John Deere 55 EB Combine Harvesting Soybeans

[@constructionwatcher5381]

It's great to see the 55 in action, and the Farmall M in the background too. We had two 55's on our farm in the Sacramento Valley in California in the 1950's and early 60's. They were a decade at least older than this one, and of course didn't have cabs. They had the rounded rear ends as mentioned in the video. Ours were initially used to harvest barley, but when the two-row Orland header was developed in Orland, California, we started raising corn and harvested it with the 55's too. It was a simple sickle-bar header with some additions to help the cut stalks feed into the combine. So most of the stalk went into the combine and had to be separated from the grain. When John Deere introduced their corn header, which snapped the ears off the stalks and left most of the stalks on the ground, we switched to them. We also raised dry beans (Sutter Pinks) but the 55 wasn't so good as thrashing them. So my dad bought an old JD 36 pull type harvester and had it modified to add a second cylinder to better thrash the beans. We used that until he and a partner bought a locally made bean harvester that was considerably bigger. It was still a pull type, but powered by a Ford V-8 truck engine, and was equipped with 120-volt electric lights to better see at night since harvesting ran well into the dark hours. Us kids didn't get to spend much time on the harvester because we needed be in bed early in order to get up at 2:00 or 3:00 am to cut and rake the beans when the dew was on so they wouldn't shell out. They were cut off their roots so they could dry enough to thrash in a few days.

[@gleanerk]

No computers here , just grease n drive ! Had one ,awesome combine for its time ! Thanks for sharing,very much enjoyed watching!

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@mrourcanada8964]

It’s a beautiful combine it’s awesome to see someone that still takes care of it still use it

[@bigtractorpower]

It is a great classic. This era of John Deere really stands out.

[@berniemarkley]

My dad bought a JD 45 in 1963 to farm a 1000 acre farm he had rented. I was 6 at the time. At that time, he was the only farmer in our area of East Central IL to own a self propelled combine. Everyone else was still pulling a combine and an ear corn picker. His next purchase was a JD 95 EB and finally by 1970, he had purchased a JD 105. That was really something at the time! I think that one had a 6 row corn head on it. Great memories!!

[@peteschiavoni]

Love seeing older equipment out in the field.

[@bigtractorpower]

Me too. It’s always great to get to feature a good classic.

[@MedicineYandere]

My grandfather had 2 of these when I was little, used one with a grain head for beans and wheat, and another with a 3 row corn head. He had 2 of them so he didn't have to change the heads (was not a quick attach feederhouse). Later he upgraded to a 4420, which he used until he retired 5 years ago

[@jeremyswindell2330]

they were deffinly hard to change heads lol!

[@AnglesideFarm]

@@jeremyswindell2330 yes they were, my brother got his finger crushed putting that block and pin in....then again I guess he had it where it shouldn’t have been.

[@veerpalkaur6035]

9mķ p@@jeremyswindell2330 Thanksgjpp

[@Aussie_Witchy_Woman71]

The 55 combine was the first combine I remember my grandpa using when I was a little girl. I remember riding with him for years during harvest.

[@markhaas9265]

Our first combine was a JD 45 back in the early 1970's. She was gas powered and every rut or rock your tire hit you were sure you were going over. Ran a lot of corn through her here in Northeast Ohio.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. Thank you for sharing.

[@kennethheck3362]

We got a 45 when I was 5 years old 53 years ago. So I used one growing up. You had a rod to pull out the lower the screen down. If you remembered. LOL thanks for sharing

[@jimsteele7108]

Slow and steady wins the race!

[@markreetz1001]

Pretty cool, I like learning about first generation stuff. Considering how much combining is the same, it's amazing how much combines have changed.

[@cathiwim]

Watching Sonne Farms, and how fast they can go thru their fields, and Cole the Cornstar has a head on his combine thats 45 feet wide, with a vacuum for the beans, im just flabbergasted at the improvements!

[@davidmarley9471]

There were several 55 series combines in our farming area mid-60s well into the 70s. My earliest 55 memory was a guy who had an EB just like this that did custom work. Dad had a regular job and hired out the custom guy for harvesting soybeans. I remember him going significantly faster than this one, but as was pointed out, yields are higher. We used to average 40 BPA soybeans, but offsetting this it must be remembered they weren’t perfectly weed free like today. Between herbicides and cultivation, we still had foxtail and some assorted broad leaves the combine had to eat as well.

