Massey 21 Question!

[CLTX]

Shortly after the end of WWII, my father bought a used MH 21 from the Kansas wheat fields. He went completely through it and modified it for rice harvest. There were quite a few brought from the wheat belt, as apparently few new combines were available for rice. His machine and several others, as I remember, had galvanized, unpainted sheet metal. In all the pictures of 21's that I have seen, the machines were painted red. Were the early models galvanized, and later ones painted red, or was it just the result of what was available, due to wartime conditions? Just curious.

 

[rrlund]

Could have just been a war thing I suppose,not painting them. As I recall,the old Massey clipper pull types back in the day,the paint would start to peel and they were galvanized.

 

[chuck41]

"The Grain Harvesters" book shows the 1940 #21
in red. It was first tested in that yr. The #20
looks galvanized. Could be more??

 

[greenbeanman in Kansas]

The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village complex has one of the galvanized Massey Harris combines on display, link below.

It is the #20 that was mentioned.

I visited the complex while on vacation in 1990 and enjoyed three days there. There are over 1 million items on display and over 16 acres under roof. I enjoy it more than the Smithsonian and feel it is a must see during ones lifetime.

Thanks for telling of the 21 your dad modified.

We went from a Baldwin pull type to a 21A and then bought a 21C. We didn't even get the 21C home before the engine failed---the end of the crankshaft broke off. Both ends of the crank drove sheaves so it became our parts machine.
Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village

 

[usetob]

I ran a 21A as a kid but it was red (faded)
man what power steering it had (-:

 

[1206SWMO]

I have several pictures of galvanized 21 Massey's but it would take awhile to find them.They arent real common and I think that they were mostly war models.

I know theres one at a show in Canada.