Vintage Ads

[A554]

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 you were close as Shearer did build an airseeder very similar to the Napier machine.

I am not sure if there was any connection between the two companies but the similarities are there.

I wasn't aware of the connection with Morris either - not likely to be marketted as Morris here.

Incidently, Morris were sold by Versatile here.

[664 CDN]

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?

The one above it looks like an Allis

[Loadstar]

Loadstar you were close as Shearer did build an airseeder very similar to the Napier machine.

I am not sure if there was any connection between the two companies but the similarities are there.

I wasn't aware of the connection with Morris either - not likely to be marketted as Morris here.

Incidently, Morris were sold by Versatile here.

Interesting to see the Versatile /Morris connection in Australia. None existed here that I know of although you could buy Morris and Versatile from the same dealer.

Here is a typical 1977 farming scene in this Avadex ad. Spread your granular avadex wild oat herbicide in the fall. Get out in the spring and plant with your IH 620 double disk press drill. in a wild oat free field.

[A554]

A couple of photos of the Shearer air seeders made in Australia in the 1980s.

These were one of the first available here and they were very popular as farmers were able to convert their Shearer cultivators to seeders relatively easily.

This combination of MF 4880 and seeder put in about 3000 acres of crop each year.

[Old Binder Guy]

Ralph,

I like that ad for the NEW 706 & 806. According to Google, the 706 was introduced in 1963 and the 806 in 1964. I remember there being a few months of time between them. I bought my new 806 Wheatland in 1967. This is it with field dust on it in 1968.

And I never tire of seeing that 4568 ad either. That was quite a tractor when new. This was mine on the farm near Lewistown, Montana in about 1980. Gary

Ralph, you'll have to forgive me, as I've posted this in the wrong place, it seems?

[Loadstar]

And I never tire of seeing that 4568 ad either. That was quite a tractor when new. This was mine on the farm near Lewistown, Montana in about 1980. Gary

Ralph, you'll have to forgive me, as I've posted this in the wrong place, it seems?

Gary, no doubt I have posted those ads a few pages back. You have given me a reason to post one of my "newer" ads for the IH 86 series four wheelers. Complete with prices here in Sask. in 1981!

[wheatking]

And I never tire of seeing that 4568 ad either. That was quite a tractor when new. This was mine on the farm near Lewistown, Montana in about 1980. Gary

Ralph, you'll have to forgive me, as I've posted this in the wrong place, it seems?

Gary, no doubt I have posted those ads a few pages back. You have given me a reason to post one of my "newer" ads for the IH 86 series four wheelers. Complete with prices here in Sask. in 1981!

Thanks ralph I like those ads I couldn't believe the 4wd were already fetching a price tag of 100.000 dollars, I saw the 2+2 one awhile back and I couldn't believe mine new was 67.000 like that's a lot of money to consider back then

now on to more recent things ralph shouldn't you be seeding down there??

[Loadstar]

Thanks ralph I like those ads I couldn't believe the 4wd were already fetching a price tag of 100.000 dollars, I saw the 2+2 one awhile back and I couldn't believe mine new was 67.000 like that's a lot of money to consider back then

now on to more recent things ralph shouldn't you be seeding down there??

Is anybody seeding in Sask? Last year was bad enough but this one is starting to look worse. If it was just wet ground I might be out there scratching around in hopes of drying it up. If it was just cold, but dry, I'd probably risk seeding a little. But we have both wet, muddy ground, cold conditions that refuse to warm up. Not even grass for the cattle to eat yet. Oh well, thanks to the railway's poor performance this winter I still have most of last year's grain in the bins so might not need to plant a crop this year.

Looking back to the good old days when machinery was affordable in 1981, here is another page of new IHC machinery.

[M Diesel]

Inflation says the 784 would be ~$45,000 in 2014.

The 3588 would be around $137,500.

1086 would be ~$103,000.

[664 CDN]

Ralph , when interest went to 20% and up even those prices were out of reach for most farmers.

