Posted by admin | Posted in Antique Tractors and Equipment | Posted on 02-10-2007
Tags: forage harvester, forage harvester parts, forage harvester salvage, forage harvester videos, forage harvesters for sale
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The Mean Machine
She sits on the tractor, holding the engine heater switch, waiting for the motor to warm up, looking idly at the finger-nails on her other hand, smiling ruefully at the sight of one lonely longer nail. These certainly aren’t the hands of a secretary anymore. “You two become farmers? You must be joking! You’ll be back to the city inside three months!” Ha! How little her friends and workmates really knew her, or her husband, and what really lay underneath their city image. True, she has never worked harder physically, or in worse conditions, or for so little financial reward (as yet), but for her there is supreme satisfaction in working the land; of life revolving around the seasons; of spending twenty four hours a day with her man, working together to build their future.
She turns to look at the tall ‘Hurricane’ forage harvester, and even taller catching bin, both waiting to trail behind her tractor. A part of her will never get used to the oddity of operating all this big machinery, and yet she loves it; gets a feeling of power somehow, and excitement. Okay, engine warm enough now, turn the ignition keyand the tractor shudders into life. Ear muffs on now and shift the lever to engage the harvester. Now the noise begins to build up as the cutting blades start to slowly turn and swing, gathering speed, up and up, to their wildest rotation. Lift the revs higher now, tractor into gear, hand brake off, clutch out slowly…and start moving.
Today they will finish making the silage they have worked on all week, between milking cows and feeding calves. She will again be mowing the grasses, grown tall in the past months; whilst her husband stacks the loads on the wedge-shaped stack (grown huge now). He lifts the heaps with the buck-rake on the back of their other tractor…dropping, building and compacting. That’s the part she hates. When he backs up to the high edge to compact the stack, and the heavy steel rake hangs far out over the edge, seeming to defy the laws of gravity and balance, and then he changes into forward gear and the tractor slips back a fraction more. Until the wheels grip, she experiences a heart-stopping moment. She imagines the tractor somersaulting over in slow motion…but it never does. He knows what he is doing.
Don’t dwell on that part. Eyes on the cutting now. She does it well, and is proud of having learnt to line up a spot on the bonnet of the tractor to get the maximum width cut, without missing any rows. Even some of the older farmers around compliment her on this evenness…and she glows, remembering their praise. Carefully around the corners, especially this bottom one…the bin leans a bit on this one, and gives her a momentary chill. Back onto the straight length again, relax a little now, and enjoy the wind in her hair and face, and the fresh, clean smell of the new-mown grass as it’s cut, thrown up through the funnel of the harvester, into the bin.
Watch that bin — it’s getting really full. Can she make it to the end of this round? Close! Yes, it’s okay. She stops, disengages the power driving the harvester, and the noise drops dramatically – she forgets just how loud it is, until she stops…and her ears continue to ring for a few minutes. Over to the stack, as close as possible; stop again; stretch far back and grasp the handle that opens the whole back section for the load to drop out. Give the accelerator pedal a couple of quick taps to jerk the tractor, shake out all the remaining grass, and slam the big door shut again. A wave and a grin to her husband, and she’s away.
Round after round goes by, with an ever-shrinking area left. Sometimes she smiles as she drives. Her thoughts often drift to how it was in a small, air-conditioned office all day, head down, fingers tap-tapping, never exposed to the extremes of the weather…so comfortable! She shudders…that would give her claustrophobia now. She feels so alive — working in harmony with her world — the seasons, weather, and animals dictating the jobs for each day, And while each day brings something different, everything is done to the rhythmic pattern of life and death.
Last round! Just criss-cross the paddock to clean up the corners, and come back to the stack for the final time. The supreme joy of turning everything off, and climbing down. She’s stiff and sore in her spine now, and suddenly painfully aware of it. She walks around, arching and rubbing her back, watching the last load go on, and the final compaction for the day. Finally it is done, and they both walk around the stack, admiring the quantity and quality of the grass this year; and then, of course, up on top of the stack to its highest point.
They stand there, arms around each other, looking out over their cows peacefully grazing, and in the incredible quiet after the noise of the day’s work, they can once again hear the birds, and a lamb in the distance, calling for its mother. She knows her husband shares not only her aching tiredness, but also her deep satisfaction in a job well done. Now the cows are assured of moist feed during the dry months, to keep them milking well — and that keeps a smile on everyone’s face — including the bank manager! She sighs contentedly. She wouldn’t swap this work or this life with anyone.
