90% Chance.

[Roger - Kansas]

Looked at the Minneapolis Moline 5297 today. Not a bad looking machine. Motor is stuck big time, oil is like tar. Going to take a lot of work to get it out of the "Rat Hole" it is in. About 1 million Honey Locust trees need to be cut. Since the machine was parked in this location the pasture has washed away and there is a bad ditch to cross.

Owner is skeptical and not real sure on selling, but I am pouring on the charm and working on them. Made big points when I made friends with "Tracer" the dog.

I'm about 90% sure this is a done deal.

Special thanks to Eric for spotting this machine, not sure how he saw it.

 

[Ralph Bauer]

I'll give you the missing 10%, Roger. Thanks for the update and keep us posted!!

 

[NutsaboutCombines]

Good catch, Roger!
The combine"s condition just makes me sad. I knew a couple of old M-M dealers, back in the day. This was a top-line combine and would have made any farmer so proud to own it, and also a few quite jealous. It was also among the world"s largest, with that 52-inch cylinder!

Now look at him. Abandoned, unloved and worn-down by the elements of nature....

I know you will rescue this combine. I just want to see him in at least 2 years, at the show, and most definitely dressed up, too.

 

[Erik Ks farmer]

My eyes are always open. By the way, it's only about 15 miles from me, have skid loader and chain saw, will travel.

 

[Erik Ks farmer]

Friend of mine in his 80's was with me when I saw it, I was taking him down the scenice river road where he used to drive a school bus in the 50's and where he later drove his family on Sunday's. He had in laws down around Anthony that farmed wheat with MM's years ago and later went to Gleaners. He is a Massey man himself. We couldn't figure out what it was at ,till I pulled out the camera and zoomed in on the old girl, I knew when I saw MM that I was looking at a rare bird.

 

[Toms1650]

wow I did not think I would ever see one of these. What a great find. Good luck

 

[Daled2]

Not to change topic too much. I have a MM 3490 combine in real good shape. Chrysler L head 6 cylinder, scour kleen, 12 Ft rigid straight cut. Everything works (except tach). Looking for a good home for it. Need the space. Problem is I'm a ways away, in Ontario. Anybody interested?

 

[Case Nutty 1660]

hope you can save her for sure! a few questions agin if you MM/Olivers guys don't mind,,, this looks more modern than any I have seen before 70-72 I am guessing? and I see the header has parts in Oliver green, were that that way or has some one replaced parts? also these would have a Chysler engine? perkins dsl? bin capicity would be around 120? and what a 20' hdr for the largest? thanks guys do love combines not matter what size just looking for more info cnt

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Looks like must be a gas job- two exhaust pipes?
I will never understand the "owner skeptical about selling" part. Watching it rot away is preferable?

 

[700man]

Im curious asto the position of that variable speed pulley on the right side,never seen on that low before,my olivers and whites are on the end of the cylinder

 

[Roger - Kansas]

This is a gas combine. 150 hp. Not sure if it is 318 or 360. Cleaned off as much trash as possible to see it. I'm sure it was your basic fuel economy machine. 170 bu grain bin. 1970 model. Largest head was 22 ft. This one is 17, float springs, it's been in beans a lot. I'm sure it is an Oliver header, only difference in Oliver & Moline was the paint. This machine still has the MM serial no. tag on it.

I've been within 4 miles of this machine 6 or 7 times in the last year but never on this road.

Owner is concerned about the price. They think it is just junk iron and don't understand why I want it. Showing them the pictures of my other combines really helped. They like the offer I made, but want to check around and see if it is fair. Not sure where they are going to find another one to compare it to. Going to take a LOT OF WORK to get it out. They do not have anyway to haul it to scrap and scrappers are offering almost nothing for it. I've promised not to take it to a demolition derby. I really wasn't looking for a 5297, gave up seriously looking for one thinking I wasn't going to find one.

They have a John Deere 4020 power shift, hasn't been started in 6 years. Don't want to sell. Personally, it would be better as money in the bank than letting the tires rot off.

 

[Erik Ks farmer]

I have faith that you will get her, one though request Roger, I want to come down for wheat harvest when you get her going!

 

[Jim in Sask]

The 5297, which is the same as a 555 Cockshutt or Oliver 5555, was built from 1969 until 1971. In 1972 it was upgraded to the 7800. The 5297 used a 318 Chrysler V8 which was a bit short on power if you were unloading on the go. The 7800 started out with the Chrysler 383, then part way through the run used the 400 Chrysler which was essentially a bored-out 383. The 7800, along with its little brother, the 7600, was made from 1972 to 1974 when it was replaced by the 8800/8600.

Both the 5297 and 555 were red, while the 5555 was green. It wasn't unusual, when buying parts such as pulleys, etc. at the dealer, you'd get one of the opposite colour to your own machine.

