Massey Discussion Forums > Massey Talk > No. 8 Ensilage chopper
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No. 8 Ensilage chopper

A few years ago we were lucky enough to aquire an MH No 8 Ensilage chopper in not too bad condition.  I oiled it down for the nuts and bolts to come loose and finally got round to getting it out whilst Malcolm and Jack Turner were here last Saturday.  They helped me get it in the shed as it is an awkward thing to push about on your own due to the offset front wheels.  This is the only one that we are aware of in the UK though of course there may be another in the woodwork somewhere.  We have only ever seen one in N America on our travels and owned by the Bachman family which they had running at, I think, at a show in PA.

Anyway the three of us plus a local shepherd got it pushed into the big shed where there is more room to work on it.  A progress report will follow.

Anyone know of others.  I have a parts book for it but need an instruction manual - any offers?

John


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RE:No. 8 Ensilage chopper

John,

Yes the one we saw at the 2002 Expo in Hughesville PA was owned by Larry and Bryan Bachman, who we had a great visit with at their home before the show, pictured here in action at the show with Bryan keeping it fed, it looked the part being driven by the green Pacemaker, a greatly admired tractor from their collection. Just down the road from the show we saw the Amish harvesting in their traditional way of farming.

Malcolm
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RE:No. 8 Ensilage chopper

That is a very fortuitous photo Malcolm.

We are a few links and slats missing on the elevator so the photo shows me about how much "sag" there has to be on it.  I bought a lot of spare links for the elevator chain from Canada - they are not a UK size so maybe specifically Canadian or N American?  Anyone know?

John

RE:No. 8 Ensilage chopper

Today I have been thinking a lot about these Ensilage Choppers, I am pretty sure there was a very nice original one at Dome Valley sitting out the back of the building when we had the Massey Spring Meeting there about 2005, more photo's I need to dig out now, but I just can't picture it in my mind when we went back for the auction in 2007, ort maybe I was just blinded by everything else going on.

Also I seem to now recall seeing one at George and Barb Smyth's auction in Canada more recently, think it was sitting inside the barn with some of the other implements, I have checked my photos of that trip and didn't take a photo of it, if I am correct and anyone else has a photo please post away.

Also I was saddened to learn this winter of a Farm Museum in Yorkshire recently sending one of these machines to the scrap yard, it's thought the machine worked locally and no doubt gifted to the museum a few years ago, its a shame to think such a rare machine fell victim of the recent high scrap prices and now its gone forever.
The times we hear this about museums not taking care of the artefacts which were so generously donated to them from caring owners who looked after them when their working life was over. This old iron is much better cared for in the hands of private enthusiastic individual collectors, who not only preserve and restore them for others to see, some also enjoy using them occasionally for the job they were built to do.
There would of been a feed elevator there for you John, if only someone had got to it before it met it's fate of possibly going to China.

Here are a few more pictures from last Saturday.

Malcolm.
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RE:No. 8 Ensilage chopper

John & Malcolm,

I don't know why your chain was different, was it from a Massey? or was it from another brand? They made a lot of these very similar in design like case, papec, IHC, could be you have the wrong chain?  There are quite a few of these around if you really get looking for them. I have one in my lower shed I got from my dad years ago but don't have a picture of it right now.

Here is a picture of the one on George's Auction in Canada.

Joe
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RE:No. 8 Ensilage chopper

Here are a couple pictures of the one at Armstrong's
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RE:No. 8 Ensilage chopper

Here is one at Jim Esbenshades down in Oklahoma, I think he has several of them but this is the only picture I can find right now.
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RE:No. 8 Ensilage chopper

Here is the one that sold on Gene Miller's auction "the rope man" a couple years back, don't know who owns it now, but that is Tom S. giving it a look as he passes by.
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RE:No. 8 Ensilage chopper

Here is one at the first Iowa MCA state show a couple years ago, nice looking machine. Also a little something to get John pumped up on getting his going. Below is a link to a video I took wile at the Iowa show. It shows that the Massey ensilage cutter can really chew up the material but the Oliver powering it is getting the workout of it's life.. Crank up the volume and enjoy..

Click link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoy68AfvzHw

Joe
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RE:No. 8 Ensilage chopper

Malcolm I think this is the Blizzard that you were referring to in Yorkshire. It was standing outside the museum waiting for the scrapman and the man who saw it told the museum staff what a rare Machine it was in the UK. He also heard of another one that had been standing in a Barn in Yorkshire that has only recently been scrapped. I have the photos of the Smyth sale somewhere but at the moment I can't find them. Here is a photo of the one in Yorkshire. Alan
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