some more classic pics !!!

[jakeboy]

To be honest John I'm not sure, I have never been interested in the European combines,but that little 31was a dear little thing, bloody noisy,but what pleased me was the young man who was proud to own it and display it that day, I think he has several machines now,different colours,he sure gets my vote,a local farmer around here has a European built massey with a folding table!! Similar to that lely designed one, I have never seen it and probably not likely to, I don't think many people have had that opportunity, which is a shame, I do know that idea for MASSEY was not successful,I was fortunate to drive a lely with a folding table, bloody clever engineering in its day,it was a big combine had shaft speed sensors,levers everywhere,perspex window alongside the sieves,and a big built in great Britain sticker on it, aaagh remember those days when companies liked to fly the flag,probably not politically correct now,ah well I suppose everything has lead up to what we got today machines that our 100%reliable cheap to own and idiot proof to drive? And can be fixed by the local village blacksmith if it does breakdown!! Oh yes,,,,

 

[John 1594]

To be honest John I'm not sure, I have never been interested in the European combines,but that little 31was a dear little thing, bloody noisy,but what pleased me was the young man who was proud to own it and display it that day, I think he has several machines now,different colours,he sure gets my vote,a local farmer around here has a European built massey with a folding table!! Similar to that lely designed one, I have never seen it and probably not likely to, I don't think many people have had that opportunity, which is a shame, I do know that idea for MASSEY was not successful,I was fortunate to drive a lely with a folding table, bloody clever engineering in its day,it was a big combine had shaft speed sensors,levers everywhere,perspex window alongside the sieves,and a big built in great Britain sticker on it, aaagh remember those days when companies liked to fly the flag,probably not politically correct now,ah well I suppose everything has lead up to what we got today machines that our 100%reliable cheap to own and idiot proof to drive? And can be fixed by the local village blacksmith if it does breakdown!! Oh yes,,,,

there was a good article about the lelys in CT a few years back, remember reading it

massey did do some odd things, the open type auger on some of the tables always looked peculiar, often wondered how it didnt block up on short crops

the size of the drum on the 5 series was huge compared to the competion, grandfathers Claas protector used to run at 1800 rpm in wheat i think, the MF tops out at 1200rpm, because it has such a large diameter drum, think they called it "high inertia" in the sales talk?

 

[blackbob]

large diameter drum, think they called it "high inertia" in the sales talk?

Yes that's the drums with the cast 'stars'. like yours will have, as opposed to the lighter pressed-steel stars on 500's and ordinary combines. But you probably know that already. It is a bit of a help in grassy or damp stuff, but Masseys were never the happiest in those sort of conditions, always best to carry a good fence-post on the front elevator to help lever the drum backwards for if/when it choked (much better than the proper handle thing)

 

[John 1594]

Yes that's the drums with the cast 'stars'. like yours will have, as opposed to the lighter pressed-steel stars on 500's and ordinary combines. But you probably know that already. It is a bit of a help in grassy or damp stuff, but Masseys were never the happiest in those sort of conditions, always best to carry a good fence-post on the front elevator to help lever the drum backwards for if/when it choked (much better than the proper handle thing)

ive never managed to block the drum on this...yet

managed to get a huge wad of green charlock wedged up the front elevator a few years back, had to take the table off and wind it out backwards with the clucth disengaged

ours has the optional "anti wrap" guard on the elevator, it deals with most things, the weak point is the returns clucth on the re thresher drive, Mfs dont like being run with the returns auger much more that a quarter full, any more and it sets that bloody hooter off behind the seat

but at least the returns go directly back onto the seive, and not into the concave reducing output like they do on those green and white german things....

 

[Selectamatic]

To be honest John I'm not sure, I have never been interested in the European combines,but that little 31was a dear little thing, bloody noisy,but what pleased me was the young man who was proud to own it and display it that day, I think he has several machines now,different colours,he sure gets my vote,a local farmer around here has a European built massey with a folding table!! Similar to that lely designed one, I have never seen it and probably not likely to, I don't think many people have had that opportunity, which is a shame, I do know that idea for MASSEY was not successful,I was fortunate to drive a lely with a folding table, bloody clever engineering in its day,it was a big combine had shaft speed sensors,levers everywhere,perspex window alongside the sieves,and a big built in great Britain sticker on it, aaagh remember those days when companies liked to fly the flag,probably not politically correct now,ah well I suppose everything has lead up to what we got today machines that our 100%reliable cheap to own and idiot proof to drive? And can be fixed by the local village blacksmith if it does breakdown!! Oh yes,,,,

Like this one @jakeboy and @John 1594 ?

This one's currenlty parked up, in her 35th harvest, waiting for the remainder to become ripe

 

[jakeboy]

Like this one @jakeboy and @John 1594 ?

This one's currenlty parked up, in her 35th harvest, waiting for the remainder to become ripeView attachment 62256View attachment 62257View attachment 62258

Thanks for sharing the pictures with us selectomatic, where the he'll would you get parts for that!! If needed? In the workshop I presume, I remember the metal in the combine it was built like a tank, you could walk about on the hood and it was solid, there was a chap in Gloucestershire who a few years ago came on the local HTV news as he had one parked in his drive on a big housing estate, and the neighbours were a bit marked, because it had been there 12/13 years well he was doing it up!!? I can remember one year he drove it 70 miles to the Great Dorset Steam Fair, to put it on display, I think it took him 3/4 days, yes a true story, what a bloody hero, characters like him helped build this country, mind you I wouldn't off wanted to be stuck behind the bu##er but I would off rather looked out me window to see that than a caravan, look at it this way what other street in the uk could boast a rare lely combine amongst the privit hedges, it must off pushed the property prices up in that area for sure!!!I bet there was probably the odd one or two that didn't like it being there ?? For sure Muppets.

 

[Selectamatic]

Thanks for sharing the pictures with us selectomatic, where the he'll would you get parts for that!! If needed? In the workshop I presume, I remember the metal in the combine it was built like a tank, you could walk about on the hood and it was solid, there was a chap in Gloucestershire who a few years ago came on the local HTV news as he had one parked in his drive on a big housing estate, and the neighbours were a bit marked, because it had been there 12/13 years well he was doing it up!!? I can remember one year he drove it 70 miles to the Great Dorset Steam Fair, to put it on display, I think it took him 3/4 days, yes a true story, what a bloody hero, characters like him helped build this country, mind you I wouldn't off wanted to be stuck behind the bu##er but I would off rather looked out me window to see that than a caravan, look at it this way what other street in the uk could boast a rare lely combine amongst the privit hedges, it must off pushed the property prices up in that area for sure!!!I bet there was probably the odd one or two that didn't like it being there ?? For sure Muppets.

Parts can be a challenge, but we have most of what we need to keep her going...

I remember the Gloucestershire Man's Lely, he purchased it from Bolton and drove it home, I believe that it came from the same farm, or estate as this one originally...