JOHN DEERE 800 Windrower Harvesting Wheat

[@TheBayoutransplant]

It is great to see some of this equipment still being used. I was a Hesston dealer back in the mid-seventies and have watched most of the technical developments. Really great to see old draper machines and tow behind combines as just a few.

[@haroldharberson161]

Now that is farming.

[@404nitro]

This was REALLY cool!👍👍👍 IIRC, that tractor and combine were on this channel a year or two back now. One of your coolest videos in some time IMO.

[@LtColDaddy71]

Hey, I run big, glossy new paint, but I started with nothing. I so think this old iron is relevant, and the producers who use this equipment are vital to farming. Don’t ever hesitate to capture the classics.

[@seth1704]

That man's auto steer is working great

[@Rollinghillsfarmsmn]

That is so cool. I’ve always wanted an 800 swather. That is a giant combine too, making the ole 3020 snort! Great video of well-cared-for Big Tractor Power from a generation ago! I still use a Versatile 400 to cut oats, barley and rye and a JD 4400 to harvest it.

[@stevefroslie5318]

I started on a 103 Versatile. Got some time on a 400 too. Smooth machine...

[@AtherTech1]

Can you tell me how long it takes to harvest wheat?

[@Rollinghillsfarmsmn]

@@AtherTech1 I’ve never done wheat but we let oats dry two days after swathing into windrows.

[@AtherTech1]

@@Rollinghillsfarmsmn I am grateful for your sharing.

[@Penguingoats]

also Really really enjoy seeing the pull behind combines still in use

[@snickrologen]

What a classic! 😊

[@udo5479]

In the early 70 s here in Germany are a lot of pull type combines mostly claas, but also some John Deere 360 .

[@JohnJohnson-yv5xg]

Cool video. I worked for T & T farms back in the mid late seventies and Big Al Thacker bought one of these. I believe the one we had , had the 21’ platform on it. Back in those days it was pretty cool to run, very simple machine. We also had a 3020, 2-4020’s as well. Love these videos, thanks for bring back great memories!

[@timwhite9255]

I am kind of surprised that the 3020 has enough oomph to run that combine.

[@stevefroslie5318]

It was only a 12 ft swath. I used to combine 15 ft swath with 60 hp.

[@lnpipeline3306]

When my dad bought his place in 1973, it came with one of these swathers that was brand new at the time. That machine cut 500 plus acres per year up until 2007 when it was traded for a 4895. Someone was on that machine 16 hours a day. Haying season was a miserable time of year with that thing.

[@AhTechus]

You are amazing. Modern technology makes it so much easier.

[@AtherTech1]

@@AhTechus It looks old but it still works! How old is it?

[@patrickburgmeier7902]

Boy this brings back fond memories. Dad bought one new in 1973 or 4. I cut alot of hay and small grain with it.

[@barrybidell1249]

Nice to see not all farmers are running multi-million dollar machines! You may not be able to farm 10,000 acres with the old machines, but they still work, and I'll bet his stress level is waaaay lower not having all those payments!

[@bobwhitcomb2836]

My uncle had one of these. It was a big step up from his New Holland 460 Haybine.

[@John-re6ur]

That was really cool to see. I enjoyed learning about that 9501 cabless combine. Very cool video. Thanks for sharing Jason

[@markreetz1001]

now that's old school. Thanks Jason

[@wi.dave3812]

Great to see older technology and methods at work. 😀🇺🇸

[@truthandfreedom885]

I put a lot of time on a Versatile #103 model number, we had two #103 and one #400. It was like a day at Disneyland if you got to run the #400 versatile. I challenge big tractor power to find versatile #103 operating in the field this year. The Wisconsin engine blowing exhaust back into your face.

[@billknoble4188]

Wow, I can't believe that little 3020 handles that combine so well!

[@Biblethumper85]

My dad fell asleep on an 800. Went cross ways over the whole field and woke just before he went through the fence.😂

[@bigtractorpower]

Oh wow lucky he woke up. Not much to save you from a bad crash. He must have been putting in long hours.

[@Biblethumper85]

@@bigtractorpowerYeah he was up at 2:30 every morning to milk cows and then run the machinery all day.

