This is a Holt wooden self-propelled with unloading auger. Gotta love the sound of the engine!

Edit:  I guess the unloading auger was on another Holt I saw.  Sorry, but still a great video regardless.

Another bit of trivia regarding "what goes around comes around" is that our Deere No. 17 combine had a steel wheeled header trailer to allow removing the 16' header for road travel.
I don't recall seeing header trailers for several years after that for the self-propelled combines until the headers got much larger.

I’ve never seen any pre Cat/Holt John Deere combines in these parts. However, you see John Deere (green) combines (36s) with Cat Yellow parts. You also find John Deere green parts on the Holt/Cat (galvanized) 36s. Also of note, the Cat/Holt 36Bs in these parts use a screw type leveler, the John Deere’s use the more common rack and pinion. I’ve never seen a 36A, full hillside with dual racks, but I would like to study one someday.

As for Draper headers, they feed so nice and even.  I love watching the wheat come into the feeder house when I run my Harris.  However they are pretty maintenance intense.  Even the new ones can be pretty fussy I’m told, but the the performance increase it worth the trouble.  Augers are much more reliable, at the expense of some capacity.  Massey Harris tried a draper in the first self propelled 21s. They were a nightmare I’m told.  Most got converted to a auger head.  These new drapers are rubber with the slats molded in, whilst the old ones were canvas with wood slats, lots of rivets and leather wear buttons.  The outer perimeters were also a long leather belt. I have seen some with double thick canvas on the perimeter.  Any chance of rain and the drapers need to come out.  I’ve found that removing and installing drapers is the best way to damage them if you’re not careful.  

BP.

17AFarmer wrote:

The true John Deere’s had the Shute unloader springs on the header balancer maybe an auger header, the Holt Cat version never had any of that, I still have a good 36A which is full side hill a 36 B is a half side hill I am pretty sure the auger tank unloader goes back to the Holt rigs. I have run a lot of different machines in my time but the. JD 36 is about sweetest one I’ve ever ran and I ran it in 1985-86 and 87 I ended up getting married because of it I will keep it for EVER. 17afarmer




Hey 17afarmer, is your 36A here in Washington? I’d like to see it sometime.  

BP.  

Bruce P. My JD 36a is still in Denair ca. When I get everything moved that I really NEED to do any farming I will move it, it will need some work I have to get a new shoe made I have almost a new grain carrier have got new raddle chains for it. I cut some wheat with it but mostly forage oats for seed, we put a feeder assist on which was a copy of a Cat design worked slick moving those tall rank oats across that table without it can make for a LONG day. Those old Cats JDs and Harris machines were way better long lasting simple machines than the ones made today. Mike 17afarmer

Some pictures of the ranch I think Ray54 was refering to. 
1 and 2. JD 36B pulled by 3T D7
3. RD6 with IH51 and RD6 with Case Combine
4 &5. JD 95H cutting borders
6. RD6 with IH51
7. RD6 with IH51
8. RD6 with Case Combine

Edit to add these pictures were taken in 1973.

Wondering what the upright pieces along the RD6 tracks are for?

npalen wrote:

Wondering what the upright pieces along the RD6 tracks are for?


looks like trunions and cylinder mounts for a bulldozer blade.  

BP.  
 

Jake, those are great pictures! That 3T would break a 36 to lead. There was a guy in Garfield county that pulled a 51 IH with a 17A. He had some ugly steep ground.

BP.

Amazing seeing those old hillsides. We rarely see them in KS as the land so flat. If we tried to farm "mountains" like shown in the photos it would be nothing but ditches and gulleys.