About the Author
“SAM”
New Holland Forage Harvesters FR9000
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2009 New Holland 900 Forage Harvester $7,800.00 |
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JOHN DEERE 3940 SILAGE CHOPPER FORAGE HARVESTER 2 ROW ;CORN HEAD & HAY HEAD $2,500.00 |
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New Holland Chopper Forage Harvester 990W hay head $1,500.00 |
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JOHN DEERE 3940 SILAGE CHOPPER FORAGE HARVESTER 2 ROW ;CORN HEAD & HAY HEAD $950.00 |
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STARTER NEW HOLLAND FORAGE HARVESTER 2100 2115 ENGINE 3406 1985-1995 $300.00 |
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STARTER JOHN DEERE FORAGE HARVESTER 6810 6910 6950 $300.00 |
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NEW HOLLAND 1600 FORAGE HARVESTER CLUTCH AASEMBLY NOS $199.95 |
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JOHN DEERE TRACTOR COMBINE FORAGE HARVESTER CUSHION SET $188.00 |
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NEW ALTERNATOR NEW HOLLAND FORAGE HARVESTER FX28 13.8 $182.94 |
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Alternator John Deere Forage Harvester 5720 5730 6619 $165.00 |
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Alternator John Deere Forage Harvester 5820 5830 6619 $165.00 |
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NEW STARTER MOTOR INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER 50 FORAGE GAS $164.93 |
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Krone Self-Propelled Forage Harvester BiG X 500 650 800 1000 S/N 732000- Manual $150.00 |
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John Deere #72 Forage Harvester 1/16 Resin Implement $137.99 |
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John Deere 5440/5460 Forage Harvester Technical Manual $144.95 |
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CLAAS 1:32 scale Jaguar 60 SA Forage Harvester $96.57 |
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NEW JOHN DEERE SOLENOID PLANTER FORAGE HARVESTER AE47999 CLUTCH ENGAGER SHIPFAST $125.00 |
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New Holland 676997 Forage Harvester Single Edge Knife $125.00 |
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John Deere 3940 3960 forage harvester technical manual $104.30 |
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JOHN DEERE 5720 AND 5820 FORAGE HARVESTER TECHNICAL MA $119.99 |
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1/64 scratch/custom built forage harvester, forage wagon and tractor $102.50 |
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John Deere 5200 5400 Forage Harvester Service Manual $112.50 |
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New Holland FX25/45 Forage Harvester Operators Manual $110.95 |
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John Deere 5200/5400 Forage Harvester Technical Manual $110.95 |
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John Deere 5200/5400 Forage Harvester Parts Manual $103.95 |
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John Deere 5440 5460 Forage Harvester Technical Manual $99.00 |
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1970,s Britains Forage Harvester (Rare Black Colour) MIB $94.83 |
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John Deere JD 3940 3950 3960 3970 forage harvester technical service shop manual $87.20 |
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John Deere 5720 5820 Self-Propelled Forage Harvester Technical Service Manual jd $99.99 |
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NewHolland FX25/45 Forage Harvester Operators Manual $99.95 |
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ALTERNATOR Case Tractor 2870 4890, New Holland Forage Harvester 1895 1900 Diesel $99.95 |
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John Deere 5200/5400 Forage Harvester Technical Manual $99.95 |
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John Deere 5720 5820 forage Harvester Technical Manual $98.99 |
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Upper Gasket Kit for John Deere 5440 Forage Harvester – AR63270 $82.99 |
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Upper Gasket Kit for John Deere 5440 Forage Harvester – RE524429 $82.99 |
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New Holland Model 1915 Forage Harvester Parts Manual $94.95 |
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SIKU CLAAS JAGUAR 960 FORAGE HARVESTER 4058 *BNIB* $66.37 |
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1977 Deere 5440 5460 self propelled forage harvester tech technical manual $85.00 |
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SIKU JOHN DEERE 7500 FORAGE HARVESTER 4056 1/32 *BNIB* $60.05 |
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JOHN DEERE 3940 3950 3960 3970 FORAGE HARVESTER TECHNICALREPAIR MANUAL NICE $87.96 |
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1982 Deere 5720 5820 self propelled forage harvester tech technical manual $79.00 |
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John Deere 5720 5820 Forage Harvester Technical Repair Operation Test Manual $74.99 |
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Britains (scale 1:32) John Deere Self Propelled forage Harvester Ireland N Irish $47.34 |
