MATCHED WORKING EQUIPMENT
~ Part II ~
This second in a series of articles about Matched Implements continues to
present
those for the Waterloo-built First Numbered Series Tractors.
JOHN DEERE AUTOMATIC BALERS
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Above: The automatic baling of hay was and still is one of the more pleasant exercises
in farming. The introduction of the John Deere Automatic Baler in 1945 brought
a new level of quality, speed, and efficiency to the hay field.
The Model “60” Tractor (above) is powering (via PTO) a No. 116-W Baler (16 x 18
inches, wire-tie). A No. 114-W was also available (14 x 18 inches), and both units produced
bales 34, 38, 41, or 44 inches in length.
These balers were also available with engine drive for farmers with smaller tractors
or if the baler was to be used in particularly hilly fields. The engine furnished
was a Wisconsin VF-4D, a 4-cylinder V-type, air-cooled engine developing 23 hp at
2200 rpm.
Inset: Another view of a Model “60” Tractor powering a No. 116-W Baler. |
The “W” designation when you’re talking balers means “wire-tie,” and the John Deere
No. 116-W has been around for 65 years. Introduced in 1945, it featured automatic operation,
58-inch pickup, direct feed, continuous-running plunger head, efficient wire-tying
mechanism, overrunning clutch, drive gears running in oil, and a power drive shaft
entirely encased in the square tongue. It produced 16- by 18-inch bales in lengths of 34,
38, 41, or 44 inches. No PTO? An auxiliary engine (Wisconsin VF-4D) was available. A
slightly smaller No. 114-W Baler produced a 14- by 18-inch bale. |
