Old Combine Turned Into Playground

2014 - Volume #38, Issue #3, Page #44

[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story | Read this issue]

John Strauch admits that he was emotionally attached to his 1979 Deere 6620 SideHill combine – so attached that when it finally gave out he converted the combine’s cab into a playground for kids.
    “Now the combine I used for most of my farming career can stay on the farm for future generations to enjoy. Our grandchildren have a lot of fun playing on it,” says Strauch, of Westboro, Mo.
    He stripped the combine down to the cab and threshing unit under it, then made angle iron brackets and bolted the entire unit onto a concrete slab in his backyard. There was a hole where the engine had been, so he used treated lumber to build a deck over it, and extended the deck behind the cab. Then he bolted a plastic “turbo slide” onto the deck. The original ladder to climb into the cab is still there.
    He also cut out a section of sheet metal from the combine that says “SideHill 6620”, and mounted it on the deck railing.
    “The cab still has the original steering wheel as well as the gearshift and hydraulic control levers. It’s a lot of fun to sit there and watch kids play with them,” says Strauch.
    The 6620 Sidehill combine has a long history on his hilly farm. “My dad and I bought it used in the fall of 1980 with low hours, and used it to harvest many bumper crops. I decided to keep using it as long as I could. But in 2010, during the first day of soybean harvest, a wiring fire in the engine compartment ended its life as a working combine. My combine and I had spent 30 seasons and 6,000 long hours working together.
    “For a couple of years the combine sat parked at a farm away from our home, rusting away. My grandchildren would play on it, and that’s how we got the idea to convert it into a playground. My wife wanted it in our backyard, but not the whole combine.”
    He spent about $350 on the concrete slab and another $350 for the slide.
    “Friends and relatives have asked me to make combine playgrounds for them. However, I tell them they couldn’t afford what I’d have to charge,” he chuckles.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, John Strauch, 12118 W. Ave., Westboro, Mo. 64498 (ph 660 984-5261).

Click here to download page story appeared in.

Click here to read entire issue

Old Combine Turned Into Playground COMBINES Conversions John Strauch admits that he was emotionally attached to his 1979 Deere 6620 SideHill combine – so attached that when it finally gave out he converted the combine’s cab into a playground for kids “Now the combine I used for most of my farming career can stay on the farm for future generations to enjoy Our grandchildren have a lot of fun playing on it ” says Strauch of Westboro Mo He stripped the combine down to the cab and threshing unit under it then made angle iron brackets and bolted the entire unit onto a concrete slab in his backyard There was a hole where the engine had been so he used treated lumber to build a deck over it and extended the deck behind the cab Then he bolted a plastic “turbo slide” onto the deck The original ladder to climb into the cab is still there He also cut out a section of sheet metal from the combine that says “SideHill 6620” and mounted it on the deck railing “The cab still has the original steering wheel as well as the gearshift and hydraulic control levers It’s a lot of fun to sit there and watch kids play with them ” says Strauch The 6620 Sidehill combine has a long history on his hilly farm “My dad and I bought it used in the fall of 1980 with low hours and used it to harvest many bumper crops I decided to keep using it as long as I could But in 2010 during the first day of soybean harvest a wiring fire in the engine compartment ended its life as a working combine My combine and I had spent 30 seasons and 6 000 long hours working together “For a couple of years the combine sat parked at a farm away from our home rusting away My grandchildren would play on it and that’s how we got the idea to convert it into a playground My wife wanted it in our backyard but not the whole combine ” He spent about $350 on the concrete slab and another $350 for the slide “Friends and relatives have asked me to make combine playgrounds for them However I tell them they couldn’t afford what I’d have to charge ” he chuckles Contact: FARM SHOW Followup John Strauch 12118 W Ave Westboro Mo 64498 ph 660 984-5261

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.

SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW NOW