Vintage Ads

[Loadstar]

Gary, it would have been a great idea if Massey had put those engines on a sliding drawer so they could be pulled out the right side of the combine to get at them for any type of maintenance.

I have this picture dated at 1949 so I am guessing it is an older IH combine. Maybe a 127. ?

[Loadstar]

Seems like the car companies rarely ever put ads for their sporty models in the Country Guide magazine. I guess maybe their logic was that considering most subscribers were farmers they would tend to buy the more utilitarian type sedans and station wagons. Not the frivolous coupes and convertibles.

Like this plain black four door Biscayne sedan from 1965.

[George 2]

The picture from 1949 is a later model 125. The 127 had the tank down low like the 141 and the 123 didn't have a discharge auger. Perhaps it is a 125 SVC. There were several variants of the 125 as a lot of development was going on at that time.

[Old Binder Guy]

Ralph & George,

That 1949 combine almost has to be a 123. It has the dual traction tires. It should have a narrow steering setup like a narrow Farmall would have, but I believe it has an aftermarket wide rear axle too. It has an aftermarket unloading auger, and the grain tank is up in the high position the 123's had, as they used the gravity and chute grain unloading system. They put the grain tank up there so a truck with sideboards could pull underneath it. Uncle Audie's first combine was a 123 in this same manner, but he took the tank off and lowered the angle irons holding it, and put on an aftermarket auger. He also installed a wide rear axle as well, as that narrow one was rough when hitting holes or rocks. I could be all wet? Maybe someone else will weigh in about the early self propelled with the high grain tanks and dual traction wheels? Uncle Bill's first new combine, before his 141, was a 125 SPV. It came with a wide rear axle and grain unloading auger as standard equipment, and also had a low mounted grain tank because of the factory unloading auger. Then Dad's 125 SPVC had the large single traction wheels and tires.

Now WHAT did I have for breakfast?? Oh, yes! Oatmeal, like I have every morning! Gary

[twostepn2001]

I know this isn't a ad, but what model is this? I was coming from a oil lease and found this out in a pasture near San Angelo, Tx.

[Loadstar]

I know this isn't a ad, but what model is this? I was coming from a oil lease and found this out in a pasture near San Angelo, Tx.

Those close together rear wheels look just like the ones in the photo Gary posted of the 123 IH combine.

To further confuse us, here is a 1950 ad I have for the 125 SPV combine. Notice they mention the new lower height grain tank with it's own unloading auger. Plus the new wider tread rear axle.

[George 2]

Gary: That grain tank unloader looks factory to me. The 125 was made in 3 versions. They were 125SP, 125SPV and 125SPVC. I know the late 125 SPVC had the tank down low and the early one was up high like the 123. I also know there was a very well done aftermarket auger system for the high tank and also a lowered tank and discharge auger. So it is hard to tell for sure. The one in the picture above looks like the 125SPV pictures I have seen. Then it was complicated by the aftermarket wide rear axle and I don't remember if the last version had the wide rear axle or not. The only thing I remember is one of the old time dealers who sold them here saying that the 125 appeared to change every year and they weren't happy about that. It created a lot of extra parts for them to keep even though in most cases they sold only one of them each year. IH weren't popular self propelled combines in Ontario back then. Massey and to a lesser extent Cockshutt owned the market here. The only reasonably popular IH combines here were the 62 and to a lesser extent the 52R. My parents owned a 62 and it worked well up to 1975 when it was retired.

[George 2]

Sorry about that. I meant to say the one in the picture from Texas looks like a 125SP and not a 125SPV. Actually, Ralph's picture shows the proper 125SPV. I can't remember what the changes were for the 125SPVC.

[Loadstar]

Somewhere way back in this thread I posted an ad for the accessory unloading auger sold by Hesston back in the days when not all combines came with a factory unload auger. I dug this one up again to illustrate the difference it made to height of the tank. Probably a good option if you were harvesting in the Palouse country.