[@SimonKL11]

What a cool harvesting setup👍😁 that 3020 is going strong😄👍

[@craigsibley8161]

Cool video, seeing the harvest like this 👍👍👍

[@DeafGuyChronicles.]

4:19 I was surprised when he stood up on that tractor. Quite impressive to steer that way, sitting sideways (Not like Paul Wall, though lol).

[@constructionwatcher5381]

I grew up thinking standing up while driving a tractor or combine was normal. It's a great way to relax a bit during a long shift. Then the safety nuts got in the way and manufacturers added switches to kill the engine when you did that.

[@DeafGuyChronicles.]

@@constructionwatcher5381 oh wow. I'm learning something new.

[@Phlebas9202]

Cool! I used to ride along with my Dad in the 90's on that exact swather.

[@mrourcanada8964]

Wow old school

[@Husker3435]

Awesome iron, reminds me of an old Hesston 420 we had with levers instead of a steering wheel. It had a single post umbrella, boy did we think we were something…lol. Keep up the good work🇺🇸

[@matthewsturm9170]

We had an 800 with 14’ header growing up. Used it to windrow wheat, seed peas, and hay. Dad used to refer to the gutless Slant 6 as “the leaning tower of power.”😂

[@verlandhenderson247]

Amazing, brings back memories of my dad farming! Great days back then, lots of work tho! 😊

[@bobtuckosh9870]

Always enjoy watching that way of harvesting.

[@bigtractorpower]

It’s a classic way not seen as often today.

[@ScottPykare]

Going all old school there. No climate control cab or ventilated seats😂. Very cool video.

[@mattphillips4260]

3020 got a good bark to her

[@SiboBushings]

Classic Deere 😊

[@freebooter247]

Good old 800 with the Chrysler leaning tower of power

[@wingrider687]

The Chrysler Slant Six engine was basically bulletproof

[@Eddie_Schantz]

Your telling me. In the mid 1980's I ran a Hesston 6600 swather for a neighbor for several years swathing wheat for hay. It also had the Chrysler slant 6 engine but I can't say it is the exact same one as in this video. Although it never gave us any problems, every 2 hours we had to drop a quart of oil in it when we oiled chains or did general maintenance on it. My boss just figured it cost less to do that than to overhaul or change out the engine. He didn't run it many years anyway. This swather had a cab and AC which could run you out of there if you let it, it got that cold. But it was a good swather to run.

[@clinkerclint]

Too cool! I've never seen one.

[@nicoquattro3950]

Those were the days. No cabin, no AC, all day long in the dust and heat. He needs to install a StarFire receiver on this machines just for the lols. Nice footage as always.

[@rightsideofthegrass8114]

Around 1953, we used a Heston 12 ft Windrower with drapers. We used it to swath grass crops. It was one of the first ones on the market, I do not think that John Deere had an offering at that point. It was driven by a variable speed belt and two levers. There was no steering wheel. Ground speed control was done through a variable belt ground drive mechanism. The final drive down to the wheels was large roller chains. I believe it was powered by a Hercules engine, probably about 40 horsepower. Operational speeds were about 3 and 1/2 to 4 mi per hour.

[@constructionwatcher5381]

We ran a Heston swather with a conditioner for cutting alfalfa in the late 50's or early 60's. As you say, it was steered with two levers, like a track tractor, except you could make one wheel reverse for tight turns. Also, one lever could be moved side to side for slight adjustments while running in a straight line. I thought it was great fun to run. It was a perfect toy for a teenaged boy, learning to perfect "high-speed" turns at the end of the row. Ours had an air-cooled engine, v-4 I think, but a more main-steam brand. Maybe Briggs.

[@rightsideofthegrass8114]

@@constructionwatcher5381 You are exactly right about the two levers. I think the right one had movement right/left in order to "fine tune" the relative driven wheel rotations. When the levers were pulled back, the two v-belts slacked and engaged a jackshaft running in the reverse direction. This meant the belt was transferring power to the drive train, but in the reverse direction. It had a single tailwheel, left side behind the driver's platform. We were swathing seed crops - no conditioner. Local blacksmith shops built custom forming rods, one mounted behind the header opening, one side was long rod, the other short. The rods would fold the windrow over itself, making a tight windrow. The intent was to have the windrow as tight as possible. Threshing might be 2 weeks away, 4 weeks, or even as much as 6 weeks laying in the windrow. The air-cooled engine was probably a Wisconsin V-4. Those air-cooled engines were popular on balers and combines. Our neighbor had a New Holland baler with one; we had a Case A6 combine with the Wisconsin V-4. They were well built, lasted well, but ran very hot. There may have been one size, not sure. I think they were about 32-35 hp. They could be fitted with a simple pulley, or a clutch housing with clutch lever for engaging outboard drive shaft.

