[Tin Man]

I run an S88 as most know. I don't actually farm, was raised on one and we quit in 1985. Mechanical contracting is what we do for a living and our business is in it's 40th year this year. I always have been fascinated with combines and missed running one. My BIL and Nephew farm a tick under 5000k acres of corn, beans and wheat. Long story but they pretty much went from a 2400 acre farm to 4500 in one year back in 09. They needed a 2nd combine so I bought one and basically cut beans and wheat for them. I decided this summer it was time for me to retire from combine ownership. Takes a lot of time that I don't have and at the end of the day it costs me money to say I own a combine and operate it. Not enough hours in the day seems like to get everything done so I needed to stop doing something and the combine seemed like the logical choice to eliminate. Hate to quit, love messing with the combine but its time.

 

[Transaxial]

I am in the same situation. Retired from farming after 2014 (43 years doing it on my own and 15 years before that working with my Dad) but am still selling, restoring, buying, dabbling because I can't or don't want to totally quit. At least now I can do it a more enjoyable pace! Never did have an auction sale so I can keep getting the equipment that I farmed with into top condition before advertising and selling it. I enjoy having that interaction with my equipment and the people that are equally passionate about equipment that come to look and buy. I would rather have the rewards of 60 years of work sitting in my shed where I can look at it, use it, sell if I choose, than a blip on a computer screen in a bank that could be gone tomorrow. You can still "farm" on CF!!

 

[stevemcil]

Well I hate to hear that but do understand. We ain't getting any younger and a guy should try to enjoy the later years before they are gone. I'd like to buy yer combine but I don't think 88A will justify it. At least you got in 10 years of play farming. Will miss your posts.

 

[whtbaron]

I always said I was going to farm until I was 70, but now at 61, 65 or maybe even 64 is looking better all the time. Earlier planning allows you to decrease the work load ( and income) slowly to avoid a lot of tax issues. This fall has turned into 5 months of the "harvest from ****" and hasn't been much fun, so that might be adding to my pessimism, but mostly it's my old classmates getting seriously ill or dying. One of them told me not to wait to long if I wanted to be able to enjoy retirement... his funeral was last summer. I'm starting to think about his advice more seriously.

 

[Tin Man]

I always said I was going to farm until I was 70, but now at 61, 65 or maybe even 64 is looking better all the time. Earlier planning allows you to decrease the work load ( and income) slowly to avoid a lot of tax issues. This fall has turned into 5 months of the "harvest from ****" and hasn't been much fun, so that might be adding to my pessimism, but mostly it's my old classmates getting seriously ill or dying. One of them told me not to wait to long if I wanted to be able to enjoy retirement... his funeral was last summer. I'm starting to think about his advice more seriously.

I am a workaholic, born and bred to work, my hobbies require as much work as my actual job but I enjoy working and going to the house at the end of the day knowing I have accomplished something. Me and my brother run the construction company which is a 10-12 hour day about every day. We are building a 20 acre lake and doing all the work ourselves, we are big waterfowl hunters, we have a 35 acre field that we do farm ourselves and plant food for the ducks and flood it every fall. This is almost a full time job, always needing to mow, work on blinds and pits, fix levees or something down there. We have another 20 acre field next to this one that we have been going to levee for the past 3 years but not had time to work on it. The lake is a major project. Took me 2 years and 10 months just to battle through the government BS just to get the permit that says we can build it. We have our own dirt equipment and move dirt after "work" and on weekends. Been digging on it for 2 years now. Spent 2017 clearing about 12 acres of timber off and cleaning up all that mess before we started moving dirt. 2018 was so wet we struggled to get a lot done. 2019 was not dirt moving friendly till late July either. Hoping to throw up the dam in 2020. We pulled tractors from 1987 till 2002, that was a 100% full time job along with the business. That was the only 2 things we done for 16 years, pull tractors and work the business so I have been at max capacity most of my life, not like I am going to be laying around doing nothing after getting rid of the combine but it will take some pressure off. I wrote my combine "obituary" over the weekend so I can advertise it for sale. Already have one nibble just from word of mouth. There will be plenty of opportunity to scratch the itch if I want to run a combine somewhere, sad part is it won't be a Gleaner when I do. This board has been a great resource for information and will still be on it everyday to see what is going on.

