The First Rotary Combine : NEW HOLLAND TR70

In this video Big Tractor Power is out in the field with a 168 hp 145 bu. Sperry-New Holland TR70 Combine harvesting corn with four row 962 Corn Head. The TR70 was the first combine on the market to use centrifugal force to separate grain using two rotors back in 1975. All combines produced before 1975 used conventional threshing cylinders and straw walkers that utilize gravity to separate grain. In the 25 years following the release of the TR70 all major manufactures of combines introduced rotary harvesters.
This video shares the sights and sounds of the corn harvest in Southern Indiana with a TR70. Viewers will learn about this combines production history, specifications and original price tag. This video also takes viewers for a ride in the combine's cab.
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• The First Rotary Combi...

[@donevens4357]

Great video! I bought this same machine used in 1980 from a dealer in Rockfalls IL. It was so good. I got a lot of crap from all the JD, and IH guys, but I just did my own thing. One old farmer I knew stopped by when I was doing beans, and said, that is the cleanest sample I have ever seen! I said you are welcome!! PS, he had a 6620 JD.

[@joemcgrathagmachinesolutio6174]

I worked on these as a very young man in the 70s. They had a lot of capacity for the time, and they were easy to adjust. Grain quality was superb. Caterpillar engine was strong and reliable. The headers were.....let’s say crude, but, they would go all day. The header height control for the grain head was a lever that pivoted between two 3/8 bolts to close a ground circuit. When it went up or down, lights would dim. Hey, it worked.

[@glennspreeman1634]

many TR70's had Deere cornheads with an adapter. worked very well.

[@ArmpitStudios]

Still some of the coolest looking combines out there, much better style than modern.

[@bigtractorpower]

The TRs were cool combines. I want to find a TR95 to film next.

[@x3mperformace]

One thing blows my mind, completely, when i see these kind of machinery. The age... If i consider the new equipment, i doubt that any of them, will be running in 50+ years out into the feauture. But a lot of the machines built back in the 60's - 70's and 80's are still running to this day.

[@dontorgersen1908]

Bought one in 1976 with my brother. Actually was invited back to Grand Island to see the process of manufacturing. Had a twenty foot grain header and a pick up header as well. We raised wheat, barley and oats. Over the years did a lot of custom harvesting. Many great memories raising my family while cutting barley day and night! Enjoyed seeing the TR70 in action again! Thanks!

[@marksmith9142]

I bought corn ran through all 5 brands of combines. My favorite was from a New Holland. Just nice,clean shell corn!

[@scottphillips4992]

Had some neighbors that ran 3 TR 70's in the late 70's all the way through to about 2003 or 2004 when the dad retired.

[@vanstractors]

Well as long as he gets to the field in that newer truck , Those older pieces of equipment will surely run !Always good to see older equipment running and working !

[@howardkucera2389]

Nice seeing one in the field again. I ran one for many years and just a couple years ago I upgraded to a tr 86 6 row head. I enjoy both machines but the tr 86 is a nice upgrade in speed and performance. We use the tr86 for corn and soybeans.

[@scottpykare801]

It would be so awesome to be able to harvest with an older combine like this NH. I like the new equipment but the older has a special place. Thanks Jason 👍🏻

[@sergiomarin1793]

Wow super clean sample for a 1970s combine

[@meredith7735]

as someone who got interested in farming initially due to the crazy technology of combines, this video is the epitome of raw mechanical engineering. thank you for sharing all of the footage of this amazing machine!

[@austinmetro6317]

I'm a farmer , but i'm also very interested in engineering, other way around for me. Watching this particular video, i just realised how important and intrinsic engineering evolution is to the future of food production

[@andynieuwenhuis7833]

This old machine is A HANDS ON old fashioned fix a broken part do it yourself machine. It's alot nicer machine to work on THEN ANY OF THE NEW STUFF,with too many sensors and microchips; with a longer break down time for parts.

[@jameshill4900]

​@@andynieuwenhuis7833Only problem they have become obsolete. Parts are hard to find with many discontinued.

