Combine Powers 37 Ft Swather

1986 - Volume #10, Issue #6, Page #03

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Saskatchewan farmer Brian Olson has given new life to a worn-out 1974 self-propelled combine. He converted in into a split-deck, 37-ft. wide swather.
"Because this part of the country is so dry, yields are usually too low to make use of all the capacity of a big, self-propelled combine. What's the use of having a large, expensive combine if it's not used to its potential? I also could have bought a big 50-ft. wide swather but they're impractical on our rocky, hilly land and I hate to have that big an investment sitting around 51 weeks a year," Olson told FARM SHOW.
In building the machine, Olson started with a 5542 White combine powered by a 318 Chrysler industrial engine that he bought, minus the pickup platform, for $2,000. A used 21-ft. Hesston grain table with manual shift table and split sickle drive mounts directly on the combine and dumps to the right side. A used 16-ft. Deere 190 swather trails behind and the right of the combine and dumps to the left, atop the Hesston swath.
"The up-front Hesston swather pivots independently of the combine, riding on it's own ¥-ton truck springs. The combine feederhouse slip clutch also acts as the slip clutch for the swather. I can take the swather off by undoing a hydraulic hose, pulling 4 pins, and undoing a pto coupler.
"The rear swather is pulled by a gooseneck hitch. The steering action of the rear power unit wheels keeps its swath in alignment with the front swath. It has steering rams on its wheels. These are controlled from the cab. The operator can place the rear swath on top or beside the front swath. The swather can be fully turned to pull lengthwise behind the combine for transport.
"Because the swathers operate independently, you can swing the rear swather in behind and shut it off and continue swathing with the front 21-ft. swather if you run into a particularly heavy field.
"The back swather is powered by a 15-hp. hydraulic motor which we use on a grain auger after we finish swathing."
Olson also uses the powered self-propelled combine unit to carry an 85-ft. boom sprayer with a 400 gal. spray tank.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Brian Olson, Box 386, Tompkins, Sask. Canada S0N 2S0 (ph 306 622-4301).

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Combine Powers 37 Ft Swather COMBINES Conversions 10-6-3 Saskatchewan farmer Brian Olson has given new life to a worn-out 1974 self-propelled combine. He converted in into a split-deck, 37-ft. wide swather. "Because this part of the country is so dry, yields are usually too low to make use of all the capacity of a big, self-propelled combine. What's the use of having a large, expensive combine if it's not used to its potential? I also could have bought a big 50-ft. wide swather but they're impractical on our rocky, hilly land and I hate to have that big an investment sitting around 51 weeks a year," Olson told FARM SHOW. In building the machine, Olson started with a 5542 White combine powered by a 318 Chrysler industrial engine that he bought, minus the pickup platform, for $2,000. A used 21-ft. Hesston grain table with manual shift table and split sickle drive mounts directly on the combine and dumps to the right side. A used 16-ft. Deere 190 swather trails behind and the right of the combine and dumps to the left, atop the Hesston swath. "The up-front Hesston swather pivots independently of the combine, riding on it's own ¥-ton truck springs. The combine feederhouse slip clutch also acts as the slip clutch for the swather. I can take the swather off by undoing a hydraulic hose, pulling 4 pins, and undoing a pto coupler. "The rear swather is pulled by a gooseneck hitch. The steering action of the rear power unit wheels keeps its swath in alignment with the front swath. It has steering rams on its wheels. These are controlled from the cab. The operator can place the rear swath on top or beside the front swath. The swather can be fully turned to pull lengthwise behind the combine for transport. "Because the swathers operate independently, you can swing the rear swather in behind and shut it off and continue swathing with the front 21-ft. swather if you run into a particularly heavy field. "The back swather is powered by a 15-hp. hydraulic motor which we use on a grain auger after we finish swathing." Olson also uses the powered self-propelled combine unit to carry an 85-ft. boom sprayer with a 400 gal. spray tank. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Brian Olson, Box 386, Tompkins, Sask. Canada S0N 2S0 (ph 306 622-4301).

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