 

[Beerwiser]

Interesting conversation. I remember many years ago staying at a public camp site which I rarely did. I was probably on 18 or so, but I remember sitting around the fire when a big ass motorhome pulled up and was trying to back into their spot. He was having a **** of a time so I went over and asked if he needed a hand. The guy was in his 70s and bought the biggest one he could get at the time and they were rare at that time too. He asked if I ever drove one and I said no, but I am a farm kid so this is nothing special. He got me to back it in and he thanked me and I went back to my beer, fire and girlfriend-in that order lol. About an hour later, him and his wife came over to our fire and told us to join them for a beer. Being 18 or whatever I said of course. It turned out he was a surveyor all his life and worked his ass off never took time off or anything. His wife was a nurse with the same work ethic. BS'ed with them most of the night. The one thing that really stuck with me to this day is when he told the girlfriend and I that they both loved the outdoors and would always try to go but work got in the way. Now that we are both in out 70s with money to burn, but we are stuck in this camper because of failing health. All we can do is look out the window. Don't do the same. I never will forget that and I guess its a good thing that the things that the wife and I enjoy don't cost a lot of money.

As far as the lake goes Tinman,I would love to see pictures! That sounds like a great idea. And if you have to run a combine that is not a gleaner, just stick a gleaner badge on the steering wheel and see if the owner notices.

 

[361turbo]

Congratulations! Or sorry?
Was talking to an older guy and he said if gave up drinking, smoking,wild women,junk food, but relapsed farming over n over... good luck!
The duck pond sounds pretty neat and I'd also like to see some pics...

 

[NoColourPreference]

My Father-in-law suffered from PFA (Post Farming Anxiety) so he bought a low-hour 450 hp articulate and does custom work with whatever that tractor will do, pulling his customers implements. He loves the variety of tasks, everything from pulling a high-speed disc to a grain cart, and he's regained his "sense of purpose". All kidding aside, we were concerned for his mental health after he sold his farms and attempted retirement; - he digressed quickly. Now, he's never been better, and his customers enjoy an experienced operator with years of knowledge and wisdom to pay forward.

 

[Tin Man]

Couple people mentioned pictures of the lake. I have a lot of pictures and several videos. Some taken with a drone and some with my phone. I will try and post some links to video and see if it works. I am not a professional drone operator or taker of video and pictures so if these links work the videos will be longer than they need to be but get the idea. This first one is poor quality but shows the lake area after the trees were cleared and a lot of the brush cleaned up but still a mess.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/UgdkSsF51Am7L7E56

Link may not work, will have to post this reply to see.....

 

[Tin Man]

From my computer the first link worked. The first video was from early spring 2018. This next one is from this fall and starts out from the same basic location so you can get a good view of what has happened in the past couple year or so. If this link works too I can post some other videos and pictures of progress that happened between the time frames of these first 2 videos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KM98XwFLVuJinfMVA

 

[Beerwiser]

Links all work for me. Very impressive. Looks like you moved a few pails of dirt. If that were my project I would have a nice deep spot for fishing just because I prefer fish over fowl.

 

[Transaxial]

Two links are working! Nice job with the drone! It is interesting to see what you are working on and in the background your yard that says a lot about who you are and that you have had a busy and productive life. It is really cool that you continue to do what you love and as we slow down in the aging process, something has to give. It is so much less stressful to be operating your own equipment on your own land and doing your own project. No hauling on public roads and license and permit problems. And the diesel is still deductible! LOL! Who says you have to sit around in a retirement home like so many seem to want to do? I think you/we are doing it just about right! But it is hard to say goodbye to some of our favorite equipment.