[@constructionwatcher5381]

@@rightsideofthegrass8114 That's exactly how I remember the levers and those big v-belt working. I think you are right about the engine being a Wisconsin. I remember the height of the header being controlled by a foot pedal. So making quick turns at the end of the pass required good foot-hand coordination.

[@murrayfarguson2013]

Better hope it doesn’t rain on those windrows, when you cut the grain that high. A good rain will pound the windrows down into the standing straw and make it really tough for the combine pickup.

[@mop1081]

Also... Deere recommended 125 PTO HP. They must be trying to cook that poor little 70 HP 3020....

[@ih1206]

That 3020 looks like a real hoss dualed up on tall rubber like that.

[@bigtractorpower]

It sure does. Not something you see every day.

[@Northern_Farmer]

I remember when I was pretty small dad was running that swather...was always broke down...and was super heavy if it was soft ground it would sink easily with those small tires . Then we got a brand new 1982 versatile 15ft Swather

[@markwray3905]

Ran an Oliver swather back in 75. Pretty good machine😊

[@stevenarnold3935]

Surprise they do not use a larger tractor to pull the combine.

[@jamesjolly7406]

Super💯video. As always.

[@benkpsnyder]

Hey btp! We had one of those about 10 years ago. Mowed hay with it. The head was a little different on ours.

[@AgWildNebraska]

Just got done windrowing oats with mine.

[@agridronefly]

Great video!

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching. This was a good classic find.

[@agridronefly]

@@bigtractorpower Yes, very classic soon on my Channel claas combines MF 760, and some Claysons 1950s, 1960

[@hingstonia]

I remember the days using this old beast. seemed to work better than the new stuff with the electronics and government juice.

[@ScottClausen76]

My uncle had one of these. I used to ride along by sitting on the gas tank.

[@mikeandcolleenk9831]

No gps but still cuts awsome. Is gps worth it when it doesnt work and wont move compared to the reliable equipement?

[@carloscordova6934]

✌️😁🚜 amazing

[@jamiegivens3970]

That's a sweet old unit

[@bigtractorpower]

Great classic find from the 70’s. Thank you for watching.

[@piperdoug428]

that 9501 needs a 5020 up front or even 4640

[@jamesjolly7406]

Keep the video's coming.

[@guydaubenspeck9206]

Why the duels? Is Northeast Wisconsin a traditionally wet area?

[@IG10705]

Traction

[@frankscruggs4749]

Good video.

[@wayneshuttleworth2946]

The machine is actually swathing grain, not harvesting it. Harvesting is done later with a combine equipped with a pickup header. I don’t know why but I jusy felt the need to get the facts right.

[@clightning300mi]

Had a 21 foot jd 800. Bought it used and it was wore out before we got it. Had trouble with the right hand wheel drive chain always coming off. Dirty oily mess to put back on. Was glad to sell it before putting money in it. Haha

[@rolliekirby6889]

That's making the JD smoke

[@22gonefishing]

Never seen a combine like that.

[@davecramer9725]

It is not a combine it is called a swather cuts the wheat or hay and wind rows it is all it does

[@hunterprowsemrereviews9141]

Wow that’s such an odd looking machine lol. It’s like a cross between a combine harvester, and a zero turn mower! But it’s effective, and it seems to do a really nice job!

[@eddybukayo7784]

I envy thr weather 😅,, here in my country its been 3 days non stop raining,,

[@ryanmoeller9609]

We have an 800 we windrow oats for ourselves and some custom too it's about wore out but keeps going!

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. What do you combine the oats with?

[@ryanmoeller9609]

@@bigtractorpower jd 9400 combine with a jd 5 belt pickup head!