I financed a used 886 at 14.5% fixed rate in 1980, by mid 81 it would have been over 20% on float.

Ray

[Delta Dirt]

For the younger generation------what 664 means by the term "float" is the word ADJUSTABLE rate!!

20% interest and cancer have alot in common-----they are both usually terminal.

Enjoyed seeing the 1980s prices anyway Loadstar----thanks.

DD

[Mark (EC,IN)]

Thanks ralph I like those ads I couldn't believe the 4wd were already fetching a price tag of 100.000 dollars, I saw the 2+2 one awhile back and I couldn't believe mine new was 67.000 like that's a lot of money to consider back then

now on to more recent things ralph shouldn't you be seeding down there??

Is anybody seeding in Sask? Last year was bad enough but this one is starting to look worse. If it was just wet ground I might be out there scratching around in hopes of drying it up. If it was just cold, but dry, I'd probably risk seeding a little. But we have both wet, muddy ground, cold conditions that refuse to warm up. Not even grass for the cattle to eat yet. Oh well, thanks to the railway's poor performance this winter I still have most of last year's grain in the bins so might not need to plant a crop this year.

Looking back to the good old days when machinery was affordable in 1981, here is another page of new IHC machinery.

I noticed that a combine cost less than a 1086 back then

[Big Bud guy]

Thanks ralph I like those ads I couldn't believe the 4wd were already fetching a price tag of 100.000 dollars, I saw the 2+2 one awhile back and I couldn't believe mine new was 67.000 like that's a lot of money to consider back then

now on to more recent things ralph shouldn't you be seeding down there??

Is anybody seeding in Sask? Last year was bad enough but this one is starting to look worse. If it was just wet ground I might be out there scratching around in hopes of drying it up. If it was just cold, but dry, I'd probably risk seeding a little. But we have both wet, muddy ground, cold conditions that refuse to warm up. Not even grass for the cattle to eat yet. Oh well, thanks to the railway's poor performance this winter I still have most of last year's grain in the bins so might not need to plant a crop this year.

Looking back to the good old days when machinery was affordable in 1981, here is another page of new IHC machinery.

I noticed that a combine cost less than a 1086 back then

The 914 is the pull type version of the 915 which is why its cheap. Still need a tractor to run it so add the price of a 1086 or whatever to the 914 then its not cheap.

[Old Binder Guy]

For the younger generation------what 664 means by the term "float" is the word ADJUSTABLE rate!!

20% interest and cancer have alot in common-----they are both usually terminal.

Enjoyed seeing the 1980s prices anyway Loadstar----thanks.

DD

Anson,

How well I remember that word "Float." Actually, "sink" is what the bankers should have called that adjustable rate. I've never had cancer, but I tried to endure that 20% interest for a while. While "the ship was sinking" I decided I wasn't going down with it and managed to get out by the skin of my teeth. When I had my auction sale, it was the first of the season in Montana's Judith Basin, in 1981. Stuff sold pretty well and the junk made up for lower prices on the big stuff. The auctioneer said every sale was downhill after mine. Yup.... I couldn't have farmed with cancer or 20% interest. I had two poor crops in a row and I'd expanded just before that. So with the "float", it was all downhill. I admire those of you who stuck it out and made it through that "bubble." Gary

[Loadstar]

I noticed that a combine cost less than a 1086 back then

The 914 is the pull type version of the 915 which is why its cheap. Still need a tractor to run it so add the price of a 1086 or whatever to the 914 then its not cheap.

Thanks for all the interesting comments on these latest ads. Although not too colorful, they are really interesting when they show the prices. I guess when inflation adjustment is considered those prices do not look so attractive in today's dollars either. I know I could not consider buying new equipment in those days at those "good" prices.

