A South Otago farmer shows off his vintage combine harvester.
Video / ODT
A vintage South Otago combine is not ready to be put out to pasture quite yet.
Country folk have been known to grow fond of their old workhorses - whether four-legged or mechanical - and Waiwera South farmer Tom Whiteside (73) is no exception.
As a young farmer not long set out on his own account, in 1978 Whiteside bought his first combine harvester, to crop about 20ha of wheat and barley.
The self-propelled 1965 Claas Mercury was second-hand, but it was a big step up from his father's old headers, drawn behind a tractor.
It served him well until 1986, when the growth of his farm ushered in a bigger machine, and he sold the Mercury on to a Mossburn farm.
"Well I sold it to him for $1200 but, over the years, I would sometimes spot a corner of something green sticking out of a shed on our way to Te Anau for holidays.
"About three years ago, my curiosity got the better of me, and I stopped by to have a yarn with the same farmer."
Farmer Tom Whiteside and his Claas Mercury 1965 combine harvester help bring in a wheat crop on the Waiwera South family farm yesterday. Photo / Peter McIntosh
It transpired the trusty old harvester was still on-site and protected from the elements during the intervening years.
"I made him an offer and, eventually, he got back to me and said yes. I bought it back for $1200, so I feel like I've got a good deal."
In "perfect" harvesting weather yesterday afternoon, Whiteside gave the old-timer a run out alongside its modern counterparts, bringing in a wheat paddock on the edge of Waiwera township.
"It still runs great. I like to bring it out each year to shake out the bird's nests and rats, and just for a bit of nostalgia."
He said a "fair few" things had changed since the Claas first took to the field in 1978, although the essentials of bringing in a crop remained the same.
"We're all arable now, harvesting about nine different crops on 600 hectares.
"This, a 60 horsepower combine, could do about six tonnes an hour, where the modern ones are 400 horsepower and do 40 tonnes an hour.
"Of course, there's a bit of a cost difference - a new combine back then was about $16,500. Now they come in anywhere from $600,000 to $800,000 and more."
The other big change was comfort and a bit of safety.
"Modern cabs you've got air conditioning, comfortable seats, stereos and sound protection. This ... your 'cab' is protective goggles, a facemask, earmuffs, and the open air.
