Massey Discussion Forums > Massey Talk > Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia
Order posts by: 

RE:Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia

For a change from cast iron here is a tool box that you will not see in N America.  It is a wooden tool box from an Australian Sunshine Massey Harris 6B binder.  The colours on it are still quite vivid.

Large numbers of these Australian binders were brought to the UK during the war and it would seem that they survive in equal numbers to the Massey Harris binders from Canada

John
Attachments
P1010081.jpg

RE:Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia

John does enjoy his cast iron, as some of you will know from our North American trips the hire car is often loaded up to capacity with findings along the way, tire "blow outs" on a Dodge Durango have been experienced in the centre lane of the 401 in Ontario, I am sure due to being overloaded with old iron collected in the Province.

Here are some great photo's taken on our farm in 2011 when John visited for our Carrington Rally, I just had to take him to see the remains of an early M-H grain binder found rotting away in the weeds, he was so happy to see a pile of cast iron and the remains of the wooden wheel rim.

Malcolm.
Attachments
may-2011-001.jpgmay-2011-002.jpgmay-2011-003.jpg

RE:Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia

Indeed I do like my cast iron Malcolm and I acquired a bit more from a stall at the Newby Hall rally last weekend!

Here is a tool box from one of our British MH 703 balers (equivalent to the North American No. 1s).  It is made of tin and carries the Massey Harris logo.  The toolboxes on our early combines were exactly the same size but never had a logo on them

John
Attachments
P1010082.jpg

RE:Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia

To compliment John's lovely original wooden toolbox from a Sunshine 6B grain binder here are two wooden crop dividers which have both come off 6B binders here in UK.

Malcolm.
Attachments
Jan-09-027.jpg

RE:Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia

Hi Malcolm,

I like your pics of John and what is left of the binder.  From the pictures, it looks as though John is slowly sneaking up on the pile hoping to find that last piece of cast iron marked with a MH.  He just gets closer and closer and suddenly he has a piece in his hands!!  Now that is hunting at its finest!

Looks like the pile had been thoroughly picked over!!

GTE



RE:Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia

Gary,

I am very pleased to see you are paying "attention to detail" the photographs were placed in order of what happened on the day. For me it is all about recording the moment, what ever we do in the collecting world, within a very short time our memories can fade, get distorted and sometimes important moments and information are forgotten.

This pile of M-H binder remains had been lying there for years, some rotted and gone, other bits taken and it was time to clear the remains, so thought it should be documented in true Massey style.

Collecting is more than just "tractors"  and items of cast iron are very interesting, diverse and often decorative and compliment any collection. I remember when I restored my first Lister gas engine in an old wooden chicken hut around the 1968 / 69 time, I found some old Ransomes of Ipswich UK nameplates my dad had taken off old implements which he had kept on the bench for "keepsakes", I painted them up in Ransomes blue with red raised lettering, then I screwed them onto the wooden chicken hut wall and admired them for several years, that was my first encounter in "collecting cast iron" and little did I know what I was doing or embarking upon.

Look forward to hearing other cast iron collecting stories.

Malcolm.


RE:Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia

Here are three seed drill box ends.  Two are MH and one a Wisner - a company which Massey Harris bought.  These are becoming very collectible and sought after over here.

John
Attachments
P1010071.jpg

RE:Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia

Here is another style of lettering on the Wisner grain drill end.

Malcolm.
Attachments
cast-iron-007.jpg

RE:Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia

One of the features I most like about some of the cast iron memorabilia is the intricate and ornate designs in the metal work - something that is entirely missing in modern machinery parts.  Take for instance this small wheel from the front end of a Massey -Harris scuffler

John
Attachments
P1010078.jpg

RE:Cast Iron M-H Memorabilia

Here is a board of more modern cast iron memorabilia.  They are tools and special service tools of the early MF era.

John