[@johnkillian4874]

I grew up watching the farmer near me use this combine for corn and beans across the street, for years i couldnt remember the model and this just took me straight back to being a kid! Thanks for sharing this jason and am now also following jacob on here!

[@3408kid]

thats a pretty clean sample i dont know if the new machines do any better great video!

[@tf7274]

10/10 on that sample...and back in the day you never wanted to arm wrestle these operators...turning that wheel all day your forearms would double up by the end of harvest.

[@samtalley791]

Nice to see this. TR70 was the last combine my grandpa had. 4 row wide corn head, in western KY.

[@excellent952]

Memories of neighbors using this machine. We were still using JD 7700 Turbo and later, IH 1480 in the 70's.

[@Military-Museum-LP]

It’s nice to be able to make a comment first hand experience. Yes we ran a TR 70 with a 3208 cat motor. It was a big machine for its time. Three weeks Into it’s first season we picked up a large chunk of a granite type rock. We had downed corn and no crop insurance. As much as possible the corn has to be harvested. The rock trap had failed to function and the rock was digested causing major frame damage that the rotors were so far off their mounts. The combine went to the selling dealer who advised us there would be no warranty even though he confirmed the Rock trap door was defective. We had to get an attorney and finally settled (cost of the machine , plus loss of the use of the machine during harvest ) out of court 14 months later. NH took the combine back and cut it up into pieces we were told. We went back to IH because at the peak of the accident we had no combine. The IH dealer helped us with a demo Axial Flow that we later purchased. Thanks for all your wonderful videos.

[@Military-Museum-LP]

By the way there were no granite deposits in that farm or anywhere near our area! It was never clear how it got in the middle of the field!

[@martyschwartz6729]

Bought my first combine this year, TR99. Definitely happy with it.

[@billz410]

Keep the classics comin', Jason!

[@johnkauppi7078]

Australian farmer here.I drove one of these for a neighbour in the 80's,no complaints.We ran a MF 850 on our place and the TR,though same size,was a much faster,as in big eater,machine than our Massey.They were much heavier on fuel with the 3208 Cat with a duration of 9-10 hours a tank,compared to the MFs 354 perkins, 12-13 hours on a smaller tank.The TR 70 was a fine machine.I thought of getting one myself but bought a Inter 1480 in the late 90's.

[@doylevermillion2475]

I have a TR 85 with an 8 row jd header! Great machine !

[@SimonKL11]

That's a cool combine😉👍 thanks for sharing👍👍

[@teresadroessler9872]

Thanks for the great video,the tr70 was my first diesel combine with a Ford turbo engine,a great machine,my first combine was a mf 300 2 row Chrysler slant 6 engine

[@williamdonovan8187]

The rotary thrashing system eliminated the need for side-hill combines because it worked even if the combine was not level from side to side.

[@jankotze1959]

Brilliant video Jason, enjoyed seeing this TR, awesome combine

[@dykemamechanical]

I combined a lot of acres with a TR70. Mine was a 1979 mode, purchased it in 1983l. I now have a TR98 and will be getting a CR in 2024. Great machines!

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. What model CR are you going with?

[@alanellis9158]

That had been a big combine in its day and it produced a decent sample too ! 4 rows against 12 or 16 rows nowdays!

[@charlesfuglie2491]

My grandpa had one of them. I rode in that many hours there. I remember distracting that one with a rock.

[@bigtractorpower]

The TR70 has a cool cab. All windows with the safety bar around the front window. Good memories.

[@adamreyling6505]

Thats interesting. I didn't know NH had the first rotary.

[@clintonstubbs2319]

I’ve never really seen many New Holland combines in Georgia. From what I understand, New Holland developed one of the first rotary combine harvesters.

[@bigtractorpower]

New Holland did bring the first rotary combine to market in 1975. The TR was a strong seller in the corn belt. The first 10 units were sold near where I live in Kentucky to a soybean seed farm replacing a fleet of John Deere 7700 combines.

[@obieacres4676]

Thankyou for acknowledging new holland for the first rotor and the first twin rotor

[@bigtractorpower]

I have been a TR fan since I was a kid. It was a great opportunity to film this TR70. I want to film a TR95 badly.