[@bigtractorpower]

Great history. Thank you for sharing. The projected IL for 2021 on beans is 64 bu. The central area sees 70-90 bu beans where this was filmed. This 55 has it work cut out.

[@regunter6599]

The first combine I ever operated was a 55 B gas John Deere, I think it was about a 1957 model. I think it had a 9' header. I also ran a 95 B. The 55 had a 2 row corn head, the 95 had a four row and I think a 13' header. That was back when good wheat might make 45 or 50 bushels per acre and corn might hit just over 100 bushels. The same farm now will hit 90 bushel wheat and 250 bushel corn all the time. I can't remember now exactly what early beans and late beans would yeild but it was nothing like now. Both those combines were open stations, late beans and corn was just awful.

[@Edward-tp5nc]

In my area you don’t see these old machines. Rarely. I recall this model my Dad had with AC. He later got the big 105. My uncles already had 2-105s for four of them who farmed together. The the bigger 7700s came out and as a boy I was like wow! This is something else. I loved the farm life in those days. So much better culturally then.

[@SimonKL11]

It's cool to see the classic machines in the field👍😁 the good old iron gets the job done too😉👍

[@bdp3502]

Almost forgot how fast those ol things could go 😂.

[@leeforeman3656]

Great video BTP. I dont think many of today's machines will be running in there 50s. Allways good to see the classics.

[@farmshoffman8475]

Great awesome video Jason , we had John Deere 55 open station combine , we only used it cause we had 30 acres of winter wheat or oats or barley when we seeded down on the farm ,

[@remmiemax3624]

Brings back memories of the Gleaner C. Great to see old iron at work. BTW, Great interview with Welker's at Farm Progress. Great title, WIKI Jason!

[@dependsonwhoyouask9574]

I love your channel, I put my 18 month old old son to bed watching them every night! He says TRACTOR vroom vroom, and he loves every video!!! Plus your narrations are really good, very informational!

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for posting. I am glad your son is enjoying the videos too.

[@dependsonwhoyouask9574]

You’re very welcome, your channel is wonderful. I grow table grapes and we only have smaller tractors, max 110 hp and they don’t compare with the big tractors with big hp, I grow some grasses for sheep I have and I have a John Deere 6510, I wish I had more acreage, I would definitely try to find an articulating 4x4 and I would use your videos for scouting out the models I like the most!

[@carlosalbertoorozcorizo9720]

There Is a movie that I never get tired of watching... A race against the harvest... Here come model 95 AND 8820 titan ll combines... Great movie, like if you have seen it

[@bigtractorpower]

Best movie ever. I remember watching it in 1986 as the CBS Friday Movie of the week. Back then on TV it was called American Harvest. The best part of the whole show is when the 8820 combines come rolling down the road into the field. Back then they were brand new and looked huge.

[@bryanbishop806]

First self propelled combine my dad had a 55H it I believe was the first year JD offered a factory leveling system for hills in Eastern Washington and North Idaho. It was replaced by a 95H and later a 6602, 02 was a 6600 with a factory installed leveling. There were 55 combines brought into the area earlier than 55, remember a rack and pinion system installed on a early 50s 55 simular to the systems on the pull machines. Nice video brings back some memories.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. Thank you for watching. I would like to film some of the Hill Side combines. I would really like to find a 6602 or 7722 harvesting. I have collected all the Deere Hill Side literature from the 95H to the 7722.

[@bryanbishop806]

@@bigtractorpower your best bet could be a Facebook group Hilside Combine Harvesters. There's quite a group that have kept or have restored vintage machines of of all kinds. Including G,C, and MH machines.a few really dated Harris weren't that many sold, plus JD and I H machines a place to connect with owners and enthusiasts.

[@Ham68229]

I personally never ran one however, been around them plenty of times in operation. In many ways, I believe these old iron machines are still far superior to those of today. Less complications with them compared to all the fancy stuff of today.

[@bigtractorpower]

The new machines have lots of ability with technology. These classics will run for ever if you can find parts.