[Big Bud guy]

Gary: That grain tank unloader looks factory to me. The 125 was made in 3 versions. They were 125SP, 125SPV and 125SPVC. I know the late 125 SPVC had the tank down low and the early one was up high like the 123. I also know there was a very well done aftermarket auger system for the high tank and also a lowered tank and discharge auger. So it is hard to tell for sure. The one in the picture above looks like the 125SPV pictures I have seen. Then it was complicated by the aftermarket wide rear axle and I don't remember if the last version had the wide rear axle or not. The only thing I remember is one of the old time dealers who sold them here saying that the 125 appeared to change every year and they weren't happy about that. It created a lot of extra parts for them to keep even though in most cases they sold only one of them each year. IH weren't popular self propelled combines in Ontario back then. Massey and to a lesser extent Cockshutt owned the market here. The only reasonably popular IH combines here were the 62 and to a lesser extent the 52R. My parents owned a 62 and it worked well up to 1975 when it was retired.

I have a nice original brochure for the 125SPV. It shows the grain tank being low with an auger and a wide rear axle just like in Loadstar's ad. Still only a 45 hp engine in the 125. I'm assuming the 127 was the first IH combine with a variable speed drive or did that come on the 125SPVC? Somewhere in this thread someone posted a Hesston add showing a variable speed belt attachment for the 123 and 125s. Does anybody know the difference between the 125SPVC and the earlier 125s? When did IH do away with the open ended split augers in the header?

[George 2]

Big Bud Guy: I guess it pays to get the old sales literature out and not rely on memory. I have good quality sales brochures for the 123, 127, several 141, 122, and a 122C. So maybe I can answer my own question. The 122 had an auger across like the 62 had and a short rubberized canvas and a conveyer chain to the cylinder. The 122C had a longer right side auger, no rubberized canvas, and a short left side auger. It was a newer brochure with McCormick logo as opposed to the earlier McCprmick - Deering 122. Maybe that was the same difference between the 125SPV and the 125SPVC with the C referring to a lack of the short rubberized canvas and center feed to the feeder chain. I guess we could definitively say this was the difference if someone has a 125SPVC brochure.

My old brochures also answered a couple of other questions on this thread. They are:

1) the 127 had a variable speed ground drive mechanism and a variable sped sheaves on the cylinder.

2) I have several 141 brochures that all show the air intake setup that Ralph provided, These were contrary to the way I saw the few I saw here in Ontario. The puzzle ended when I looked at the 2-141 cornhead brochure and there she was, the way I remember. The combines in the pictures all had the tall screen and a fully shrouded engine as opposed to the partially shrouded engine in the other 141 grain head machines brochures. The cornhead brochure was from 1956 (2 years after the grain machine was introduced). So the only question is was the fully shrouded engine and tall screen installed from the start (after the brochure was printed) or was there a conversion package that was back fitted after they went into service.

[Big Bud guy]

Big Bud Guy: I guess it pays to get the old sales literature out and not rely on memory. I have good quality sales brochures for the 123, 127, several 141, 122, and a 122C. So maybe I can answer my own question. The 122 had an auger across like the 62 had and a short rubberized canvas and a conveyer chain to the cylinder. The 122C had a longer right side auger, no rubberized canvas, and a short left side auger. It was a newer brochure with McCormick logo as opposed to the earlier McCprmick - Deering 122. Maybe that was the same difference between the 125SPV and the 125SPVC with the C referring to a lack of the short rubberized canvas and center feed to the feeder chain. I guess we could definitively say this was the difference if someone has a 125SPVC brochure.

My old brochures also answered a couple of other questions on this thread. They are:

1) the 127 had a variable speed ground drive mechanism and a variable sped sheaves on the cylinder.

2) I have several 141 brochures that all show the air intake setup that Ralph provided, These were contrary to the way I saw the few I saw here in Ontario. The puzzle ended when I looked at the 2-141 cornhead brochure and there she was, the way I remember. The combines in the pictures all had the tall screen and a fully shrouded engine as opposed to the partially shrouded engine in the other 141 grain head machines brochures. The cornhead brochure was from 1956 (2 years after the grain machine was introduced). So the only question is was the fully shrouded engine and tall screen installed from the start (after the brochure was printed) or was there a conversion package that was back fitted after they went into service.

