Hesston 6610 Swather

In this video we spend time in the field with a 1978 Hesston 6610 Swather. This video shares the sights and sounds of the swather in the field, the 6610's specifications and the history of Hesston Swathers.
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• Hesston 6610 Swather

[@mitchf1508]

Slant six power and open door A/C! Classic and kudos to the farmer still running that old iron.

[@bigtractorpower]

👍👍

[@2008truckman]

Love the history and the old school iron that still works

[@bigtractorpower]

I like finding these classics still in action.

[@leesteele9290]

Owned one identical to that except it had a 14 foot head in mid to late 80's mowed a lot of hay with it was pretty big machine for its time ! Unfortunately lost it in a machine shed fire . The instant I saw this brought back a lot of memories . Thanks for the time travel back!!!!

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for sharing. Sorry to hear about your fire.

[@leesteele9290]

Yeah I hated it ,that little slant six is a tough little motor ,got used in a lot of machines similar to that for quite a while ! Also in a lot of cars and trucks too!

[@Ticky66MN]

Those were very popular when I grew up on our WI dairy farm in the 70's and 80's. Thanks for sharing.

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching. It was a great time in farming.

[@cadensullins9302]

Great to see these old machines still at work thanks for sharing!!

[@bigtractorpower]

I like find classics like this 6610

[@RickyMyers-g9m]

Stubborn old workhorse doesn't want to retire!...NICE!!!🐎🐎✅️💯💯💯💯💯⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍👍👍👍👍

[@brentreid7031]

WOW !!! There is a machine that has been well looked after and maintained. The header runs as smooth as silk eh. Great video I really enjoyed that thank you.

[@bigtractorpower]

This was a neat find. Thank you for watching.

[@falcon9158]

The ol fashion a/c prop the door open! Haha I love it thanks for making these videos

[@bigtractorpower]

😁👍

[@phalanx3803]

love seeing that on point turning.

[@AgricultureINDIA-91]

Great video and nice chopping machine! Thanks for sharing!

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@Jared-91]

Awesome vintage machine 70s-80s farm equipment is so cool

[@bigtractorpower]

It sure is. I like trying to capture this machine history still in action.

[@robertsmith4040]

Another great of a classic AG implement.

[@bigtractorpower]

It’s always fun finding classic 70’s iron still going strong.

[@bigmeech1629]

This was before my time. But I love hearing the history and seeing it work.

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching. I was 2 years old when the 6610 was new. It is fun for me to film a machine like this because I have only ever viewed it in old sales brochures.

[@earlyriser8998]

just saw one of these in a field and glad to see the history of this machine

[@mrourcanada8964]

That’s awesome to see that old swatter out there working away it sounds really good to the slant six engines those things and just run forever

[@bigtractorpower]

The slant 6 was a popular engine as a gasoline option in the 60’s and 70’s for swathers and combines. I think a few self propelled choppers might have used them as well.

[@jdboy2397]

I really enjoy hearing about the history of these companies. Especially ones that has changed hands like Heston. Great video!

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching. I like sharing history when I can.

[@danrose3233]

It's amazing that Hesston is still operating after being kicked around so much by the big boys. They still produce a quality hay tool products.

[@easchit]

Great video featuring a cool little machine.

[@bigtractorpower]

It was a neat classic to find.

[@foxacresfarm7595]

Great to see some interesting old iron still at it in the fields!

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching. I like finding these classics.

[@brodyschroeder91]

My grandpa has an old HESSTON 6650 swather pretty similar to the one in the video. Still a pretty neat machine I think. Still get the job done for sure. Cool video!

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. If I recall correctly the 6650 replaced the 6610 and had an autumn prime color cab instead of white.

[@hughwhaley3179]

Great old machines 👍

[@bigtractorpower]

I like finding classics like this to share. Thank you for watching.

[@pawelpablo898]

I am not a farmer but somehow after watching this i want to hop in that machine and do the thing all day long :) Really like those videos and this narrative is awesome :)

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching. I am not a farmer myself but I enjoy being out in the field with these machines.

[@IH100]

One sweet swather!

[@bigtractorpower]

I like finding 1970’s iron still in action.

[@alfredhitchlock501]

I spent many hours in swathers but my allergies wouldn't let me run that machine with the door open. Nice video. Appreciate the history.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. What was your favorite swather to run?

[@alfredhitchlock501]

@@bigtractorpower well I spent a lot of time in a caseih 8840, then a hesston 8200 and 8400 and I enjoyed that but when I got in a John Deere 4890 with a power reverser to kick out the plugs, oh man! And a heater for running into the night. All in a big ol 9000 series combine cab. All the brands are similar now but that 4890 and 4990 were game changers.

