The machine, purchased by Corowa’s Bill Petzke five years ago, is a world away from the modern day combines that have air conditioning, heaters, headlights, radio, GPS, touch screen monitors, cushioned seats and adjustable steering wheel heights for leg comfort.
While the Claas Columbus is over 50 years old, when it was first released it was considered leading-edge equipment for smaller farms at the time with features such as hydraulic controls for the cutterbar and reel with an average speed of 16km per hour.
One of the most notable features of the 1967 Claas Columbus combine was its large threshing drum, which was able to efficiently separate grain from the straw and other plant material. This was a significant improvement over the traditional method of using a separate threshing machine, which often resulted in a significant loss of grain.
Measuring 450 mm in diameter, with an 800 mm wide threshing drum, three straw walkers, and 3-speed transmission, it became a big seller for CLAAS, with tens of thousands of units produced during the 1960’s.
“Baker Seeds had two of them which they used it for their trial plots. I asked for one at the right time and they agreed to sell it to me,” Mr Petzke said.
“It was in good working condition when I received it, but the bin had been taken off.
“I put it back together so that I could do bulk. I haven’t done much to it since, just fixing the old belt and replacing bolts.”
To combat the harsh Australian sun, a canopy has been installed above the driver seat of the old machine.
“I have been harvesting a bit of crop every year since. This year I’ve done a couple of small plots including Brian’s (O’Shea) patch here,” he said.
“It runs pretty well for a little old bomb. You wouldn’t find too many of them particularly in working order around the country nowadays.
“It’s all a bit of fun. Sometimes things go wrong, and you wonder why you considered getting it out. Machines obviously last a lot longer when they are sitting idle in a shed.”
Nowadays, combine harvesters are largely considered one of the most economically important labour-saving inventions of the agriculture world. With today's combines equipped with a wide range of advanced technologies making them even more efficient and effective at harvesting crops, Mr Petzke’s old header highlights just how far farming equipment has come in half a century.
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