[@shiestytrey6897]

Big tractor power deserve all the thx. Cause he getting out there n the hot sun & in all that dust jus to flim for us.

[@JuggernautSam]

It was fun to see the modern Case working in the background as this old beauty crawled along. Really shows how far it's all come.

[@bigtractorpower]

It is interesting to see how much more modern combines to cover.

[@jeremyswindell2330]

i had a 95 at one time! good machine! Thanks for sharing

[@vintageironfarms]

Some of my fondest early memories as a child was our 45 model with cab... which I believe was very rare. Very few 45s seemed to have a cab vs the 55 and 95. $10,323 new purchase price... Wow!

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool to have a cab 45

[@jimsteele7108]

Thanks for sharing the classics, thoroughly enjoying them.

[@bernardniesen8694]

Thank you, Jason, for another great video. I would love to see more videos on antique harvesters, including pull-type grain harvesters and fully mounted corn harvesters. Plus a video on the harvesting method of stored ear corn.

[@alanpeters9241]

Great video love the machines from the sixties

[@bigtractorpower]

I always enjoy getting to feature 60’s and 70’s farm machines.

[@jimmy75256]

Nice combine and another great video

[@andywintz959]

Cool to see this in action with the larger more modern equipment working in the background. Great video!

[@bigtractorpower]

It Is always neat to get some bonus field action 😁👍

[@patrickglasser5719]

We used a 105 for many years on the farm I grew up on. A lot of good memories with that hard working machine.

[@truthandfreedom885]

In the 70's my Dad had two 105 combines. Farmed 2,000 acres Starting at 9 years old I ran one of those combines from mid July until School started. Then after school combining flax, millet and sunflowers. Now most Farmers are done in two weeks , a little longer for corn.

[@chadtheartist5081]

I was just a young kid when these things were around my neighborhood. These machines were larger than life.

[@bigtractorpower]

They were monsters in their day.

[@Mottercar]

Fascinating video as always BTP Much respect from the UK.

[@404nitro]

Excellent video BTP. Very cool and interesting.

[@anthonyboley5066]

Awesome machine to watch

[@AnglesideFarm]

I can still see my dad running one of these combines.

[@bigtractorpower]

😁👍👍👍👍

[@vincegross7617]

Our first self propelled combine was 45 JD round back then 303 IH ,now we run JD 9770 and JD 9660 with 35 ft heads ,wow what change.

[@EDBZ28]

Awesome video. Thank you. That combine is a beauty! Was it restored or original? Does it have ac? When I was a kid we had a 55eb open station gas job. My father allowed me to ride on it once in wheat and all I remember is eating dust. Those old boys were cut from a different cloth who ran them! My grandfather bought it new from Webb implement company in Avon, NY. I bet you’ve heard of them??

[@bigtractorpower]

Wow thank you for posting. What type of beans was your 55EB harvesting? Did they go to King Cole Bean? I did not know about Webb Implement. I grew up going to Halpins in Henrietta. Where was Webb located? I did go to Avon Tractor the IH dealer. I remember Davin Implement the Minneapolis Moline dealership. I do not recall the name of the Ford Tractor Dealer across from the Flea Market. I got a toy Ford Disk from there as a kid. I would like to learn more about Webb. Drop me an snail at [e-mail]

[@EDBZ28]

@@bigtractorpower I emailed you a few days ago. Hope you received it?

[@nickkercheval2704]

Nice survivor. I had a square back 95 in the early 70s.

[@CanterburyKiwi]

Very interesting! Great video and machine! 👍

[@kirklothert3435]

Combines have come a long way. Nothing runs like a Deere

[@hershellinnenbringer4058]

Dad got 45 in1959 and new 45 in 1969 l ran that combine till 1985 it burn 7 gallons per hour .

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool history.

[@ScottPykare]

That's a really cool combine. Way before combines had a training/buddy seat 🤣😂 Thanks Jason. GO BTP!!!

[@millardhayes1884]

Love the older equipment

[@Josh-uh2sd]

Have a 69 55, combined 20 acres of rye and have 50 of corn this year love running it who needs a new one!

[@bigtractorpower]

Wet cool. What size corn head do you run on your 55? Does it have a cab?

