 but I think he may have retired more recently. I took the pic of the 8080 in 87 and didn't know whos it was or whos field, just a nice photo. The two TX34s were new, taking over from an old pair of 8070s at bidwells farm near Kentford, Red Lodge area, they also had a new (89 G) Ford TW25 on the trailer and some other nice Fords as well which I regret not hanging around longer to photo. Stetchworth Estates newly delivered TX36 which ousted two Claas 108sl machines, they went back to Claas a few years later. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 13, 2017 Author Share Posted August 13, 2017 A pair of NH TX36s working at Dalham Hall Newmarket in 1988, they switched from two Claas 108sl and then went to TX66s and then a succession of single Claas rotaries until a 580 went up in smoke in 2005, and then Claas nicked their driver to be a demonstrator driver for them and D.Hall vowed never to use Claas again!! And they haven't, currently operating a pair of CR9080s right on Manns of Saxham door step The TX34 and the field its in have long since gone, Those nice Arabs bought the field, made it into a 40 acre paddock and occasionally it has a horse or two in it !! (Hey whats happened to the angry face smilie Chris? .....I need it back) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 13, 2017 Author Share Posted August 13, 2017 That's why I moved from Newmarket Mark, I hated the snobby racing types who think they own it.......................... actually they do I despise what the Arabs have done to the surrounding area , its like a 10,000 acre stud farm on the land I used to photo kit on nowadays! I try very hard not to go back there for anything, although Mum lives at Gazeley so not always easy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 13, 2017 Author Share Posted August 13, 2017 Back to the classics, I took one shot of this pair of yellow roofed John Deere 1085 Hydro 4s working near Bury st Edmunds in 87 equipped with floatation tyres, probably my fav JD combine ever, maybe one day JD will put the yellow roof on the current machines or at least do a limited edition. Replicagri or the like should should seriously try and get the rights to reproduce either a TX34 /36 or JD 1085/ 1188 they would easily sell a few thousand of each of them. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 25, 2017 Author Share Posted August 25, 2017 A few from the mid 90s, featuring NH TX68 and TX66 the last big sellers from NH as they sure don't sell many new combines now! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 25, 2017 Author Share Posted August 25, 2017 If I could choose a classic combine to be made by a model company to go on my layout it would be between a Claas 228 or a CASE AF 2188.................fortunately the Claas is finally being done and maybe Replicagri will add a 2188 to their early Axial flow versions. The Topham family in North Cambridge always had lots of 1680s, then 2188s on each of the familys big estates in the 90s........................until the ill fated 8010s arrived in 2004 and were a total disaster!!!! For all the times I watched them I didn't really take any good pictures sadly, mainly because Axial Flows throw out so much dust they virtually cloak them selves in the stuff. Heres a 2188 of theirs with 22ft cut......................it was one of two 2188s and they had an older 1680 as well. They also never bought new and the two 2188s were bought as 4 year old models along with a fleet of three 10 yr old Ford 7810s................these each had a Brimont trailer on the back which were popular in the North Cambs area in the 80s and 90s, and these are the same model made as IH 425s by Replicagri. Someone should do a convo of one. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 25, 2017 Author Share Posted August 25, 2017 (edited) A pair of Claas 118sl machines at Vestys farms in 1996 I think with MF8130 in attendance. And then the ultimate Dominator, the 1996 model 218 with Vista cab and 22ft cut. Edited August 25, 2017 by bluegreen 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CX820Joe Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 I think the IH trailers were made by Raybach - though looked very similar. It wouldn't bother me if someone converted the IH model into a Brimont. Never seen one, but interesting trailers all the same. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 28, 2017 Author Share Posted August 28, 2017 (edited) I'm actually surprised at how many farms did run Brimont trailers in the 80s and 90s, they must have liked the unique split opening rear doors on them..............................I'm not looking to buy an IH425 trailer just yet Mark as harvest has just about finished, but if I change my mind I will pm you. Sometimes when taking pictures everything lines up perfectly, the right machine(s) , the right position to take the shots from, the perfect backdrop...........................And that's exactly what happened on my last Combining archive picture. It was 1998 and I knew one of the local farms just down the road from TNS Kennett branch had just bought a brand new MF40RS with the new cab styling and a 22ft header. So I scoured the farm as harvest began and to my delight they were working right next to the A14 and right next to a big layby too park in. The field was standing wheat and the ears were whitish but the stalks darker gold. Alongside the new machine was TNS identical Demonstrator and both were leaving a very nice swathe behind them. And to cap it all one was unloading into the farms 8110 tractor......................unfortunately some of the magic is lost when digitally copying the excellent original photograph but nevermind. Vestys seriously p*ssed Claas off in 1997 by replacing the 7 Dominator 118sl machines with 4 NH TX68S and 2 TX66s..........I was very pleased at the time as yellow combines look terrific next to bright red tractors. Needless to say they changed back to Lexions next time round and now run three 780tts along with virtually every other big farm in the UK Grrrrrrrrr!! Edited August 28, 2017 by bluegreen 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenside MF Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 this is a brilliant topic you have done phil,hoping you have some more photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted August 29, 2017 Author Share Posted August 29, 2017 Yes many more Jamie, although I will try and keep it seasonal as much as possible.....................Cultivations pics from the same era as the combines will be next....................Looking at my albums I really did favour MFs back then, followed by Ford /NH........................John Deere and CASE less favourable, which is a shame as I wished Id spent more time photographing JD 55series instead of more and more MFs...................oh well youll be happy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted October 24, 2017 Author Share Posted October 24, 2017 Thought I would put up a few classic CASE Magnum / Maxxum pics ......................Goodie & Smithy should like these. 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bluegreen Posted October 24, 2017 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 24, 2017 And more mighty Magnums 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted October 24, 2017 Author Share Posted October 24, 2017 And one of the last Maxxum 5150 Pro tractors awaiting delivery from Collings Bros 1997 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
844john Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Now they are proper tractors 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 1 hour ago, bluegreen said: Thought I would put up a few classic CASE Magnum / Maxxum pics ......................Goodie & Smithy should like these. Thanks bluegreen only just found this topic ,nice to see all the older combines but the N/H are my favourite and yes these pictures of case tractors are great especially the 5150 really loved the one I had should never have let Goody steal it of me 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 my neighbour used to have a Brimont trailer he only sold it to Ben Burgess at Newmarket a few years back I used to put my 956 XL on it to help cart off sugar beet used to make the turbo whistle going up hill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.watson Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Loving this topic Phil. Great pics mate. What ever happened to "power in action" is it still going? Great demo days they were, havnt seen one advertised for a year or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tractor Twitcher Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Fantastic photos Phil. Never tire of seeing old shape Magnums. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 50 minutes ago, chris.watson said: Loving this topic Phil. Great pics mate. What ever happened to "power in action" is it still going? Great demo days they were, havnt seen one advertised for a year or two. Should have been one this year Chris but certain things such as not being able to get the land to hold it on being one ,it was cancelled they had been doing them every other year with the Norfolk machinery club doing one on the in-between years . The Suffolk Farm Machinery Club together with Farmers Guide used to put it on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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