Combines Salute the TR s

As an owner of a TR from 1977 till today I have to say it is a bit sad to see the letters TR gone. They have been very good combines for our farm all the years (TR-70,TR-95,TR-96,TR-97 and our current TR-98). That first TR-70 was some combine compared to the Oliver 525 that we had before. We could combine 80 acres in the time the 525 did 20. But each new TR has been better than the one before so I suppose the new CR will be also. I just wish I could buy a new CR for $40,000.00 like I paid cash for my first TR-70. Ah those were the days!

You have to admire New Holland for continually marching to thier own drummer. When IH first came out with thier 1400 series, it was supposed to be the "end-all" and "do-all" of rotary combines, and in our region (SW Ontario) thier was a bounty out on New Hollands from the IH dealers; - no one would have ever guessed (at that time) that the two companies would someday merge. I think New Holland really did thier homework before launching the CR and CX series, and I'm glad to see that now Deere's STS and Cat's lexion's now have some serious competition to contend with. I will be seriously contemplating the purchase of a New Holland when I deal next, and my local New Holland dealer will gladly take a well-maintained Gleaner C62 or Deere 9610 on trade.

Sounds like here IlNH! We started in '77 with them to. In the early '70s they brought the experimental machine to our area and harvested a lot of crops with it. My Dad walked behind it several days, he always said it would be the next combine he bought and it was. We ran the old 105 till you could poke your finger through the sides almost. Now if JD had of just improved on that machine it would have been a whole different ballgame for the combine market, but instead they went with the '00 nightmare! The only thing that really irks me about NH from the old days to now is, the company has changed so much from it's old ways. They used to would stand behind everything, add part upgrades at no cost to the owner or send a field rep to help you out if you had trouble. Today they are just like all the rest. Guess that's the price you pay for all the modern technology of todayIJ I don't think it is as good of deal as yesteryear'sIJIJIJIJ JD

Thank you for your good words on such a wonderful class of combines! I love the TR's as much as any. You are right about the passing years. it doesn't seem like that long ago, when i first read about a new rotary combine in Farm Journal in 1975, the year the TR 70 made its debut. Actually, I was drawn to the article because at the height of new fuel efficiency concerns and a certain make of car new to America, I thought it was a combine with a rotary engine. I first saw the TR 70 in real life, at a farm show in 1977. I was really impressed. When another leading rotary came out later the same year, it was an odd-looking combine, leaving the TR to be the only rotary that still looked like a combine. When still yet another rotary of another color debuted in 1979, it sure made that red rotary look pretty good [appearance]. I would like to see more of the original TR 70 owners speak up, both pro and con. I once heard of some big farmer who had about 20 of them, but never contacted him. I agree on the naming of the combines as to the loss of the "TR" designation. Does this mean a new single-rotor unit as opposed to dual rotorsIJ

There was a company featured in the New Holland magazine back in the late 70's, and I think the name of the company was Terry Jaimeson Seeds. This outfit had (I believe) about 10 TR-70's, and I think they combined about 10,000 acres annually. They spoke highly of the TR-70's.

I think that was the right name, I know the last name is correct. We used to have a picture of all his machines picking in a single field. I think it was more like 17 '70s he was running. He was from the "Delta" area and some of his ground was on islands as we saw pictures of his TR's on ferry's crossing the river. Our first TR was a 1977 TR 70. The machine is still in our area and still running. We sold it to another guy in the area and bought a '85 when they came out. The 70 would pick circles around our 85. So we had the CAT man come and work on the injection pump and he got her going but it still was not the machine the 70 was. The only problem we had with the 70 to any amount was breaking the discharge beater belt. Never had all the trouble some have related on here with the 70s. The biggest improvement I think they made in the machines was the spiraled rasp bars...."S Cube" rotors. That took all the noise out of rotors and made for more even threshing and seperating. JD

Yes, I remember the pic of the Tr-70's loaded on a ferry, so it must be the same person, and it could have been more than 10 combines; - I'm just guessing at the number. Our original TR-70 (77 model) is still working as well, and the last I heard it has over 5,000 hours on it, although it's on it's second engine. I too had very bad luck with the Tr-85 which replaced our 70, and it was at this time that we quickly traded for an N-6 Gleaner; - what a mistake, since it made the TR-85 look pretty good. I agree that the spiral rasp bars were a big improvement.

It sure would be nice if that seed producer who had all those TR's would get on this board and talk more about them. I'm sure he would have a lot to say about how good they are!

Now you guys made me go dig in my lit books to find a 1979 TR-70 book that had the pic in it. It showed 10 combines in it. I think the guy was from Tiptonville TN and purchsed the combines from Ward Eq. in Beech Grove KY. Ward's was the biggest dealer of combines at one time, not sure about that now, but they sure have a lot of used ones now. They also had a lot of parts and very good service. At one time they told me they could build a new combine out of the parts that they had. looking over that TR-70 book New Holland sure have changed things from 1975 till 2002. Big changes like the rotors and rotor gear boxes, concaves, unloading auger, cab, and heads. Some people that had a TR-70 at one time still think a TR-99 is the same combine. Maybe it was time to change the letters to CR!

Whatever. If we all are going to stand in line and all salute a machine why don't we also salute the IH 1440, or the Gleaner R series, or the JD 4020, or the IH 806, or better yet the FARMAll.