The cylinder drive on the combine pictured here seems to have been unique to the early series. The 7800 and later 8800 and 8900 all used a 2-speed gearbox on the end of the cylinder shaft.

 

[NW MO Poppers]

I'm not trying to run down the owners here, but one thing I've noticed in life: some people just can't stand to see someone else get some use out of things they're done with. They would just as soon scrap something or let it rot away than sell it as a "loss". I don't know why it is, but I have noticed it a lot. I sure do hope Roger saves this combine, as I would love to come see it run again!

 

[iowadave1957]

Hey, I have a red 7400 hydro in Stuttgart AR I am willing to sell. Drop me an email if interested

 

[Josh in Pa]

I was thinking that the xx97 Molines were the same as the Oliver 7xxx? I also thought they were yellow, but this one is obviously not. Were any combines yellow? I have a nice 7300 Oliver, and always thought it would be neat to have a yellow one to go with it. I was thinking I needed a 3497?
Josh

 

[Jim in Sask]

The 5297 MM, I believe, was only available in red - it was out concurrent with the Cockshutt 555 and Oliver 5555. I do have a picture from an old farm magazine from 1969 that has a small picture of the 5297 in yellow with white trim, but I think it may have been a re-coloured photo. Perhaps White's original idea was to offer the 5297 in yellow so the picture could be a mockup. Their advertising back then often had re-touched photos, either with different names or sometimes colours. You can see on the cover of the 5297 brochure the photo was re-touched to read Minneapolis-Moline on the decals - it uses the same picture as the 555 Cockshutt where the Cockshutt decal is more realistic looking.

For further confusion, the 1974 full-line brochure as well as the Oliver 7600/7800 brochure says those models were available in green or red (red was special order). The picture of a red 7600 in the combine brochure has "Oliver" on the grain tank, while the full-line brochure has a red 7600 with "Minneapolis Moline" on the tank and the front of the platform. I know during the 3 year run of the 7600/7800 series up here, 1972 combines were "Cockshutt", 1973 combines were "White Cockshutt" and 1974's were just "White". Thankfully in 1975 when the 8800/8600 came out they were all red and simply named "White".

Regarding the 7300 I've only seen them in green and red. I'm not familiar with a 3497 MM but the 3496, which was equivalent to the 7300's predecessor, the 535, was yellow with brown trim.

Hope this doesn't confuse even more.

 

[1206SWMO]

Roger,we are sure rooting for you to get this 5297 MM bought...It deserves to go to a good home in Winfield,KS...Did the owners buy it new...It must have been shedded for part of its life but doesnt need to be sitting out much longer..

 

[Roger - Kansas]

Combine was bought 15 years ago to replace a G Gleaner. It was driven to this spot, parked and never moved again. He used the G.

There are several other combines that might be for sale. Guessing he ran one till it quit then got another one. No explanation why he never ran this one. Just a guess here, but I think he liked buying things at auctions from the looks of it.

 

[Ande]

Roger,I smiled when I read your comment,you will get it,you have the knack! Thanks for posting

 

[BANDITFARMER]

Roger I hope you get her and do her up to be the proud machine she is. I would be interested to see the engine, I have herd that some had a 361 truck engine in them. I have one in a D600 Dodge truck and its a stout big block with alot of power. It has 186 hp would be a good fit in that combine. I would like to know if they realy did use this engine in a combine or not? Bandit

 

[Jon Hagen]

Yes they used the B series Chrysler engines, also the 400 CI B series in some of the later / larger white combines.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Yep , That Minny Is beggin for a roof or it will be like the Tin man wanting a heart and a trip to OZ ,...err,, Winfield ,Ks .if that 360 motor were mine i would flushwith diesel fuel and drain the oil and put type f tranny fluid it it .same with spark plugholes . .. .outside equipment/ combines suffer a slow death ,, i hated to do it , But We hauled away 2 outside kept massey 300s , ( onewas outside since 1980 ) to pay for a low houred MF750 that was headed to china or Detroits mills...

 

[agcodick]

(quoted from post at 19:52:30 02/22/12) Yep , That Minny Is beggin for a roof or it will be like the Tin man wanting a heart and a trip to OZ ,...err,, Winfield ,Ks .if that 360 motor were mine i would flushwith diesel fuel and drain the oil and put type f tranny fluid it it .same with spark plugholes . .. .outside equipment/ combines suffer a slow death ,, i hated to do it , But We hauled away 2 outside kept massey 300s , ( onewas outside since 1980 ) to pay for a low houred MF750 that was headed to china or Detroits mills...

I have read this post with great interst. Roger, did you get this combine? I would also like to know what other MM combines were yellow. Here are a few pictures of ones that I have saved over the years.