[@obieacres4676]

@@bigtractorpower not many tr95s around

[@chadshafer8095]

Great Video. Enjoy the Older Equipment that you video as much as the newer.

[@obieacres4676]

Love the video love the twin rotors. makes me sad you went to a Deere. I had a deere for 30 years and finally got a new holland. Kinda the opposite of your journey

[@jamesbarbour8400]

Still gets the job done and has doubtless paid for itself several times over, unlike todays combines, which cost in excess of a Million dollars with a header - just an insane amount of money for a machine that is continually depreciating in value.

[@bigtractorpower]

The combines built in the 70’s with proper care really hold up. Almost 50 years of service.

[@karolykovacs5009]

Very good parcel combine!

[@stevecunningham2759]

Thanks BTP!

[@jedadruled984]

We had a Clayson M103, that was a great machine.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. Thank you for sharing. Clayson came shortly after New Holland acquired the combine line.

[@jedadruled984]

@@bigtractorpower You sure ? The M103 was made early 60th. On youtube several videos about Clayson M103, also from my home country the Netherlands.

[@404nitro]

Pretty cool. Looks like he has a neat channel himself.

[@michaelstark703]

No sensors to fail in there, but a great yellow tree air freshener😂😂😂

[@bigtractorpower]

Just the classic buzzer wire system.

[@RJ1999x]

New Holland invented the twin rotor in 1975, 45 years later John Deere copies it

[@Hinesfarm-Indiana]

They copy everything

[@RJ1999x]

@@Hinesfarm-Indiana pretty much correct

[@RJ1999x]

@@Thebigtipper101 catchy, but very wrong

[@drizz786]

So they really are the apple of agriculture, Good to know.

[@RJ1999x]

@@Thebigtipper101 lol, you couldn't be further from the truth. Obviously didn't read the original post

[@davidkimmel4216]

Great machine

[@wingrider687]

I hope he owns the yard he keeps turning around in 😂

[@JacobsFarmLife]

we do lol

[@littlerougue]

I like when your turn around is the front yard

[@detroit6025]

Grandpa had a tr70 with the 3208 and 6 row corn head.

[@joaopedromoreira4185]

Uma pena a New Holland não ter comercializado esses rotores duplos aqui no Brasil

[@AJmx2702001]

IH dropped the twin rotor concept to stick with the axial flow and the engineer that was on the IH twin rotor took the idea with them to New Holland. The 1st versions of IH concept of twin rotor was based on the IH 234 Sheller Unit Rotor

[@FrequencyOfThought]

I recall a lot of farmers in Iowa snob nosing New Holland for whatever reason. Brand loyalty I suppose

[@paulcasefarms9933]

Boehn farms on youtube had a couple of them. Both of his were gear drive and one had a v8 gas motor.

[@jrofficialchannel3012]

Good

[@jamesjolly7406]

👋hey👋 from Dexter,Missouri

[@ericsmith1453]

I think you are correct was the first self propelled rotary, the first rotary machine to my knowledge was a pull type designed and built by a British Company by the name Slattery. It was very popular in South Africa in the sixties to nineties. I suspect the engineers over at International Harvester studied it closely.

[@daniedippenaar2224]

The Slattery combines was built at Potgietersrus, South Africa. They also designed and built machines for picking and shelling peanuts.

[@ericsmith1453]

@@daniedippenaar2224 Thanx for the info,It appears the International Harvester Axial Flow harvesters followed this design closely .

[@popswrench2]

tooo KooooooooooooooooooL!!!

[@popswrench2]

and SADLY , this is PERFECT appilication for a 3208 , except for the WEIGHT , and the "cheap CAT" sales point kept an otherwise JUNK engine in the market a decade longer .... AG and excavators , worked for its best farily constant RPM . after that , ugh . sure kept my wrenches turning 🤣😅😂

[@bradolsen8629]

I enjoyed this video very much but I will still be a green and yellow John Deere fan. Thank you grandpa

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching. The TR70 is a good combine but do are the John Deere combines.

