Half Size Thresher, Tractor

Half size thresher, tractor COMBINES Miscellaneous 9-2-10 Building an exact ¢-size threshing machine from scratch is a demanding job that takes lots of patience and about four years of work, according to Jim Gutenberg, Colby, Wis., who found out from first hand experience. "I copied my old 1931 Deere 2850 thresher, taking measurements directly off each part and then making my own identical half-size parts. I reworked some parts from combines, manure spreaders, forage harvesters and other machines," says Gutenberg, noting that the majority of the parts in the thresher were fabricated from scratch in his farm shop. The resulting machine, identical in every respect to the original except for the decal on the side that claims the machine was made at the "Jim Deere Harvester Works", now makes the rounds to old-time threshing reunions around the country. The thresher is accompanied by a half-size John Deere "D" that Gutenberg built in one winter after completing his thresher in 1982. The D was built around the chassis and engine of a 1939 Deere H. Gutenberg cut the rear axle down 6 in., narrowed and shortened the frame, and then fabricated the rest of the components of the tractor to resemble a Deere D. "I call it a reasonable facsimile," says Gutenberg, noting that he didn't copy the tractor exactly. "The H was the smallest horizontal 2-cyl. Deere made so it's a good one to use in making the D." He uses the half-size D to power his thresher. "I like to stand back and listen to the comments of people. Some people claim they remember when the tractor was made and others ask me if Deere has started making this thresher again," notes Gutenberg.

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