Red, Just what year is your John Deere 7700IJ Do you still have your Massey-Ferguson 760 alsoIJ Yes, I think the Massey-Ferguson 510 is an attractive combine, but for some reason, I still prefer the styling and configuration of the M-F Super 92. I'd love to find a decent-looking, runnable or restorable Super 92 some day. No, I don't think the 510's turret unloader was by any means, a distraction from the its overall beauty. Compared to many combines made since 2000, the Model 510 is not overly rounded, either. One reason I admire the style of the 1964 and up John Deere 45-105, was for their straight lines-squared edges and corners and angles, rather than the traditional rounded features. Indeed, by the late 1960's to early 1970's, squaring became a fashionable trend in our combines and it realy was quite beautiful. In fact, I can't say any single combine made from 1972 to 1978, was ever ugly at all. One day, in 1979, a certain manufacturer introduced a new combine that really was as ugly as it was big. Well, most fortunately for combines, one doesn't have to be drop-dead gorgeous to be an outstanding performer, as later production soon proved. To this day, I'm still far less impressed by the looks of the 50 Series John Deere combines. In fact, I think the 95 or 105 and the 7720 are prettier in style, than the 6600 or 7700 and the Maximizers. Yes, the Maximizers are beautiful! The 00 Series were handsome, too. My preference for the former styles is only my personal opinion, too. No doubt, some here will "oooh and ahh" over the curvy 50 series, and that's okay, too. I thought the Models 760 and 750 Massey-Ferguson were definitely the most colorful of North American, if not the world's, combines. They were certainly a step above the old 10 Series style. I keep telling folks the bold 760 looked like it wore a red suit, black vest and white tie. The M-F 860 was also pretty, although so much silver really subdued the overall color scheme, just as some female birds are not quite as brilliant as their mates. I've been grown large gardens off and on for 25 years. I love produce. Okra is also one of my favorite vegetables. I love it fried, but never cared for it being boiled or stwed. It is rather slimy that way, but since talking to a new friend in another state who loves it boiled, I've decided to try it again like that, hopefully to experiment with some seasonings to add flavor. Pickling okra also saps the slimy juices, making the pods crisp and nicely sour, the way dill pickles should be. Seriously, I need alternatives to fried foods due to my age and potential risks of diabetes, so I am serious about boiling it and at least stir-frying in extra-virgin olive oil. Okra is a row crop and is easily planted_harvested using conventional machinery. The seeds are about half the size of soybeans and can be drilled, if certain holes are plugged. It requires a row crop [not corn] header and sunflower pans or attachments are ideal. I am going with 30" rows and 6 to 8, depending on the planter I can lease. Wherever cotton can be grown, so can okra. They are in fact, very closely related, although okra is still more like a hollyhock or Hibiscus. It is for that reason, many people still grow okras as an ornamental. Its height makes for nice borders and backdrops for other plantings. I have 23 varieties varieties of okra. I'm a plant breeder and seed saver. Although my M-F 510 is over 30 years old, figure at least 12 of those years was spent just sitting in the weeds. Not really that good, as I know time and weather can take as heavy a toll on a combine as wear and tear in the field [running]. I'm still rather disgusted by the total disregard for such a combine, and the person whom I bought her from, only wishing to haul her off for scrap. I could see that for the old, rusted-out remains of something really old, but this 510 had belonged to this young man's own father, who had farmed with her! So far, all the belts and chains look good and all the sheet metal is still in good shape. The machine was thoroughly cleaned when brought into the shed. She had been run outside some years ago, because the son not only did not want her, but only wanted to make room for his vehicles inside the barn. Having been cleaned, really helped in this case, nt having the usual piles of build-up in places to collect and hold moisture and corrosives. In addition to scrap value, I was out the expense of a battery and of course, some fuel.