[@motorcop555]

That is a sweet old school machine! Looks like it still does a great job!

[@bigtractorpower]

I like finding these classics.

[@Zomsky]

Slant-six! My first car was an Aussie Chrysler Valiant with the Slant-six, we also had a couple of Dodge farm trucks fitted with the same engine (rebadged International Harvester trucks). Great video Jason, always learn something from you!

[@bigtractorpower]

Classic engine for sure. J.I. Case also used these engines too.

[@HerrHalmakenreuter]

nice video , thumps up

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@johnblanchard1592]

Drove one of these in Lincolnshire UK cutting peas for vining in 1974 and 1975 nice to drive and wonderful can. Fond memories

[@bigtractorpower]

That is cool. I grew up watching FMC LV pea combines. The farm near my parents house had 6 LVs pulled by IH 1066 tractors and used IH swathers. I have a Hesston 6400 pea mower sales brochure. What brand of pea combine and tractor did you use.

[@johnblanchard1592]

@@bigtractorpower In the late sixties and early seventies peas for freezing was big business in many parts of the UK. The Viners we used were Mather and Platt which were made in Manchester UK. Pulled by mainly Muir hill or county tractors. Regards from Lincolnshire uk

[@crslyrn]

Alway enjoy watching the old equipment working out in the fields. As always, good information on the machine & the company. Stay safe.

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@Streicher.27]

Always nice to see such machines at work, here in Germany we do not have such machines. We have the Krone Big M. Greetings from Germany

[@JS-1983]

You don't use Fortschritt swathers anymore in Germany? 😄

[@bigtractorpower]

The Krone Big M is one impressive machine. It is popular here in the United States as well. When this 6610 was on the market in 1978 the owner of one was a big time mower. They would not have imagined the capabilities of a Big M 41 years ago.

[@Streicher.27]

@@JS-1983 Here in west germany they do not exist, but maybe still in eastern germany. But very rarely 😃

[@Streicher.27]

@@bigtractorpower I can well imagine. That's how it was here too 😃

[@JS-1983]

@@Streicher.27 That's what i was supposing, it's not powerful, reliable, economical or comfy enough for todays need. I have seen couple Fortschritt forage harvesters in Finland, and i think here is few Fortschritt swathers also, they were never sold here as new, but some ones has imported those by themselves, maybe some friends of eastern-block machines 😄 Not sure are those in active-use or just hobby-use on today.

[@Eddie_Schantz]

I put on a ton of hours in one of these swathers in the 1980's. Was really a good machine. It had the Chrysler slant 6 gas engine that he spoke about in this video. The one we ran also had a very good AC system that could run you out of there on the hottest day if it was working right.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool.

[@NorthViewModelShop]

Great video. The buying and selling and changing owner ships of the company’s got my head spinning

[@bigtractorpower]

They have all crossed paths over the years. Lots of history.

[@Tommy-vh7xj]

Great video again was not sure about the history of hesston thank you

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@derrickzenner9300]

Thanks for the history. Very interesting. Iowa is beautiful. I have many hours in a hesston 8200 14' cutting alfalfa. It also had the double windrower attachment which saved alot of time before hay mergers became popular.

[@bigtractorpower]

That’s very cool.

[@brentfarrow8125]

Great video thanks again.😎

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@alexanderstange231]

How is it that you're able to isolate the drone noise from the equipment noise while capturing drone footage? That's really interesting!

[@AgriVidsProductions]

Because like me, he uses the audio from normal camera footage. And overlays it on the drone footage

[@bigtractorpower]

Unfortunately a drone cannot pick up sound expect for its own whirring flight blades. While the drone is flying I film the same sequence and then use the sound to match up exactly to the action viewed from the sky. I started doing this about 5 years ago. It sure makes the airiel footage more enjoyable.

[@AgriVidsProductions]

@@bigtractorpower and is alot better than trying to use music

[@gonerydin4225]

Welcome to Iowa!

[@bigtractorpower]

I filmed several machines on my visit to Iowa.

[@johntoothman4888]

Getting pretty good with the drone footage!!!!

[@bigtractorpower]

My friend John filmed the drone footage of the 6610. He does a good job.

[@FishOnIsMyHandle]

oh the memories

[@bigtractorpower]

👍👍

[@riskikewes7930]

old and small but very usefull👌

[@bigtractorpower]

In 1978 this was big time mowing. It was neat to find this swather still in action. Thank you for watching.

