C.B. Hay Bean harvesters PIC's

Thanks for the pictures.Brought back a lot of memories.We farmed about 1,200 acres of blackeyes and harvested them with a 1948 CB Hay with a 371 Jimmy
In the early years we put three four row Ventura planters together to make a 12 row planter.Sure wish I had some pictures of it.
We farmed rolling hills so we used sprinkler pipe for irrigation.Hand lines moved twice a day
Our tillage was all done with crawlers.Even pulled the harvester with a TD9 as wheel tractors then couldn't pull it up the hills.Sometimes if harvester was full it couldn't either.
One field we had was even steeper and sandy so we had to put our HD11 on it

Thanks for the pictures.Brought back a lot of memories.We farmed about 1,200 acres of blackeyes and harvested them with a 1948 CB Hay with a 371 Jimmy
In the early years we put three four row Ventura planters together to make a 12 row planter.Sure wish I had some pictures of it.
We farmed rolling hills so we used sprinkler pipe for irrigation.Hand lines moved twice a day
Our tillage was all done with crawlers.Even pulled the harvester with a TD9 as wheel tractors then couldn't pull it up the hills.Sometimes if harvester was full it couldn't either.
One field we had was even steeper and sandy so we had to put our HD11 on it

Awesome photos. Thank you for sharing. Is the smaller one called the Junior? BIG BERTHA seemed to be the choice for many here in the Sutter Basin.
These photos have inspired me. Crockpot is coming out for some baby Limas, sliced linguisa, pork hocks, onion, garlic and tomato! JM

The smaller one is my 36, it was a 2 cylinder with the thresher on the opposite side as the newer machines it had a crossover belt that dumped the beans on top of a counter rotating set of choppers before the first cylindeer. it had an old 3 speed transmission you used to speed up or slow down the cylinders. it worked great but it finally had too many problems to fix and was cheaper to get another unit.

Railforlife. While I agree the 48 standard are nice machines. The Big. Bertha solved some problems that the standards had, one was getting to the cylinders. Digging it out if it plugged! , I liked the straw rack and sand screen drive much better. better balanced , I liked having the shoe on the rear of the machine and not having the cross auger and the elevator to have to take it to the top shoe, I put 7 inch auger and speeded the elevator up to stop the plugging . The 18 bar front cylinder is nice! Plus they are a little wider. We had Cat 3160 engine and finally had to put in 2 7/16 shafts in the front cylinders to hold the power plus heavier cutter shafts. The 48 was a Good machine but could never equal a Bertha, as far as moving them the length and width is close to the same I could not see any difference, in California the Biggest DOG wins out and you have to drive accordingly even though you don’t like too. California drivers are not kind to people moving equipment as I said I took my half out of the middle if had too. IF enough beans were still being grown I would absolutely still be running a Machine the best times of my life I DO miss it . 17afarmer. Mike

I just know when I move a newer Bertha with the dump bin, I have to remove the elevator to the cleaner or it is way over height even for the lowest of lowbeds, and the standards can go on a 18 1/2 "  deck height lowbed without taking anything apart. I have both and I like them both for different reasons, but I am hauling a standard up to my farm in Mendocino county so I dont have to mess with any disassembly. Plus one can almost get a standard given to them where a Bertha is still going for anywhere from 25k on up. I just gave a 47 standard to a friend to harvest beans in a remote location so he can leave it there and keep him from the hassle of taking his bertha out there. I think even a standard compared to anything else out on the market today is still far superior but I agree the Bertha was the best design. Ole Colin had a great idea never needed changing in 75 years. I wish Melo would reproduce some of them even a jr would be nice for a small operation.

I never saw very many get hauled on a lowboy they tow pretty nice behind a truck

Reminds me of the time a friend pulled his bean harvester from Newman Ca to San Jose Ca by the airport.On 580 the harvester blew a tire.The CHP stopped to check on them and he asked the CHP to help them pull back on the freeway.The CHP laughed and told them you are bigger than them they will move over.