Here is another look at the prices of IH self propelled combines. The 1086 and 914 still had a little price advantage coming out to about $70,000 compared to a 1440 at just over $80,000. IH sold a lot of those pull type 914s here but I doubt they could ever match the output of a self propelled 1440 especially in this country where there is a lot of turns and corners to negotiate. Can't beat an SP with hydro for that. Now if we were talking the 1482 axial flow pull type it might be a different story. Going to need more than a 1086 up front though.

[664 CDN]

Ralph, those combines are list price & no header

By 84 there were deep discounts as I was able to buy a 1420 with 15ft 820 header, 4rn corn head & 810 pickup head for about $75,000.00

plus IH credit was about 8% for 5 years.

traded 2 years later to a 1640 @ 5%.

Gary, up here in the 80,s the prices of cattle & hogs was not that bad if you had some to sell, but it was the interest rates that caused all the bankrupt

farmers.

Ray

[Loadstar]

Ralph, those combines are list price & no header

By 84 there were deep discounts as I was able to buy a 1420 with 15ft 820 header, 4rn corn head & 810 pickup head for about $75,000.00

plus IH credit was about 8% for 5 years.

traded 2 years later to a 1640 @ 5%.

Gary, up here in the 80,s the prices of cattle & hogs was not that bad if you had some to sell, but it was the interest rates that caused all the bankrupt

farmers.

Ray

Ray, I had not noticed that but you are right on the prices. And I guess by 84 the fact that Tenneco was buying IH probably put discounts on the machinery in stock.

I just noticed I have a page on the 1482 in that same 1981 advertising brochure. They say 130 hp will handle it but here most guys ran it with closer to 200 hp and four wheel drive to make full use of that big rotor in 30 foot swaths.

[Delta Dirt]

"sink" would be a good word for those high interest rates back in the 80's.

There is a county road running out west of the little town of Eden, Ms named "Money Sunk Road". Was over that way working on a project--------somewhere I've got a picture of the road sign. (made me feel right at home!!!)

The primary landowner out that way said there was a definite reason for the road's name-----and I readily understood the reason.

DD

[dale560]

I don't know what the actual retail price was new. I know dad bought a 1460 with pickup header used in 1981. It was 48000 dollars if I remember he paid 38000 to boot trading a 5000 versatile combine in. The combine was a 79 model and just like the last couple years was worth more used. Than paid for it new. It had a 101 hours on it when it arrived in the yard. Word for the wise in the fall of 85 the dealer was going broke and auctioned off it's used inventory 81 model 1480s sold new to custom combiners with 1500 hrs brought 12000 to 15000 but were jacked up a week or to later the had cash deals on the same combines for 10000 outright. They had 6 or 10 1480s.

[Loadstar]

I don't know what the actual retail price was new. I know dad bought a 1460 with pickup header used in 1981. It was 48000 dollars if I remember he paid 38000 to boot trading a 5000 versatile combine in. The combine was a 79 model and just like the last couple years was worth more used. Than paid for it new. It had a 101 hours on it when it arrived in the yard. Word for the wise in the fall of 85 the dealer was going broke and auctioned off it's used inventory 81 model 1480s sold new to custom combiners with 1500 hrs brought 12000 to 15000 but were jacked up a week or to later the had cash deals on the same combines for 10000 outright. They had 6 or 10 1480s.

That sounds like some real bargains on those axial flows Dale

Here is a more timely ad for the seeding season. The very popular IH press drills. Model 6200 shown here in the spring of 1981.

[dale560]

Dad ran international drills all the time. He started with 2 6 ft 100 got 3 7 ft 100s. Then went to 2 14 620s and 2 7 ft620s hooked in sets. The 28 ft got pulled behind a vibra chisel with sweeps. He started with a 7020 jd then 8630 pulled it. The 14 ft set got pulled behind a 14 ft vibra shank or a 8/18 Melroe plow and packer. The 8630 would pull the plow setup or behind the cultivator 806 turbo or 1586 would pull that set. Seeded a lot of rounds with those drills in my younger years. When somebody had 6200 drills that was state of the art then. Dad got a set of 7200 hoe drills used them for a few years then we went to a concord air seeder.