My brochure for the 125SPV doesn't show a canvas in the header. Just two augers that are open ended in the middle. I would love to see one of those in action because I can't imagine it worked all that great. Also, my brochure for the 125SPV shows the variable speed cylinder, so it goes back that far. Always wondered why IH had the feature and dropped it later on after the 141s. I checked in my "150 years of IH" and it shows a 141 with a corn header and a 141 hillside with the tall intake. I would guess the tall air intake came out later for all machines. Probably could have been back fitted as well. I see that from time to time on JD combines. My neighbor scrapped two 141s a couple of years ago and now I am wishing I would have looked at them closer.

[Old Binder Guy]

Gary: That grain tank unloader looks factory to me. The 125 was made in 3 versions. They were 125SP, 125SPV and 125SPVC. I know the late 125 SPVC had the tank down low and the early one was up high like the 123. I also know there was a very well done aftermarket auger system for the high tank and also a lowered tank and discharge auger. So it is hard to tell for sure. The one in the picture above looks like the 125SPV pictures I have seen. Then it was complicated by the aftermarket wide rear axle and I don't remember if the last version had the wide rear axle or not. The only thing I remember is one of the old time dealers who sold them here saying that the 125 appeared to change every year and they weren't happy about that. It created a lot of extra parts for them to keep even though in most cases they sold only one of them each year. IH weren't popular self propelled combines in Ontario back then. Massey and to a lesser extent Cockshutt owned the market here. The only reasonably popular IH combines here were the 62 and to a lesser extent the 52R. My parents owned a 62 and it worked well up to 1975 when it was retired.

George,

The SPV had a lowered tank and a factory drive auger. This one is different. Gary

[Old Binder Guy]

George2, That auger looks "factory" on that first picture in question. It is that drive, below the bottom of it that doesn't look like anything IH used?

I remembered the 125SPV did not have a feeder apron. BUT... If they had split augers, I'd sure forgotten it still had split augers like the 123 SP had. This is the only photo I could locate of uncle Bill's 125SPV. It is in the distance, above the "bull rake" dad built for uncle Fritz on a D-30 IH truck chassis. And Dad's TD-9 and dozer is in is in the shed at left. It had the low grain tank with an IH unloader auger, wide rear axle, AND still had the dual driver wheels.

This is a picture of my nephew Ralph on Dad's new Cub Cadet. At left was the only photograph I have of the 141 and the combine to the right of Ralph's head is the 125 SPVC that I had multiple harvest seasons of operating. The 125 SPVC had a one piece feeder auger with fingers, like the 141 had, and it had the single fat driver tires, like the 141 had. Neither of our 125's had the variable cylinder speed option. The 141 did have the variable speed ground drive. It had the overhead 6-cylinder engine atop the feeder. The 125 SPVC still had the old Green Diamond flathead six under the grain tank.

This is a photo of one of the two Rumely combine harvesters Dad and his brothers owned. By the time this photo was taken, one was 40 miles away at uncle Fritz's ranch, and he was the uncle who later bought the 127 SP. This Rumely, pulled by the TD-9, with its 20' header were used every year the 123 SP, 125 SPV, 125 SPVC and 141 were in use. After Dad and I got the IH 403, we stopped harvesting with any other family, except uncle Bill. Gary

Ralph, it's good some ads have been placed here on your thread, as I'm leading a poor example.

[Loadstar]

George2, That auger looks "factory" on that first picture in question. It is that drive, below the bottom of it that doesn't look like anything IH used?

I remembered the 125SPV did not have a feeder apron. BUT... If they had split augers, I'd sure forgotten it still had split augers like the 123 SP had. This is the only photo I could locate of uncle Bill's 125SPV. It is in the distance, above the "bull rake" dad built for uncle Fritz on a D-30 IH truck chassis. And Dad's TD-9 and dozer is in is in the shed at left. It had the low grain tank with an IH unloader auger, wide rear axle, AND still had the dual driver wheels.

Ralph, it's good some ads have been placed here on your thread, as I'm leading a poor example.

