For the last two years I have had the strangest urge to.........................

[flightsimmer]

Drive a Combine. I know it's strange, but I come from a long line of farmers,
several decades removed.

I now drive from city to city in a small pickup or van delivering auto parts
for one of the big box chain stores, O'Reillys, and I drive through the country
and see farmers working their fields all year long, but when it comes harvest time
I get this urge to drive a Combine that I just cannot explain.

It's too late this year, but some time in the future I'd like to give it a try.
I don't know how to go about it though, I mean, I don't think they advertise for
combine drivers like they do truck drivers and farmers seem to contract out a lot
of the chores because many of them are too small to afford all of that big
equipment.

If I ever get the chance though, I might find it boring and not at all any fun but
I still get this strange urge every year at harvest time.

There you go, you now know one of my deep seeded desires in life.

Carry on.

 

[CHCRandy]

I remember when I was a kid I would go out and combine with my dad. That was in the 70's and we were not big farmers.....but dad and his buddy had like 120 acres they farmed every year. That old combine was something, think it stayed broken down more than running.

I got friends who farm and the combines are half million dollar machines now. Computers, GPS, heat & Air.

I have always wanted to be a farmer.......but at $10,000 an acre land prices.....that dream will never be lived without the lottery.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I would honestly pay to get my kids chair time. I think this is an underdeveloped market.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I remember when I was a kid I would go out and combine with my dad. That was in the 70's and we were not big farmers.....but dad and his buddy had like 120 acres they farmed every year. That old combine was something, think it stayed broken down more than running.

I got friends who farm and the combines are half million dollar machines now. Computers, GPS, heat & Air.

I have always wanted to be a farmer.......but at $10,000 an acre land prices.....that dream will never be lived without the lottery.

Funny how pronunciation can change the meaning of a word...

 

[churchmouse]

Great grand dad had a 2 row corn picker that he would mount onto the "Old" (year un-known) Allis Chalmers and run it up and down the rows getting 2 at a pass. I got to drive it a few times but man that thing was hard to steer.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I would honestly pay to get my kids chair time. I think this is an underdeveloped market.

How far are you willing to drive? I could get your kids & you) some seat time in a ride-along... but it would be about 2 hours from Indy... haha

 

[Hickory]

We are a little ways from Indy but you are welcome to come ride any time.
Harvest generally lasts for 6 to 8 weeks so plenty of time to plan.
PM me when you want to try it next year.
Hickory

 

[GlockRock]

Youre not the only person to have the urge. I get asked all the time during harvest by friends wanting to ride with me. You wouldn't believe all the people that just park on the edge of the road and watch us while we're working in the fields.

 

[jd4320t]

I know what you're talking about and it happens to me every year. I was hooked the first time I climbed up in one. I felt the greatest responsibility ever when I was 16 and asked to learn the combine. I've told many people it's the best job ever.

I'm lucky enough to have a brother in law who's a farmer so I get my fix every year.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

How about taking a spin on the simulator at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry first?

Coming down from the huge combine simulator. - Picture of Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago - TripAdvisor

 

[Leadeye]

High maintenance machines, spent more time fixing those than any other single piece of equipment.

 

[jd4320t]

Which makes leadeye? I've spent many hours in them too.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Which makes leadeye? I've spent many hours in them too.

They're ALL high maintenance... the only ones that aren't high maintenance are newer ones where things aren't worn out as bad yet. Unfortunately, it will happen with ANYTHING that has that many moving parts in a dusty, abrasive environment that is prone to have FOD run through to cause damage. In the case of newer ones, you pay a premium to have a machine with less maintenance required...

 

[BogWalker]

Got to drive a brand new combine this year. Dealer test model we got to borrow (nice to have friends, eh?).

The amount of gadgets they put in these things now is pretty awesome. Heck, it even steered itself! Not even joking. Line it up with the row and press a button. Worked flawlessly.

 

[jd4320t]

They're ALL high maintenance... the only ones that aren't high maintenance are newer ones where things aren't worn out as bad yet. Unfortunately, it will happen with ANYTHING that has that many moving parts in a dusty, abrasive environment that is prone to have FOD run through to cause damage. In the case of newer ones, you pay a premium to have a machine with less maintenance required...

They can be high maintenance if not pm'ed properly.

Got to drive a brand new combine this year. Dealer test model we got to borrow (nice to have friends, eh?).

The amount of gadgets they put in these things now is pretty awesome. Heck, it even steered itself! Not even joking. Line it up with the row and press a button. Worked flawlessly.

Yeah it's unreal. The auto steer is pretty amazing. I just told my bro in law the other day that in a few years he won't even have to be in it while it's running.

 

[Landon]

Your more likely to find someone that will let you ride with them than to drive one. I doubt stopping and asking a farmer to drive his combine will work. Not many are going to trust a stranger with their most costly and most important piece of equipment.

Most farmers do still own their own equipment. Not many hire out others to harvest their crop unless they don't have very much farm ground.

Not very many farmers hire someone to run their combine, most that I know run their combine themselves and if they need to have a hired hand they let them drive trucks to the elevator.

 

[GlockRock]

Your more likely to find someone that will let you ride with them than to drive one. I doubt stopping and asking a farmer to drive his combine will work. Not many are going to trust a stranger with their most costly and most important piece of equipment.

Most farmers do still own their own equipment. Not many hire out others to harvest their crop unless they don't have very much farm ground.

Not very many farmers hire someone to run their combine, most that I know run their combine themselves and if they need to have a hired hand they let them drive trucks to the elevator.

I wouldn't let a stranger drive ours, but if I got to know someone and they seem half intelligent I may.
We have all the gadgets on ours including auto steer. It actually gets boring at times just sitting there for hours at a time.

 

[Bandsaw]

We bought our first combine in 1977 because the fall was too wet to pull our picker. It was a used Gleaner K without heater or AC. We had to run a lot of corn that year on frozen ground. I would get to bed around 2AM, and when I got up the next morning my legs would still be cold to the touch! It took a little of the glamour out of that job.

It is amazing how much yields have increased in those years- how much more goes through a machine and how much more has to be hauled and stored.

 

[Landon]

I wouldn't let a stranger drive ours, but if I got to know someone and they seem half intelligent I may.
We have all the gadgets on ours including auto steer. It actually gets boring at times just sitting there for hours at a time.

I know what you mean, spent several hours behind the wheel of one myself. Although I never did do it day after day. I preferred to drive the semi and haul grain to the elevator. My mom actually did 90% of the combine operating during corn harvest and my dad ran the tractor and auger wagon.

I went to college and started a career off the farm and my brothers had no interest in farming, so my parents sold everything and retired. I cannot think of a time when anybody other than my mom, dad, or myself ran the combine (except for a mechanic). I don't even think either of my two brothers ever ran it.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

If I ever won the lottery, which is highly unlikely considering I don't play, I'd be a farmer. No hesitation at all. Get me a bunch o' acreage and work it till I die.