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John Deere JD 3940 3950 forage harvester technical repair shop manual $71.20 |
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JOHN DEERE FORAGE HARVESTER TECHNICAL MANUAL 5440 5460 $69.99 |
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JOHN DEERE 5440 5460 SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTER $79.96 |
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New Holland 1900/2100 Forage Harvester Part Manual $79.95 |
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John Deere 5200 5400 Forage Harvester Technical Manual $74.99 |
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JOHN DEERE 3940-3970,FORAGE HARVESTER TECHNICAL MANUAL $75.00 |
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JOHN DEERE FORAGE HARVESTER TECHNICAL MANUAL 5720 5820 $64.99 |
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JOHN DEERE 3940/3950/3960/3970 FORAGE HARVESTER MANUAL $70.00 |
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New Holland 1900 & 2100 Forage Harvester Service Manual $69.00 |
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Herpa John Deere 7000 series forage harvester + Kemper harvest adapter 375 1/87 $65.95 |
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GENUINE JOHN DEERE 5440/5460 FORAGE HARVESTER OPERATOR’S MANUAL OM-E60265 B7 $68.00 |
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John Deere 5440 & 5460 Forage Harvester Service Manual $65.00 |
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New Holland 900 Forage Harvester Parts Manual $69.95 |
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New Holland 1915 Forage Harvester Parts Manual $69.95 |
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John Deere 5200/5400 Forage Harvester Operators Manual $69.95 |
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JOHN DEERE COMBINE and FORAGE HARVESTER PLATFORM and HEADS TECHNICAL MANUAL jd $69.95 |
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Britains New Holland FR9060 Forage Harvester 1/32 Diecast Farm Model – 42408 $42.60 |
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Tractor and Forage Harvester – 24W x 16H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $47.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l… |
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Farm Machinery Film Records: Harvest $29.95 Compiled by Brian Bell, this film shows machinery working in the field, experimental farm machinery, rarities and machinery that successfully went into production. Over thirty items are presented – combines and stackers, swath turners, balers and loaders, silage and forage harvesters…. |
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NEW STARTER MOTOR INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER 50 FORAGE GAS 1107785 $164.93 APPLICATIONS: INTERNATIONAL Harvesters Model 50 Forage Harvester C-263 Gas Engine 1957-1965 INTERNATIONAL Payloaders H-30B IHC C-263 Gas 1969-1979 INTERNATIONAL Payloaders H-30F IHC C-263 Gas 1969-1979 INTERNATIONAL Payloaders H-30R IHC C-263 Gas 1969-1979 INTERNATIONAL Payloaders H-50C IHC C-301 Gas 1974-1979 INTERNATIONAL Power Units UC-175 C-175 1972 INTERNATIONAL Power Units UC-200 C-200 1972 … |
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Hot Line Farm Equipment Guide Quick Reference Guide (2 Volume Set) $37.95 Covers 100 brands of tractors 34 hp and up, crawler tractors, combines, corn and bean heads, windrowers, balers, planters, spreaders and skid loaders. Pricing: Average auction prices, retail prices, new list prices, option / value pricing for tractors and combines, and loan values. Covers most models from 1960-2009. Specs: Weight, HP, CID, Fuel, no. speeds, D-E Draw-bar engine, etc. Serial Numbers… |
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international harvester operators manual narrow row, row crop unit international 50, 55, and 550forage harvesters … |
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48 & 56 Forage Blowers, setting up instructions & operators manual … |
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Ertl Collectibles 1:64 New HollAnd FR9090 Forage Harvester Set $35.64 1:64 scale forage harvester set includes a New Holland FR9090 self propelled forage harvester and two forage wagons that feature die cast metal and plastic construction. The forage harvester features pivoting unloading auger, detachable corn and window headers, moveable feeder housing, pivoting and steerable rear axle. Age grade 8+ years.Features include: •1:64 scale forage harvester set&bull… |
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Ertl Collectibles 1:64 John Deere 4650 Tractor With Harvester And Wagon $14.99 Make silage for the cattle with the JD 4650 tractor, pull type forage harvester and forage wagon. All three pieces are made of sturdy die cast material rolling around on soft plastic tires. This adds up to hours of fun for the child as he brings home the food for the cows.Features include: •Die cast tractor body•Die cast forage harvester body•Rotating harvester spout•Detachable… |
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The Forager`s Harvest $13.98 Description not available. |
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Nature`s Garden (Paperback) $16.31 Presents a guide on locating, identifying, picking, and preparing wild edible foods grown in North America. |