[@piperdoug428]

Wow what a clean survivor machine, i bet nothing made today will still be running in 41yrs.

[@bigtractorpower]

All of the computers and electronics on a 2019 machine are great in the present but most likely will not allow machines to hold up decades.

[@scottthornton3427]

Lots of good info!

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@cinchbuckle]

We had a 6610 up til about 6 years ago it had the Perkins diesel and a 14 ft header growing alfalfa in Nevada. I noticed they didn't have the conditioner rollers on; are they going to be chopping this?

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool that you a 6610. I think this field was round baled. I was only in the area two days so I could not follow up to see the next step.

[@sharpshooter7127]

Neat machine never seen one being used.

[@wyattsimpson6810]

Yes finally a HESSTON video. I have a question did HESSTON sell out to Massey Ferguson before it went to Agco

[@embassypictures.5629]

Wyatt Simpson hesston was sold by fiat to agco in 1991, three years before agco bought massey ferguson.

[@bigtractorpower]

I like Hesston. As I find the machines I share them. Hesston sold to Fiat and then Fiat sold to AGCO. AGCO bought Massey in 1994 and that is where Hesston and Massey be and linked. In the 1980’s Massey offered a swather and that machine was built by MacDon.

[@wyattsimpson6810]

@@bigtractorpower thanks. I was all was told growing up that HESSTON sold out to Massey Ferguson and then both went to Agco

[@bigtractorpower]

Wyatt Simpson no Fiat owned Hesston from 1978-1991. They had to sell it because they acquired New Holland in 1991 which was the largest producer of hay tools. If Fiat had owned both New Holland and Hesston they would had a monopoly on hay tools. AGCO as a new company bought Hesston to have a hay tool offering. AGCO then bought Massey to have a finance company to offer credit to buy farm equipment. Massey had a large credit company.

[@joeclarkson3642]

Great video could you do a video on Hesston tractors

[@marlauesc]

That would be great! We have 2 Fiatagri ( Hesston) one 100-90 Dt and one 90-90Dt verry good Tractors whitout any major Problems.

[@bigtractorpower]

Yes. I did one on a Hesston 1580 DT tractor last year. I just filmed an F110 which made a brief cameo in this video. As I locate Hesston tractors to film I will defiantly feature them.

[@JS-1983]

@@bigtractorpower Didn't knew F-series (Winner-series in Europe) Fiat/Hesston tractors were sold in USA. Never have seen 2wd F-series/ Winner-series tractor, i think all Fiats from that series were fwa-models in Europe. Is there 94-series Hesston tractors sold in the USA?

[@marlauesc]

@@bigtractorpower your a little bit far away to film my Fiats😉 Love your Channel. Greatings from Luxemburg Europe

[@AgrooTarm]

Nice video 👍👏

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@rightsideofthegrass8114]

Our farm has an early Hesston swather (we called it a windrower). I think we bought the first one around 1960, maybe 1961. I do not recall the model number. It resembled the model #100 you showed. It was a mechanical ground drive, using two belts, one to drive each wheel. Handles on the open station either engaged the belts to a jackshaft to move forward, or engaged them to a reverse jackshaft to go backward. The right hand control also moved side to side. It controlled a variable sheave driver pulley - changing its driving diameter slightly to "fine tune" ground direction. A slight change in pulley diameter meant the right wheel was either speeded up, or slowed down slightly, adjusting the direction. It was an open station. It had one trailing wheel, on the left side. I found a pic from Hesston, Model 220 looked like it. It used drapers, not augers, with a tine pickup reel. And, in digging around, I found a pic of a Case 1150 that also looks similar - a pic posted by, ... wait for it, ... BigTractorPower. I do not recall the engine that was used, but it was less than 50hp, definitely gasoline. Our model was 10 ft, maybe 12 ft. We used it to swath grass seed crops - ryegrass, fescue. The swath would lay for drying from 1-5 weeks before a combine, with pickup attachment, would harvest the seed. A really good day, we could cover 80A. It replaced (3) New Idea 7ft sickle mowers, pulling tine swathers. We pulled each with tractors, Case VA, Case 400, Cockshutt 40, PTO driven. In a good day, we could cut down 80A with the three mowers, about the same as the Hesston windrower.

[@bigtractorpower]

Awesome history to read. Yes Hesston and J. I. Case worked together in the 60’s. And very early 70’s. Hesston provided Case with pull type hay swathers, self propelled swathers and grain windrowers. Then 26 years later Case IH acquired 50% of Hesston to gain a full line of hay tools.

