Robert Meier purchased the combine from a museum in Grey County
By Farms.com
A group of farm machinery enthusiasts recently breathed new life into a 79-year-old Case A-6 pull-type combine.
Robert Meier, Territory Sales Manager for central and eastern Ontario for Case IH, heard from Craig Smith, co-owner of O’Neil’s Farm Equipment in Binbrook, Ont., that Grey Roots Museum & Archives was putting the combine up for auction.
So, Meier purchased the combine and enlisted the Hamilton-Wentworth 4-H Machinery Club to perform a complete restoration.
“There were about 14 or 15 children, (ranging in) age from 9 to 17,” Meier told Farms.com. “We worked together taking (the combine) apart, fixing things and painting it up.”
The A-6 combine is a way to celebrate Case IH’s 175th birthday and the innovations in the agricultural industry, Meier said.
The 4-H club put in a lot of work to prepare the combine for its debut at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in September. The Machinery Club members spent much of their time removing dirt and rust, and repairing or replacing worn-out parts. And they performed those tasks expertly.
“I’ve never seen rust come off so fast,” Josh Burrows, a member of the 4-H Machinery Club, told Better Farming during the restoration process. “You have 15 kids, all with drills and everything going. They were all smiling and everyone was happy and excited about (the restoration process).”
Indeed, the 4-H members were involved every step of the way.
“(The restoration included) everything from fabrication and welding to design and build. It’s been kind of neat,” Cam Topp, one of the club leaders, said during the restoration.
Meier will use the restored A-6 combine to celebrate Case IH milestones. The combine will be on display, for example, at O’Neil’s next year to celebrate the dealership’s 100th anniversary.
Top photo: A group of people restore a Case A-6 combine.
Photo: Better Farming