Vintage Allis Chalmers equipment was put through the paces at the fourth annual Allis-Chalmers Jamboree this summer. The event is a field demonstration show near Davis, Ill., where the goal is to use as much Allis-Chalmers equipment as possible.
A threshing demonstration opened the show each day, featuring an Aultman & Taylor 25-50 tractor and a wooden threshing machine dating to about 1917. (Allis-Chalmers acquired Aultman & Taylor through their acquisition of Rumely in 1931.) The wooden threshing machine gave operators a bit of trouble both days, but new parts were crafted and the relic was soon back in business. Original paint and decals are still visible on the machine, which is owned by Norm Meinert (who also owns the Allis-Chalmers tractor).
The straw pile and other straw was baled with a white-topped AC roto-baler, one of the last models of the roto-baler produced.
Plowing started with a WC pulling a 2-12 model No. 2 pull-type plow with a clutch lift. Other units used included a G, a WD and three-bottom snap coupler #53, a B on full steel with 1-16″, a CA with a #52 2-14″ plow, a model A with 4-16’s, and a WD 45 with 4-14″ mounted plow. The WD-45 with a four-bottom plow was a surprise to most spectators, as most people didn’t realize that small a tractor would pull that large a load.
The combines – a Model 60, 66 big bin, and model 100SP – went to work at about noon each day.
A demonstration showed the proper way to rake straw for the roto-baler (it works best if two windrows are laid side-by-side to help fill the ends of the bales). After the bales were gathered, the plows went to work, followed by discs and field cultivators to smooth the ground before planting wheat back in for a cover crop (using Dennis Anderson’s All-Crop drill with wheel kit).
As an added feature, Jack Gustafson from Byron, Ill., brought his All-Crop 66 combine with a two-row com head and demonstrated that machine on six rows of corn left standing from last year. It worked surprisingly well in spite of lush weed growth. Jack also demonstrated the mulcher he purchased at the Washington, Kan., Gathering of the Orange earlier this year. He had it behind his D-21, but the gear box for the mulcher was for a 540 PTO, and the 1000 PTO on the D-21 made the D-21 seem underpowered. Properly geared, this would give a very good demonstration of seed bed preparation. FC