[@rightsideofthegrass8114]

​@@bigtractorpower I have lots more stories to tell about the swathing operations. I left the farm in late 60s. The farm expanded greatly, and I think Hesston windrowers remained the primary machine for swathing the grass seed crops. At one point, five machines were on the farm. Timing is critical in getting the swathing done. The machines are not used for an extended time, but used hard to get the crop into windrows quickly.

[@Mr.Badger69]

nice video we have a hesston 1120 or something like that but it is a pull behind that takes up the whole road where we are

[@bigtractorpower]

Neat to have a big pull type.

[@Mr.Badger69]

@@bigtractorpower yes it is

[@udo5479]

Pretty cool old style Iron...

[@bigtractorpower]

I like finding nice classics to feature still in action.

[@garyzehr4445]

My first windrower was a Hesston 1010. It had a Wisconsin 4 cyl gas engine 2 levers to steer and 3 wheels. No cab so about July- August you would sweat out couple quarts of water because the engine was right behind you. But it was a good runnimg machine.

[@bigtractorpower]

Those were the days. All these classics interest me from sales brochures I have in them. But it’s always cool to hear operators stories on how they ran.

[@jmurphy1973]

The leaning tower of power aka the slant 6

[@bigtractorpower]

The slant 6 was poplar in combines and swather in the 60’s and 70’s.

[@RB-gk1fi]

Nice video great too see good old equipment running in the field today. Hesston is a big name for dairy farms around central illinos. But I hope you make an ih swather video in the futur 😁

[@bigtractorpower]

This Hesston was a neat find. I am a big IH 5000 fan. I hope I can find a 5000 or 4000 to film some day.

[@dingui875]

Génial!!!!!

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@joelknierim1456]

Did these swathers use a sickle bar cutting method? Did they have conditioning rolls? We cut hay right now with an old Hesston 1090. Wondered if this is the same cutting method, just self propelled and wider. The old 1090 just cut shoulder high first cutting hay very well- slow and steady.

[@bigtractorpower]

Yes the header is the same as a pull type. The pull type swing frame uses the same header. They just plug in on a swing frame or self propelled to reduce manufacturing cost.

[@RyTrapp0]

Man, getting that history lesson only puts the spotlight on how sad it is that independent manufacturers just don't really exist today. There's a small handful out there, but it's just impossible to compete against these global conglomerates of today if you don't specialize your product line pretty heavily(and, if you do that successfully, then be prepared to get bought out by one of the conglomerates; not that I would EVER blame a business owner for selling should they choose to, that's an EARNED opportunity). You just can't help but be impressed with today's pretty incredible ag equipment, but there's certainly something to be said for the independents that today's global conglomerates are standing on the shoulders of. In fact, it's pretty impressive that Deere has remained, as a brand, independent; though I think we all know that they've only managed to do that by themselves turning into a conglomerate by buying up a lot of the real independents. Can't blame them though, gotta do what it takes to survive, and to Deere's credit they've stayed ahead of the curve. Awesome old machine! I can only imagine that the Perkins powered ones are somewhat rare given that it was another ~10% premium over the WAY too cool slant-6 that, frankly, is all the engine that this kind of machine really needs.

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching and sharing.

[@albertwilliams8919]

Those slant 6 motors was hard to beat back deen,,they was very reliable doing that time!!

[@bigtractorpower]

The slant 6 was a popular engine in swathers and combines back in the 60’s and 70’s as a gasoline option. Thank you for watching.

[@MatthewHoag77]

This machine is definitely bigger than any of the mowers (sickle or disk) that my relatives have owned over the years. For its time, it was a big improvement over other models and designs. My guess is that a modern discbine/mo-co would probably run circles around it, but that's a little bit of anachronistic contrast. As others have said, it's nice to see the older style machines at work, especially as so many of them have become obsolete and/or harder to find.

[@bigtractorpower]

This 6610 was big time 40 years ago. The disc mower changed everything for speed. Pull types came first and swathers did not adapt from sickle/reel mowers to disc mowers until the later 90’s.

[@markstengel7680]

41 year old machinery, fantastic. Self propelled to me means no driver/operator's in the cab as it follows the gps layout of the field. Nice seeing something different in the ag machinery library. 🚜👍

[@bigtractorpower]

Self Propelled 50 years meant no tractor needed to power or pull the implement. In the 1960’s self propelled combines, Forage harvesters snd swathers were gaining market share.

