Combine Contest Pits Deere Against IH

Combine Contest Pits Deere Against IH AG WORLD Ag World 9-2-20 An International dealer in Illinois put its reputation on the line last fall when it sponsored a combine corn shelling contest for large "Class 5" combines that included its own Axial Flow rotaries. Open to anyone, the contest had an entry fee of $1,000. Entry fees made up the winner's purse in the winner-take-all contest. The idea was to harvest two acres of corn in no more than 35 min. Each operator was given two acres to set and adjust his machine. The machine and operator harvesting the most corn ù by weight ù was to be declared the winner. A judge was on hand to grade the corn by percent of cracked corn and foreign material. Combines had to operate with a 6-row, 30-in. corn head. The machines could only be equipped with standard components made by the same manufacturer as the combine itself. As it turned out, only two contestants showed up on contest day, October 31, due to the fact that there were only a few nice days in among all the rainy ones last fall. The contest went ahead with a Deere 7720 and an International 1460. A crowd of farmers ù and combine manufacturing executives ù watched them work their way through the 28% moisture corn. The combines each harvested the 2 acres of about 165 bu. corn and the samples were taken to a local elevator to be weighed. Winner by a 30-lb. margin was the IH Axial Flow owned and operated by Paul Hill, Creston, Ill. He also had a much cleaner sample, according to the judge, and he walked away with the $2,000 prize. "Next year we hope to get many more entrants and a better cross section of machines by choosing a better date. Farmers didn't have much free time when the weather was nice last fall. We may also lower the entry fee next year," says Lee Prunty, representative of Walker-Schork International, the sponsoring dealer. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Walker-Schork International, 251 South, Rochelle, Ill. (ph 815 562-2135).

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