[@brianrutherford3681]

To old a classic combine for me.they were gone before I started working on the farm.byt very cool to see one still going.

[@rustyrelicsfarm2406]

My John Deere 45EB is a Squareback and was built in 1965.

[@joemorse257]

He misspoke, squarebacks came out in 64

[@rustyrelicsfarm2406]

@@joemorse257 Yeah that really was confusing to hear.

[@johnclark8631]

We had a ‘67 95 with a gas engine. I didn’t realize how light they were. The 55 weighed just over 10,000 lbs. I work on mining equipment and our Cat 797 radiators are well over 10,000 lbs.

[@mr.whatever2435]

Very nice 👍

[@bigtractorpower]

👍👍

[@frankr.1594]

Wonderful old combine! Now the old self propelled Forage Harvesters, please🙏 Thanks for sharing 👍

[@jenniferbirt2589]

Looking good

[@txdm9383]

My dad had a 55 gas then later a 95 gas, now he has a 6620 and 7720. Last year he bought a mint JD 9600, it's a Cadillac compared to all the previous ones. We also run JD 482 and Allis Chalmers 880 cotton strippers.

[@bigtractorpower]

Wow very cool line up. Especially the cotton machines.

[@dougschmitii6165]

Cool video!

[@galeogle]

On the newer one 's, like the 6620's, 7720's, 8820's, how do you tell which combine is a small grain, or a corn, an soybean one if it doesn't have the head on it?

[@MedicineYandere]

One combine can be used on all grains as long as you have the proper head and the concave and sieve settings adjusted properly to thresh the crop

[@Paul-zl5lj]

Great video. Thank you. Was this machine operating at a slower than normal speed?

[@bigtractorpower]

No that is regular speed. When the 55 was built soybeans yielded far less than today.

[@oprussianosovietico2859]

Nice combine, the mother of the brazilian combine SLC 65-A! The first "Made in Brazil" combine, inspired in this machine! Curiously, John Deere used the SLC company to enter in the brazilian market... 🇧🇷🤝🇺🇸

[@thomascruff786]

Nice looking Farmall tractor in the back ground.

[@bigtractorpower]

😁👍👍

[@emadeldinhessain3272]

Great. Well done.

[@rosstheoliverman]

We had a 55 EB when I was a kid, just like the one in the video. The worst part was putting it in reverse. You really had to reach back!

[@bigtractorpower]

Did your farm raise kidney or dry beans?

[@rosstheoliverman]

@@bigtractorpower no, actually only soybeans. I asked grandpa as a kid why we had a combine made for Edible beans but he said he just bought is as a trade in at the dealer. We used it for soybeans and an Oliver 545 for corn. I still have them both but the JD is in rough shape.

[@ronaldayers9449]

My father had three 45EB’s.One to use and two for parts! 13ft grain header and a two row corn head. Daddy made good money but was cheap and bought garbage and then had the nerve to complain when it broke. No wonder I never got all the crap done he wanted me to..😂

[@luisnunes7933]

Hello! In those days that was the state of the art.

[@AndreiTupolev]

I do like an old combine. I like how you can see the pulleys going round and the things that go jiggle-jiggle-jiggle and everything

[@guydaubenspeck9206]

We had a 45 here for seven or eight years. Just using small grain wheat, oats maybe a little rye it's a good old machine till we wore it out LOL

[@danl9334]

this brings back so many memories as the first combine i was around was a jd 95 thanks for sharing another classic video. my memory is failing me, but was the feeder house chain part of the head on these combines?

[@MedicineYandere]

Some of the later models had quick attach heads, but the majority had the feeder house on the head.

[@danl9334]

@@MedicineYandere thank you for your reply!

[@bigtractorpower]

On these the header was part of the feeder house. The new generation 00 combines changed to the feeder house on the combine.

[@bduff007]

Don’t have any JD combines, but do have a ‘65 Gleaner E. Use to shell corn every year

[@jeffspears3521]

If I remember correctly my dad had a model 40 JD. gas. Would that be correct.