[@tarheels100]

Looks to have just a touch of play in the stearing wheel after 50 years 😉

[@bigtractorpower]

It may. 5 decades in the field is a long time for a combine.

[@tarheels100]

@@bigtractorpower No kidding. Quite a career.

[@damjanr9497]

THANK YOU ....................🙏✌👍🙏 🤎💚💙

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@EDBZ28]

Great video and history. I always thought was odd that manufactures produced a 5 row corn head….never a 5 or 10 row planter. What was the more popular engine choice…Ford or CAT?

[@bigtractorpower]

The 5 row corn heads were used in seed corn harvesting. The male row is knocked out during the growing season. If you plant 12 rows of seed corn you harvest 10 rows and that is where the 5 row corn head came in handy. I would say CAT was more popular. I have come across more TR70’s with the 3208. The combine in this video has the CAT engine.

[@EDBZ28]

@@bigtractorpower very cool and great info! I never knew that about seed corn production and 5 row heads! A friend of mine from Alfred State college years back had a TR combine with 3208…he was from Penn yan and I think they sold it to a farmer in Canandaigua, NY. Not sure where it is now.

[@crestviewfarm5229]

Great video! You forgot about the 361 gas as an engine option. I don't think that many were made. The one that the KZbinr wanna be farmer currently owns is the only one I've ever seen.

[@Oliver66FarmBoy]

Wonder how many they built with the Ford diesel. I don’t think I have ever seen one in that series that wasn’t 3208 powered. Did even know it was offered as an engine option till just now.

[@JacobsFarmLife]

@@andrewbrown7831 We had two TR70s one with the v8 cat and one with ford 6 turbo. both hydrostatic

[@crestviewfarm5229]

Boehm Farm used to have one with the Ford diesel, and another with the Ford 361 gas.

[@charlesfuglie2491]

They had 3 options for engines. The 3208 cat and the Ford more than they had a gas they offered for a will too

[@jeanphilippecarrere3845]

J'ai ça grande sœur la TR 85 en France 🇨🇵

[@jamesjolly7406]

👍👍

[@Vip.kitty123]

Nice Jason. Why doesn't new Holland sell more combines

[@bigtractorpower]

New Holland sells allot of combines in Europe. According to New Holland they sell 1 in four combines produced works wide.

[@Vip.kitty123]

@@Thebigtipper101 nice to know.

[@Vip.kitty123]

@@bigtractorpower thanks for the info Jason

[@iahawk36]

Several of my neighbors ran these growing up. Great machine for harvesting, but they all had a bad habit of catching fire!

[@terenceblanchette9059]

You had to keep the engine compartment clean, especially with the Cat engine. Because of the V8 configuration the turbo was on the back side close to the sheet metal. Chaff would build up around the turbo and catch fire. I owned TR 70's and never had an issue. It happens to JD combines quite often too. Again safety and maintenance.

[@Hinesfarm-Indiana]

I was wondering who first made the rotor combine, I think it was 77 or 78 when gleaner made the first transverse rotor.

[@bigtractorpower]

Here is the Rotary Combine time line New Holland 1975 International 1977 Gleaner 1979 White 1979 Massey Ferguson 1985 ( Acquired White) CLAAS 1995 John Deere 2000

[@Hinesfarm-Indiana]

@@bigtractorpower ok awesome, thanks.

[@alancopper7866]

Minneapolis Moline had the first rotary cylinder in the corn sheller before any one else had there's.

[@Hinesfarm-Indiana]

@@alancopper7866 was that a pull type?

[@robwar2288]

I always thought IH was first! Never thought about NH! Wow!

[@fonderrobert1]

My younger brother @organicdairyman runs a TR98 New Holland combine

[@user-cj5zm1dg8y]

Good morning sir I need this type of machine how can I get your information

[@jensandersen2176]

In the Ford Museum in Detroit, there is a TR 70 with a V8 gas engine. I am not sure what brand that engine is,

[@IG10705]

Most likely it's the Ford engine option they had

[@paulofrancisco565]

👍👍👏👏👏

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you Paulo.