Gary, I have pretty well exhausted my supply of scanned ads on that series of IH combine. I might have a few more for another day. It looks like an indoor day today. A heavy layer of new wet snow overnight here and no sun in the forecast for the week.

What caught my eye in this 1963 Farmhand ad was the rock picker. It looks like it might work well in dry, trash free black summerfallow. Which is what we mostly had to work with in 1963. Appears to be mounted on a W4 McCormick.

[George 2]

Ralph: I do collect old IH literature and will be on the lookout this summer at the tractor shows for the 125SPV and 125SPVC brochures. Maybe we eventually will get a positive proof of what all the differences are. I picked up the 122C and 123 brochures last summer. Actually from 1940 onwards I am only missing the 52R and 125 brochures. I have good copy of all the rest of their combines. Just wish I knew how to post scans from the brochures.

[George 2]

Ralph: That picture of the tractor with the Farmhand rock picker just might be a W-6. It just looks too tall for a W-4 although it is hard to tell for sure.

[Loadstar]

Ralph: I do collect old IH literature and will be on the lookout this summer at the tractor shows for the 125SPV and 125SPVC brochures. Maybe we eventually will get a positive proof of what all the differences are. I picked up the 122C and 123 brochures last summer. Actually from 1940 onwards I am only missing the 52R and 125 brochures. I have good copy of all the rest of their combines. Just wish I knew how to post scans from the brochures.

George, when you do figure out the picture posting procedure I guess this thread will never go away. Sounds like you have a good collection of advertising .

Here is one I have showing what the well dressed work horse was wearing in 1934. And what it cost.

[Loadstar]

A while back I think A554 posted an ad for the big wheeled John Shearer grain drills and I made a comment about there being a connection to Morris Industries air seeders. Well I was close. It was a similar design end wheel drill that Morris used but the name was the "Napier Grasslands Drill". This one is hooked up to a Morris chisel plow and there you have an air seeder. I don't know just how many of these were sold but I never saw many. This brochure from the early 1980s I think.

[Loadstar]

Saw several of these Morris 7-13 Seed Rites at today's farm auction. They were a popular seeding tool in their day. About 1965.

[dale560]

Saw several of these Morris 7-13 Seed Rites at today's farm auction. They were a popular seeding tool in their day. About 1965. when I was in high school in the 80s. a guy from Manitoba bought a seedrite down here and was hauling it home. he had a 70s dodge and the tank on the radiator broke loose. dad a soldered the radiator back together for him and he was on his way again the next day. he couldn't have been to far into Canada he got a ride home that afternoon and a ride back later. that was the last time I have seen seedrite drills.

[Loadstar]

About 1965. when I was in high school in the 80s. a guy from Manitoba bought a seedrite down here and was hauling it home. he had a 70s dodge and the tank on the radiator broke loose. dad a soldered the radiator back together for him and he was on his way again the next day. he couldn't have been to far into Canada he got a ride home that afternoon and a ride back later. that was the last time I have seen seedrite drills.

I don't like hauling machinery any distance behind a pickup but I did haul a 72-13 Seed Rite maybe 15 miles from an auction years ago. The newer SeedRites had inboard wheels so you could run two or three side by side in a wide hitch for some big acre days. I pulled two 11 footers for years. Good seeders when there was no trash to deal with. Transport was a back breaking job and I don't miss that.

Saw one of these old Oliver Superior drills in the used machinery row at yesterday's auction.

[Ron Cook]

I borrowed this from another site, Ralph. It isn't a 52 Merc, but it is close.

Ron

[Loadstar]

I borrowed this from another site, Ralph. It isn't a 52 Merc, but it is close.

Ron

Ron, you know how I am hooked on fifties cars. While I would prefer a Merc I sure wouldn't say no to the plainer version Ford. Or even this Chev Styline Deluxe 2 door sedan.

[Loadstar]

1977 Melroe equipment. Those press drills were popular here. Saw a few of those early Spra Coupes too. In fact there was one at the farm auction this week. I can't imagine sitting in front of that little plastic tank with the fumes and sray of whatever herbicide it was spraying. I guess people thought they were great in their day though.

Is that a 4166 in the lower ad pulling the wing type chisel plow?