[@douglasmarlin1585]

Interesting power plant choice

[@valentusslimroast6716]

nice

[@farminwithfergusons]

did the farmer ask why you what to video this old machine for. glad ya did

[@bigtractorpower]

The farmer is a classic iron fan. He texts me videos of his machines quite often. He runs two Allis-Chalmers round bakers still. It’s a cool farm I hope to get to film at more. It’s 10 hours from me so filming chances are limited but no need to explain to the farmer why I want to see his machines. He wants to share them as much as I want to film them.

[@noelhohberger1188]

What brings you up too Northeast Iowa?

[@bigtractorpower]

The Summer Farm Toy Show in Dyersville.

[@noelhohberger1188]

@@bigtractorpower oh ha why didn't I think of that

[@jacksonmcwhiney8185]

Man missed this video but I am not complaining about this swather. Here in north Louisiana this is all we see are hesston forage equitment.

[@bigtractorpower]

Hesston has a great history of solid machines.

[@endaandtom]

I can’t find the full video of the fiat f110 on KZbin

[@darrenpickens7147]

Didn't these machines have conditioning rollers like in a haybine?

[@bigtractorpower]

They do.

[@keiterfarms5470]

We use to have one of these about 6 years ago and got rid of it because it was getting tired and ended up buying a new holland h8060

[@bigtractorpower]

Big step up in power and speed to an H8060. Some day I hope to film some classic New Holland Speedrowers.

[@keiterfarms5470]

@@bigtractorpower It was a big step up we went from the sickle head to a disk machine and wow there was a big difference between the 2 of them

[@kutzeeuw]

Rember the time that i work on the dry factory for gras and clover early 80s they had 1 brand new john deere zwad mower 1 of the first in Europe. The rest al hestons. But relplaced by the newer deers whit the sg2 cab.

[@bigtractorpower]

Neat history. I did not know swathers were used in Europe.

[@kutzeeuw]

@@bigtractorpower in the 70s when i whas a young kid there where 2 dry factorys . Botht use Heston mowers. Only tractor brand where diffrent.the factorys become one when one burn down to the ground They switcht from the Heston to first one deere.then on a moment they had 5 jd mowers all whit the sg2 cabine. After the jd they make the switch to krone.wide mower and high speed. Watch here on you tube from tractorspotter.he make a video of the harvester a jd 9600 whit a articulate container system. The factory is just 10 miles from my home.

[@nickolausvandever-moore2708]

If you're ever in kansas you're more than welcome to film my 6550 which is the bigger newer brother/sister to the 6610

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you. That would be very cool to see. I hope to get to KS at some point.

[@augustreil]

That field looks like it needs some over-seeding and fertilizer ? Is that the same engine that came in the Dodge Dart and similar cars ? Great vid and thumbs up BTP !

[@bigtractorpower]

It is a bottom field below a big hill do most likely it has water on it in the winter which thinned out spots. Yes it is the same engine as the Dart.

[@ronmeier8850]

The Plymouth Volare', Valiant, & Duster/Dodge Aspen & Dart these vehicles had the 225 slant 6 option as it was n arguably still is one of their best built motors!

[@jimsteele7108]

I suppose ac would be nice in that cab.

[@bigtractorpower]

It would. Sometimes that’s a challenge with a 40 year old machine.

[@ethylhexyphthalate]

Why would one prefer a swather over a moco?

[@bigtractorpower]

A swather can run over the ground faster and turn around tighter. In modern terms a 2019 swather will cover 15 acres an hour while a pull type will cover 8 acres.

[@MrTrashmasterfx]

Did that old head have dreaps instead of an auger ? Could not really see

[@bigtractorpower]

The 1955 model 100 used canvas. This 6610 was standard with augers.

[@chadhulstein5661]

I always coveting this machine when I was cutting hay in the 80s 😬

[@bigtractorpower]

👍👍. What did you cut hay with back then?

[@yesno3274]

Hi

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@jankotze1959]

I admire MF for keeping their name despite all mergers, where-as Ford lost there their name in tractors through mergers, I love NH but is not a Ford, it's only the blue that give me the flash-backs of my beloved Ford range of tractors,

[@bigtractorpower]

I have a video featuring a FORD 9700 on the way.

[@IOWNA11]

Commentator sounds like Joel Kinnaman.

[@samrugtiv3839]

Looks like that old boy has a lot of weeds in that crop.

[@bigtractorpower]

It is a cover crop. They are cutting it off to plant the next crop. It just holds the soil over the winter.

[@Vadados]

Back when hesston was good. Then the 8100 came out and it was down hill from there

[@bigtractorpower]

What was not good on the 8100?

[@stanleybaker3400]

Yikes it's a UFO aaaaaaaaaaaaah lol