[Loadstar]

Dad ran international drills all the time. He started with 2 6 ft 100 got 3 7 ft 100s. Then went to 2 14 620s and 2 7 ft620s hooked in sets. The 28 ft got pulled behind a vibra chisel with sweeps. He started with a 7020 jd then 8630 pulled it. The 14 ft set got pulled behind a 14 ft vibra shank or a 8/18 Melroe plow and packer. The 8630 would pull the plow setup or behind the cultivator 806 turbo or 1586 would pull that set. Seeded a lot of rounds with those drills in my younger years. When somebody had 6200 drills that was state of the art then. Dad got a set of 7200 hoe drills used them for a few years then we went to a concord air seeder.

Interesting. I never saw anyone pulling both drill and cultivator in one operation. More often they'd pre work with something like an IH vibra chisel. Let the ground lay a day to dry the surface and then hit it with the drills.

I never saw one before but according to this ad, Allis Chalmers sold an end wheel drill too . From 1958.

[Loadstar]

And here is the IH Vibra Chisel iln a 1972 ad. Good machine for pre working ahead of the seed drills back in the seventies.

[Big Bud guy]

Dad ran international drills all the time. He started with 2 6 ft 100 got 3 7 ft 100s. Then went to 2 14 620s and 2 7 ft620s hooked in sets. The 28 ft got pulled behind a vibra chisel with sweeps. He started with a 7020 jd then 8630 pulled it. The 14 ft set got pulled behind a 14 ft vibra shank or a 8/18 Melroe plow and packer. The 8630 would pull the plow setup or behind the cultivator 806 turbo or 1586 would pull that set. Seeded a lot of rounds with those drills in my younger years. When somebody had 6200 drills that was state of the art then. Dad got a set of 7200 hoe drills used them for a few years then we went to a concord air seeder.

Interesting. I never saw anyone pulling both drill and cultivator in one operation. More often they'd pre work with something like an IH vibra chisel. Let the ground lay a day to dry the surface and then hit it with the drills.

Almost everybody around here pulled a plow and drills together at one time or another. We call them double hookups. Still have a few neighbors doing it. One is pulling a 40ft Flexi Coil 820 with 4 10ft JD 9350s. Another neighbor has two sets consisting of a CIH 9380, 40ft FC plows, and 4 10ft JD 9450s. Back in the day grandpa pulled a 32ft JD 250F plow with four 8ft JD LZB drills with a JD 5010. Later on in the early 80s we pulled a 48ft Morris with six JD LZB drills with a Versatile 950.

[Loadstar]

Almost everybody around here pulled a plow and drills together at one time or another. We call them double hookups. Still have a few neighbors doing it. One is pulling a 40ft Flexi Coil 820 with 4 10ft JD 9350s. Another neighbor has two sets consisting of a CIH 9380, 40ft FC plows, and 4 10ft JD 9450s. Back in the day grandpa pulled a 32ft JD 250F plow with four 8ft JD LZB drills with a JD 5010. Later on in the early 80s we pulled a 48ft Morris with six JD LZB drills with a Versatile 950.

Back in the days before good chemical weed control we liked to pre work the field and let it lay to dry a day or so for the weeds to dry up and die. Otherwise, hit it too soon behind the cultivator and those press wheels on the drill would just transplant your weeds and wild oats and they would be growing before the crop came up.

According to this 1938 ad some farmers did use the "once over" seeding method. This man pulling a "wheatland plow" although they were generally known here as a tiller. Case press drill right behind it putting in the seed. Seems it would have been simpler just to buy the seeding box attachment for the tiller and eliminate one machine. He would need to pull packers behind the tiller of course to duplcate the press drill action. Of course there is no way a tiller is going to give the precise seed placement that the press drill would have. Either way that old L Case was putting in the crop at a fuel cost of 12 and a half cents per acre.