[@naomirader2289]

wow i thought i saw everything

[@Bill-NBfarming]

I ran 2 of those with hay headers for years. Had a parts machine also. They cut fast once you got rid of the crimper. Still have two of them out in the iron pile. Terrible to change drive belts on them. Burned way more fuel than my modern swather does. I cut a lot of hay with them though!

[@bigtractorpower]

Neat to know. I was excited to get to feature one. I always was interested in seeing them in back pages of John Deere combine sales brochures as a kid.

[@Bill-NBfarming]

@@bigtractorpower thanks for responding! I can remember how proud I was when I got my first 800. It was a big move up from my #9 sickle mower. (I restored it and use it to mow my runway) The first field I cut was some standing hay I bought. When I finished cutting it the farmer had broken down both of his pull behind swathers. I offered to cut the rest of the field. I did that. He tore up the check I had given him for the standing hay. I now own all that ground.

[@Hinesfarm-Indiana]

Really cool, never seen one of those here in my area in north central Indiana.

[@MrGlodie]

I used a Versatile 400 15 foot it had tjhe 200cc ford 6 cylinder engine, over the years combined with a Ih 151, 403,715, 1440, and a 510 Massey

[@MarkMceachern-l2f]

I worked on many of those in early 70’s. Never pull it down road. Would warp big sprockets.

[@bigtractorpower]

Great to hear about your experience. I recall as a farm near me harvested green peas with FMC LV pea combines. They used IH 275 windrowers and towed them with pick up trucks.

[@MForest_TV]

Is this machine homemade or from somewhere?

[@jamesjolly7406]

Hi from Dexter🏠Missouri

[@williammay5300]

You don't see pull type combines much anymore....

[@waylontimlick2792]

What kind of combine in the back ground ?

[@Blackwellll3066]

Only thing missing is a open cab to be able to mount fans, block the sun and mount light bars for night cutting if they do that

[@jamesjolly7406]

My friend

[@mbailey12341]

Is they a lot more shatter loss harvesting this way or is the wheat still green enough that it holds on good while going through the swather? Shocked that a 3020 can handle a pull type combine 😮

[@bigtractorpower]

The 9501 brochure shows a Deere 8560 4wd running it. It doesn’t look like there was a lot of shutter loss with this and I don’t think that is often a big concern about swapping the bigger issue could be getting it all laid out and then having a summer of thunderstorm come on it because you can’t rake it like turn it over and try to dry it out.

[@TerrillJohnson-dg5lb]

I remember riding on one my dad and grandpa each had two one was eighteen foot the other was twenty one foot I mess riding on them

[@acedecade8337]

How did you get Larry the Cable Guy to appear in this video?

[@freebooter247]

A Little under powered on the pulltype combine

[@joelg8004]

While that’s pretty awesome seeing old iron still operating, that looks absolutely miserable to operate! Probably itching for a month after!

[@MForest_TV]

5:00 Why don't you burn it? Using a chopper wastes fuel?

[@fire44x]

In UK thay swathed oil seed rape like that then combined it

[@dougpeebles2383]

I did lots of swathing back in the early 80s (in Ontario) whether it was hay, wheat, barley or mixed (barley/oats) grain. It was a Case IH swather that I ran - had a cab. Still recall running over a skunk one day while swathing a field of grain.

[@bigtractorpower]

Running over a skunk is rough. I was filming a combine with a 16 row head a few years ago the clipped one.

[@steverosenberger8671]

Seems like you would lose a lot of grain on the ground. Plus wasting fuel, because you have to go over the field twice.

[@dow3639]

Why not just a combine harvester ?!? Make all job

[@austinmetro6317]

Looks like a lot more work , i'm not sure.... somebody tell me i'm wrong ....??? 😊

[@bigtractorpower]

Today it is but 50 years ago it was big farming.

[@ShelbyMay16]

@@bigtractorpower Are they doing it this way so that it doesn't have to be sprayed to kill it? Is this an organic/non-gmo field?

[@Penguingoats]

55 hp is Capable of a lot lol

[@jedaye3618]

The most hateful machine I have ever had the displeasure to sit on. LOL!

[@williamgreenway9893]

Na, but interesting.

[@ArmpitStudios]

That’s 800 times cooler than any modern X9RX9XWhatever.

[@grzegorzchmioa]

bardzo nie ekonomicznie bo pracują 2 maszyny zamiast jednej...