 

[Tin Man]

The video's I do with my phone have a little commentary on them. This one I talk about leveling up 4 acres on the north end, it actually wound up being 7 acres. In the video from this fall you see a green grassy area on the video, that is the north end of the pond and that is the area we leveled up and is also what you see in this video but this one was taken back in the summer, I may mention the date I can't remember. We got it done this fall, top soil spread back on top and sowed cereal rye grass on it. If you turn your volume up on this one I tell a little about what is going on.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8WaAKhfXJ9Hn2qoy5

 

[Tin Man]

My Father-in-law suffered from PFA (Post Farming Anxiety) so he bought a low-hour 450 hp articulate and does custom work with whatever that tractor will do, pulling his customers implements. He loves the variety of tasks, everything from pulling a high-speed disc to a grain cart, and he's regained his "sense of purpose". All kidding aside, we were concerned for his mental health after he sold his farms and attempted retirement; - he digressed quickly. Now, he's never been better, and his customers enjoy an experienced operator with years of knowledge and wisdom to pay forward.

I am only 55, not retiring as in a normal retirement, just from owning a combine and operating it. Our business runs from 30 employees up to as high as 80 depending on what we have going on. Right now it is a bit slow and only have 30 or so working. Also have a couple of trucks I run everyday hauling construction equipment etc.. and is a separate business to the contracting part. Seems like business always gets stupid busy at same time as harvest even in June when we cut wheat then again in the fall. During the fall when harvesting and trying to do my normal day job we also need to be working on stuff at the hunting club, pumping water or whatever. Way to many irons in the fire and stress runs high. Just need some stress relief. I can totally understand the PFA. When we quit pulling tractors it was a struggle for me. It was part of our identity, was something we worked on and did for 16 years as hard as we could go and to just quit one day and it be over was hard to adapt to. Running a combine filled that void somewhat and gave me something to tinker on, make changes to gain capacity, try and push nephews 680 and make them frustrated because that Gleaner is doing as much as we do and maybe better!! Will still have more work to do than I can get done but I do feel better already knowing I won't have to be stressed out come wheat time next summer or bean time in the fall. I like to build things, engineer and or invent things. I have another business right now that is farm related, just getting it off the ground. I could say I invented it, then we built it. Doing some redesign on it right now, hope to be able for more R&D in the next few days. I will post some info on it soon when I think we have it lined out. It is a huge money maker for a lot of farms especially in areas like we live in. I have considered trying to get a patent on it and should do something before I turn it loose to the public. It is a very simple concept, not like I reinvented the wheel but it will make you a lot of money if you need one.

 

[NoColourPreference]

I like to build things, engineer and or invent things. I have another business right now that is farm related, just getting it off the ground. I could say I invented it, then we built it. Doing some redesign on it right now, hope to be able for more R&D in the next few days. I will post some info on it soon when I think we have it lined out. It is a huge money maker for a lot of farms especially in areas like we live in. I have considered trying to get a patent on it and should do something before I turn it loose to the public. It is a very simple concept, not like I reinvented the wheel but it will make you a lot of money if you need one.

You should check into obtaining "Patent Pending" status. From my understanding, it is granted at the commencement of applying for a patent, so it might be minimal costs to provide early intellectual property rights protection. You could also draft COMPLETE plans of your idea, and send them to yourself (or your lawyer) by either Certified/Registered Mail but DO NOT OPEN the document when it arrives to its destination. Also, sign your name over the the sealed portion of the envelope or package. My understanding is that the post mark stands as a legal and authentic means of proving the date in which you sought intellectual rights protection.

 

[Tin Man]

Another lake video from back in July

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bkj7kfnkVwRczPbx9

 

[Tin Man]

Another one

https://photos.app.goo.gl/UCPPXLpNR1TWFAaZ8

 

[Combine Pilot]

I do a lot of prototyping, you cannot patent anything after it has been released to public. Sometimes it is easier just to get to market, and make your money before everybody pirates your idea anyways. Ag is really bad for steeling peoples ideas.

 

[Tin Man]

Last one for today

https://photos.app.goo.gl/q6c7eqgTfShYpPnv8

 

[Combine Pilot]

i sure could use that ute on my land.