Gleaner is an award-winning manufacturer of combine harvesters, and we carry final drives for several of their models. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to talk about the roots of the Gleaner combine, how the company developed, and some background on their many innovations.
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The First Gleaner Combine
In 1923, the Gleaner Manufacturing Company (which was comprised of three brothers) in Nickerson, Kansas developed the world’s first self-propelled combine harvester. What a combine does, for those readers who may not be familiar with it, is combine reaping, threshing, and winnowing all in one machine. The Gleaner combine also added the option of binding to its available tasks. Unlike earlier combines which had to be pulled behind a tractor, the Gleaner combine was self-propelled and mounted on a Fordson Model F tractor. Another key benefit was how easy it was to haul. It’s price at the time was $950.
Northwest [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Gleaner Silver
The machine’s body was covered in zinc-plated sheet metal and had no paint, resulting in a silver color. The reasoning behind their choice of no paint was pure practicality: dust storms (especially common in Oklahoma and Texas) combined with exposure to the elements tends to wear the paint off, so why bother with it? The zinc-plating would be enough to provide sufficient protection from corrosion. Silver remains the primary color in the Gleaner product line color scheme, and is now associated with the Gleaner brand like green is associated with John Deere.
The Gleaner Name
The reasoning behind why the named it Gleaner is actually quite clever. Their inspiration came from a famous painting by artist Jean-François Millet entitled The Gleaners. The painting shows three women in a recently reaped wheat field recovering the leftover grain. This centuries-old practice is known as gleaning. The idea behind the Gleaner is that it will reap your field so well that nothing will be left behind to glean, which was quite a clever bit of marketing.
Jean-François Millet [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Gleaner Innovations
Gleaner is known for its engineering and innovative approach. Here are a few of the innovations in which Gleaner led the way …
- First agricultural machine to use galvanized sheet metal
- An auger to replace canvas drapers
- Rotary combine
- The rasp bar threshing cylinder design
- Moving the threshing action closer to the crop via a down-front cylinder
- Electro-hydraulic controls
- Use of turbocharged diesel engines
- Rock door to replace the rock trap
- First Class VIII transverse rotor combine
Sales and Acquisitions
Allis-Chalmers acquired Gleaner in 1955 and moved manufacturing from Kansas to Independence, Missouri. Then, in 1985, it was sold to Deutz AG who changed the brand to Deutz-Allis. The North American operations of Deutz-Allis became known as AGCO, which stands for Allis Gleaner Company, in 1991. Gleaner Manufacturing Company is still owned by AGCO and is now known simply as Gleaner Combines. In 2000, manufacturing was moved to Hesston, Kansas, back closer to its original roots in Nickerson, Kansas.
Conclusion
Gleaner now focuses primarily on combine harvesters, header attachments, and technology to support telematics, guidance, and autonomy for harvesters. Their reputation for innovation and excellent engineering remains intact with their latest models and their integration of telematics tools for agriculture.
Texas Final Drive is your partner in providing new or remanufactured final drive hydraulic motors from a single mini-excavator to a fleet of heavy equipment. Call today so we can find the right final drive or hydraulic component for you, or check out our online store to find your O.E.M. manufacturer brand motor now.
