He Built A Combine Out Of LEGOs

2020 - Volume #44, Issue #3, Page #22

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If there’s enough interest, LEGO® could soon offer a kit to make the most recent German-made Fendt combine.
    FARM SHOW readers can help by casting online votes of support.
    The combine was designed by Caleb Schleder, who has the perfect background to create a combine kit. He grew up on a farm in the 1990’s and loved putting LEGO kits together.
    More recently, as the combine marketing manager for AGCO, Schleder has learned the ins and outs of modern combines. In searching for LEGO kits to buy for his nephews, he realized that the combine kits offered were older models. He decided he could come up with his own design by replicating the modern IDEAL 9T combine model introduced in Canada in 2018.
    “For me, the styling, design and overall look will stop you in your tracks. It’s very different from other machines,” Schleder says.
    LEGO provided help with design through its online Digital Designer CAD program and he spent about 30 hrs. working on it. Finding and fitting all the right LEGO parts to create the details was challenging.
    “The points on the corn heads are from the Star Wars set. On the cab, the lights look like they have eyebrows. They are small car fenders turned sideways to make the curvature,” he explains.
    He ended up using 1,800 LEGO pieces. Schleder bought 1,000 of them directly from the Denmark LEGO factory. The rest were discontinued and often rare so he had to find third party suppliers of used and new pieces.
    “One piece in the grain bin cost $30, because it was only released in one set so they’re very hard to find,” he says. Altogether he purchased from 36 vendors and spent $730 for all the pieces.
    He began assembly in March 2019, starting with the grain bin and shielding to create the outer shell, which is close to 1/32-scale at about a foot long and a foot wide and 8 in. tall. He included as many details as possible - dual rotors with concaves, the cab seat complete with armrest and a hydro handle, main drive pulleys, and a detachable 16-row corn head. The combine isn’t motorized, but parts turn like they do on a real one. The auger swings out. The triangular tracks roll. The side doors open.
    It’s featured on LEGO’s Ideas website where people can vote for it. If the combine gets 10,000 supporters it goes to the LEGO review board for consideration to be made into a kit that will be offered for sale. Designers get a small commission, Schleder says, but the big prize is getting credit for the design and bragging rights. (https://ideas.lego.com).
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Caleb Schleder, Green Valley, Ill., cschle25@gmail.com.

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He Built A Combine Out Of LEGOs COMBINES Miscellaneous If there’s enough interest LEGO® could soon offer a kit to make the most recent German-made Fendt combine FARM SHOW readers can help by casting online votes of support The combine was designed by Caleb Schleder who has the perfect background to create a combine kit He grew up on a farm in the 1990’s and loved putting LEGO kits together More recently as the combine marketing manager for AGCO Schleder has learned the ins and outs of modern combines In searching for LEGO kits to buy for his nephews he realized that the combine kits offered were older models He decided he could come up with his own design by replicating the modern IDEAL 9T combine model introduced in Canada in 2018 “For me the styling design and overall look will stop you in your tracks It’s very different from other machines ” Schleder says LEGO provided help with design through its online Digital Designer CAD program and he spent about 30 hrs working on it Finding and fitting all the right LEGO parts to create the details was challenging “The points on the corn heads are from the Star Wars set On the cab the lights look like they have eyebrows They are small car fenders turned sideways to make the curvature ” he explains He ended up using 1 800 LEGO pieces Schleder bought 1 000 of them directly from the Denmark LEGO factory The rest were discontinued and often rare so he had to find third party suppliers of used and new pieces “One piece in the grain bin cost $30 because it was only released in one set so they’re very hard to find ” he says Altogether he purchased from 36 vendors and spent $730 for all the pieces He began assembly in March 2019 starting with the grain bin and shielding to create the outer shell which is close to 1/32-scale at about a foot long and a foot wide and 8 in tall He included as many details as possible - dual rotors with concaves the cab seat complete with armrest and a hydro handle main drive pulleys and a detachable 16-row corn head The combine isn’t motorized but parts turn like they do on a real one The auger swings out The triangular tracks roll The side doors open It’s featured on LEGO’s Ideas website where people can vote for it If the combine gets 10 000 supporters it goes to the LEGO review board for consideration to be made into a kit that will be offered for sale Designers get a small commission Schleder says but the big prize is getting credit for the design and bragging rights https://ideas lego com Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Caleb Schleder Green Valley Ill cschle25@gmail com

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