[@bigtractorpower]

Yes there was a model 40. Mini combine compared to the 45/55

[@SoybeanFarmer3300]

I thought my 3300 was slow until I watched this 55 crawl along

[@glennspreeman1634]

the threshing unit was essentially the same as 55. most copied design ever

[@ronaldrankin9918]

If you ever go through PA on interstate 80 about mile marker 17 you will see 4-5 of these machines park along the fence. I don’t know any more than that but if you are someone or know someone looking for a project it might be somewhere to stop??

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for sharing. It would be great seeing combines like that restored.

[@howardyounger5456]

i had a 95 eb. my dad had 2 95s they were great combines. i actually have a video of my dads on you tube.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. The 95 is one of my all time favorites.

[@martyhogan8663]

That one looks exactly like the one I started farming with back in the early 80's I also run a 335 3row narrow cornhead on mine.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. My neighbor had a 95EB with a 3 row head back then.

[@miguelangelvalderrama1808]

But why is that operator running the combine in 1st gear???? It seems that the operator is earning money harvesting the soybean by hours.

[@MedicineYandere]

Most likely because today's variety soybeans yield a lot more than they did in the late 60's. And the 55 has a rather small throat.. So the operator would have to run slow in order to not overwhelm and plug the machine.

[@miguelangelvalderrama1808]

@@MedicineYandere 😲😲😲😲ooohhhh thanks👍.

[@lostinlox]

I know the family…The operator is a teenage girl who does it all herself,planting,harvest..all of it..

[@miguelangelvalderrama1808]

@@lostinlox 😲😲woooowww, that's the way 💪👍👍👍👍👍

[@angus4202]

can you do some videos on a john deere cts combine

[@bigtractorpower]

I sure would like to. I just have not found one to film yet. As soon as I do I will be excited to feature a CTS

[@tracypratt5897]

We had a 195 with a Diesel engine! It was a good machine!!!!

[@bigtractorpower]

The 105 was a monster in its day. Very cool

[@nathanalmond8280]

Had a late model 45 with a cab years ago. My first combine. It was worn out when I got it but I thought I was something.

[@briannave7326]

My first combine was a used 105 combine.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. The 105 was a monster in its day.

[@Oldtruckguy37]

I still feel bad about the '67 JD 95 EB I ran in a combine derby back in '13. It was still in pretty nice shape.

[@bigtractorpower]

The 95 EB is one of my all time favorite combines. It would be neat to see a combine derby.

[@jaybernieschoep3491]

Would like to see a 105 Jd combine

[@dieslereed9922]

What there ground speed

[@rodneycody8746]

Nice

[@bigtractorpower]

This is one of my favorite eras in John Deere combines.

[@johnalexander8589]

I’ve ran one of these many a days

[@bigtractorpower]

👍👍

[@MrBillygoat]

It 1976-77 I ran a 95R cutting rice and soybeans in SW La. that top window was. Perfect hatch to shoot rabbits that busted out the beans heading for cover lol. The combine owner told me , he would give anything for a new 95R with a Diesel engine

[@bigtractorpower]

Great history. Did you run tracks on the 95 R?

[@MrBillygoat]

@@bigtractorpower no sir, rubber tires. Through my childhood I run case 600, 960, JD 95R, IH 715, 815, 915, and Massey410, 510. Tractors ;,Moline propane, JD model 60, Oliver 1650, Case 930, 1270 and IH 1066, 1466, Versatile 835, 875 . Many great memories , many not so great.. choking a MF 410 from the from all the way back to the straw walkers, in July rice harvest in 98 degrees

[@stephenburkholder9411]

It looks so much smaller than it did in 1970

[@jaybernieschoep3491]

Neighbor years ago had a pull type John Deere combine

[@chadkalina1257]

We had a 95 john deere combine on are farm for 23 years tell the engine blow I miss that combine have a 4400 now

[@bigtractorpower]

Wow too great Deere combines. I just filmed a 4400 last Sunday.

[@joegotz1971]

50 years ago this combine was a big deal. Now it looks like a toy. A lot of progress over the years!

[@danjosephson6910]

But is it really progress?

[@joegotz1971]

Yes it is. I started with a pull type Massey Harris 8 foot. Gleaner F with a cab Then a International 101, no cab. New Idea Uni System with a cab. Two IH 915’s Case IH 1460 Then retired. But every one was better than the next Spend a day on a IH 101 cutting wheat, barley or beans with the wind in your face both ways. My mother didn’t recognize me when i would come home.