[@donaldcathey1358]

We run 2 TR 70 3208 cat corn soybean wheat milo

[@Gs-sv6pw]

Note he said FIRST !!!!! The TR70 sits in the Hebert Ford museum.

[@Gs-sv6pw]

Henry Ford

[@bigtractorpower]

The TR70 is the first rotary combine. The model in this video of course is not serial number one nor do I want to portray it as number. This video is intended to give the history of the TR70 combine and its significance in threshing. I did film the serial number one International 1460 Axial-Flow a few years ago harvesting soybeans. That video is titled Serial Number One IH 1460. The 1460 the IH’s first rotary combine in 1977.

[@duggydo]

When I saw the thumbnail, I thought maybe you had filmed Wes Pandy harvesting.

[@bigtractorpower]

No he has sold his TR70s. He harvests with a TR96 which is another cool Twin Rotor.

[@duggydo]

@@bigtractorpower I know. I just saw the yellow combine on my phone and thought of him. Good video. Thanks for making these. You do really good work on the filming and research.

[@user-cj5zm1dg8y]

Hello sir please I want to buy this machine I need this type of machine how can I get your information

[@cementer7665]

I do NOT think this was the first New Holland Twin Rotor combine, IIRC, their first TR Series were RED, with Yellow trim, and came out in the late 1960's. I am thinking that the Model number of the first was something like TR-65, and the ads first appeared in magazines like Farm Journal and Successful Farming. The New Holland dealer at Springfield, NE had one of these red and yellow combines that set on his lot for several years unsold, and at one point, my uncle went to look at it, but the dealer would not come down off the original price, so it stayed there.

[@bigtractorpower]

The New Holland’s in the 60’s were the 975, 985 and 995. There were conventional combines. They were painted red with yellow cabs. I really really want to film one of those classics.

[@jameshill4900]

​​@@bigtractorpowerThere is also the 1400 I believe is the same but with diesel motor? Neighbour has one low hours that was stored as a spare. Unfortunately he pulled it out for room and likely it will deteriorate outside like my dad's old 985 has. I remember back then all the metric bolts but it was a nice combine in it's day. Great video as always.

[@woodwelder]

I thought New Idea was the first to use a Rota ..?

[@dykemamechanical]

PS... this is basically a small version of the x9....

[@bigtractorpower]

Just about 50 years early 😁

[@interman7715]

Here's a bit of trivia ,IHC had been perfecting and developing the rotary combine since the early 60s and had invested over $100,000,000,00 in the concept. Some IHC engineers defected to NH and taken the technical drawings with them ,NH rushed the twin rotor( to get around the IHC patent) into production to beat IHC .A court battle ensued and IHC was awarded a settlement for NH's infringement.

[@interman7715]

@bigtractorpower. Thanks for the video buddy, good to see these classics at work 👍

[@williammay5300]

No sound

[@bigtractorpower]

I am not sure why you are not hearing the sound. I just played the entire 14 minutes on KZbin and it has full sound. Is mute on your KZbin sound key?

[@Hinesfarm-Indiana]

I’ve got sound

[@williammay5300]

@@bigtractorpower it's better now

[@bigtractorpower]

@@williammay5300 good to hear. 👍👍. Thank you for watching.

[@ikonseesmrno7300]

@@bigtractorpower I've noticed that, as of late, freshly uploaded YT videos seem to be lacking their sound for a few minutes after posting. Have no idea why that is. Just hope it gets fixed. Hope you had a great Christmas, Jason & have a great New Year!! Regards!

[@dana9265]

Oh, my the good old days when men and women actually had to run equipment not like nowadays, you just sit back and do nothing pretty much

[@derekcrago2197]

Does that farmer even make a profit using vintage equipment???🤷🏼‍♂️

[@bigtractorpower]

Sure they do. This farm has a smaller at acreage of corn as they focus on fresh vegetable and hay production. The corn is part of the rotation and the TR70 covers the acres they have in corn well. Plus the farmer enjoys running this combine.

[@garybarrett6581]

what a stupid remark!!!!!!!

[@AlreadyShort]