Update On "First Ever" Articulated Combine
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A “made it myself” articulated combine was featured on the front cover of FARM SHOW 30 years ago this issue. Since it was one of the most amazing projects we’d ever seen, we decided to find out what happened to it after our story.
“We used it for 6 to 8 years before switching to another harvester,” recalls the builder, Wayne Vogel in Holton, Mich. “My dad and brother gutted it out and put a sweet corn header on it. They used it for another 6 to 8 years that way. Today it sits in the farm scrapyard.”
The articulated combine (the only one of its kind at the time) had 6-ft. tall, 30-in. wide rice tires to carry it in mud and snow. The harvesting components were all on the front end with the engine and drive at the back. The grain hopper was mounted on the rear of the front half, but balanced in between. This produced a long, narrow design. Though Vogel mounted a 4-row header on it, it was built to carry a 6-row or larger.
Vogel eliminated the feederhouse, sending corn from the header directly into the rotor. From there, the grain fed to a combination of homemade and International Harvester sieves. Components “borrowed” from other combines included an International cab, a Deere header and a Gleaner discharge auger. Other components included a 6-71 GMC diesel engine with two differentials used on Deere log skidders.
At the time, Vogel farmed with his dad and brother. They were vegetable growers first; field corn came second. As vegetable growers, they were used to building their own equipment.
“We didn’t have many choices in combines that would go where we wanted,” says Vogel. “There weren’t many rear wheel assist combines. Putting rice tires on ours was a big deal then. Now it’s nothing unusual.”
The combine wasn’t the first or the last piece of equipment Vogel built. He has also built a 35-ton tiling machine; a one-pass, no-till, self-propelled carrot planter; a four-row carrot harvester; an onion harvester; and a tractor. Eventually he quit farming and started Vogel Engineering. The firm, which now includes his two sons and 10 other employees, specializes in custom farm equipment and hydraulics.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Vogel Engineering, Inc., 6688 Maple Island Rd., Holton, Mich. 49425 (ph 231 821-2125; www.vogel-engineering.com).
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Update On First Ever Articulated Combine COMBINES Conversions A “made it myself” articulated combine was featured on the front cover of FARM SHOW 30 years ago this issue Since it was one of the most amazing projects we’d ever seen we decided to find out what happened to it after our story “We used it for 6 to 8 years before switching to another harvester ” recalls the builder Wayne Vogel in Holton Mich “My dad and brother gutted it out and put a sweet corn header on it They used it for another 6 to 8 years that way Today it sits in the farm scrapyard ” The articulated combine the only one of its kind at the time had 6-ft tall 30-in wide rice tires to carry it in mud and snow The harvesting components were all on the front end with the engine and drive at the back The grain hopper was mounted on the rear of the front half but balanced in between This produced a long narrow design Though Vogel mounted a 4-row header on it it was built to carry a 6-row or larger Vogel eliminated the feederhouse sending corn from the header directly into the rotor From there the grain fed to a combination of homemade and International Harvester sieves Components “borrowed” from other combines included an International cab a Deere header and a Gleaner discharge auger Other components included a 6-71 GMC diesel engine with two differentials used on Deere log skidders At the time Vogel farmed with his dad and brother They were vegetable growers first; field corn came second As vegetable growers they were used to building their own equipment “We didn’t have many choices in combines that would go where we wanted ” says Vogel “There weren’t many rear wheel assist combines Putting rice tires on ours was a big deal then Now it’s nothing unusual ” The combine wasn’t the first or the last piece of equipment Vogel built He has also built a 35-ton tiling machine; a one-pass no-till self-propelled carrot planter; a four-row carrot harvester; an onion harvester; and a tractor Eventually he quit farming and started Vogel Engineering The firm which now includes his two sons and 10 other employees specializes in custom farm equipment and hydraulics Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Vogel Engineering Inc 6688 Maple Island Rd Holton Mich 49425 ph 231 821-2125; www vogel-engineering com