[@danjosephson6910]

Just think of your neighbors back then. They got up in the morning and took care of their own animals, supported the local businesses, churches and schools and truly farmed their land. Now we have spoiled brats sitting in fancy combines, thinking if they had their neighbors land too they could have an even bigger and fancier combine. Livestock is done on a big scale where the grain is trucked for miles to a feed mill and then miles back to a feeding facility. We have people with inherited wealth, lucky breaks and in some cases just low down dealings out playing with their fancy toys and guys who would give anything to combine their own beans with a 55 driving a feed or livestock truck or only working with hogs all day. I don't call that progress. I call that a race to the bottom.

[@dannyrasdon1302]

I remember when we had 3 105 and a 95r

[@bigtractorpower]

That was a massive fleet. What croons did you harvest with them?

[@frankdueck3289]

I ran my uncle’s 55 harvesting beans one summer when I was a teenager

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool.

[@derekadams9856]

Is it stuck in first gear.

[@bigtractorpower]

These older combines are not fast movers compared to today’s modern combines.

[@joemorse257]

Plus it's got a rigid cutter bar and it's probably pretty tough to keep it from digging into the ground

[@rodcody7278]

Operator error

[@bigtractorpower]

There are two factors on speed here. These combines used to seem plenty good on speed until you see what the new class 7,8 and 9 machines can do today. The other issue is when the 55 was built crop yields were less than half of what they are today. Even with a 13ft head this 55 EB is taking in more crop material and bushels per pass that in was built for.

[@joemorse257]

@@bigtractorpower 15 years ago I had one just like this with a quick tach feederhouse and 343 corn head. It took two hours to fill a 500 bushel truck compared to about ten minutes with a new combine.

[@garygrimm892]

we use to run round back 45 and to square back 55 and 2 guys could change heads in a hour and pull filler plates and change sprokets to speed up cylinder i use to get out of high school help grandad unplug it and run it until trucks were full with no problmens and it had Hinker header control added to it and we cut twice the speed the one in the vidio was showing . We started on on 2 row then to 3 row and on 105 4 row and changed it over to cuick attach throat

[@bigtractorpower]

Great great history to read. Those are details on one I would like to film. There are two factors on this 55 EBs speed. These combines used to seem plenty good on speed until you see what the new class 7,8 and 9 machines can do today. The other issue is when the 55 was built crop yields were less than half of what they are today. Even with a 13ft head this 55 EB is taking in more crop material and bushels per pass that in was built for.

[@Lukasthefloof]

There's a farm near me that runs a 55 and a 95 for harvesting still

[@bigtractorpower]

Very very cool.

[@carloscordova6934]

Woooo jhon deere is amazing combine 💪🤜🤛😅

[@poppie1946]

You left out the 55 Corn Special, we had a 69 with the cab but no air conditioning .

[@bigtractorpower]

Unfortunately my price book did not list the corn special 55. What size corn head did you run on your 55 CS?

[@chuckbinder8371]

I have a 1968 55corn special with factory ac. Don't use it much anymore.I can't take the dust.

[@bigtractorpower]

They are a great look classic to see in action but is a whole different experience to run one in the dust for sure.

[@lostinlox]

She is shucking corn today…2 rows at time.

[@bobocaterpillar3697]

cool beans

[@bigtractorpower]

😁👍

[@ronaldfruth7134]

Had a 55 round back when I was really young. Grandpa made a cab out of wood for when we went to corn. My uncle had a 69 55 that I ran a couple of times and neighbor had a 105 that I did some work on that I ran in corn. One thing about them, you heard every kernel of grain go through it. Thank BTP

[@bigtractorpower]

Great combine history. I have always liked these combines. My neighbor had a 95 EB when I was young with a 3 row corn head.

[@calvinellis1891]

What would Mr. John Deere think if he saw the new John Deere of today.

[@bigtractorpower]

I think the 45 would have impressed John Deere. He passed away 17 years before the first tractor was on the market and 37 years before the first self propelled combine was built.

[@gordoncarpenter1552]

I still use a 55 with a 444 corn head

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool.

[@nadz109]

I’m a city kid I rode in one