Gleaner L4 Video
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=173387
Printed Date: 04 May 2024 at 10:12pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Gleaner L4 Video
Posted By: CrestonM
Subject: Gleaner L4 Video
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 9:54am
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Really neat to actually see one in action. Wonder where it's at? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nqkuKG9ndI" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nqkuKG9ndI |
Replies:
Posted By: Ed (Ont)
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 6:50pm
| Neat video. Thanks Creston. After watching the video I did some research. Turns out this was by a farm equipment dealership just north of Alma, Ontario, Canada. About an hour from my place. Was just by there a couple days ago. Maybe Calvin Schmidt knows something more about it. He is down in that area. 😀 |
Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 7:11pm
Any guess as to the width of the header on the machine in the video? Seemed kind of narrow for an "L" machine  . Looks might be deceiving though  . Great photography/video work, and an awesome looking harvest set up in the field  !! Thanks for the link !!
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Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 7:14pm
| 15 or 16 ft. |
Posted By: Ed (Ont)
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 7:32pm
| That part of Ont is really good farm country as you can see. Expensive land and high yields. |
Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 8:51pm
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I was surprised to find a video of one. I've seen a few photos of them floating around the internet, but never a video. I was fortunate enough to get a sales brochure for them on eBay (last I checked I think they still have some). Hopefully someday I'll get to see one in person. Darold Swenson was one of the big pushers of the L4, and he was out of Saskatchewan. Would be really neat to talk to him or some of the other people involved with the machine.
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Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 9:07pm
| My opinion of what the "L-4" actually is, is nothing more than an L-3 with a small block Cummins engine in it. No changes to the machine worth mentioning. Same old model. Same capacity. |
Posted By: Mikez
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 10:01pm
| Ok school us that don't know the significance of this combine. Thanks |
Posted By: tbran
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 10:02pm
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The L4's that were produced triggered an infringement of product patents . Parts were being shipped with no knowledge of the development of the L4. Gleaners were being test run with different engines as there was a movement of the plant going independent of AC …. The curved front glass was the trigger as the cab came from the Independence plant. The "Taco L's " had straight glass, square fuel tanks and ALUMINUM RIVETS. Most components came from the Gleaner US plant, the sheet metal and cabs were built at the SA plant. At the end of the plant run a bunch of Taco L 's were rail shipped to the US. Dealers ordered the hydro units readily only to find standard drive machines on the rail cars. The units ran fine but when choppers were added the sheet metal fell off due to aluminum rivets. the SA plant did not have power riveters so the steel rivets were too hard to install. The glass in the front was flat with a 30 degree joint where the curve in the us glass was. They could not cast a curved glass. Swenson gambled (he had a history of gambles) that Deutz Allis would mutiny or that the company was so weak and disenfranchised they would not fight his new endeavor. He was wrong. The machines built in Mexico were basic wheat machines. Most had no AC, had ag link non roller chain elevator chains and standard non hd feeder beaters and non header height controls. They were wheat machines. The 80's were not stable times.... ------------- When told "it's not the money,it's the principle", remember, it's always the money.. |
Posted By: AC7060IL
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2020 at 6:31am
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CrestonM, it great to see older gleaners still harvesting - thanks for sharing. I’ve never seen an L4. Tbran, interesting follow-up story. So what exactly was Swenson’s relationship with Duez/Allis - employee, dealership, or farmer? Am I not seeing correctly or does it appear this L4’s windshield has been replaced with a curved style? The other gleaner in the video looks like a 1978 K2 gas wheat plot combine. It’s vertical weigh bucket is located in front left corner of it’s grain tank & it has a hydraulic cooler behind its fuel tank(hydro-trans/spout auger?). At the beginning of video in the background, I see where the wheat plot strips end. |
Posted By: gleaner1
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2020 at 8:25am
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All the L4’s had the curved glass, infact the later ones even had the light grey interior like the 90-91 Independence built machines. The two piece glass units were on L2’s that gleaner had built there when they could not keep up production in Independence, that was the rumour I heard. Personally seen two L4’s, at the Minot and WCFPS shows back in the day. ------------- ALLIS CHALMERS "The color is orange" |
Posted By: tbran
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2020 at 8:31am
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The reason for the Mexican L's was price. They had to source product locally. If they shipped all the parts from Independence plant the freight would offset the labor and overhead trying to be saved and the unit would be the same price. Square tanks and flat glass they could do there.. this was a 'plant' that had a lot of dirt floors... ------------- When told "it's not the money,it's the principle", remember, it's always the money.. |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2020 at 7:53pm
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My sales brochure shows curved glass and grey interior. I thought I read they had heavier sheet metal and main shaft and that they were only available as wheat machines. Let me go take a look..................... The brochure says air conditioning was standard equipment. Also hydrostatic transmission was standard equipment. It lists as improvements over the L3: Cummins 5.9, Heavier finals, heavier and reinforced rear axle and spindles, heavier front axle assembly, heavier gauged steel thresher housing assembly, heavier rear deck and ladder, 100% heavier main threshing clutch shaft, heavier engine drive. ------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2020 at 7:58pm
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Now I'd like to see a video of the all green gleaner R50. I sat in one a few years ago. Ugly but rare to see one. I bet there are more L4 gleaners than all green R50 combines. ------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |
Posted By: Calvin Schmidt
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 7:13am
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I have seen the L4 in the video in person about ten years ago when it was for sale by a farmer very close to Shantz Equipment. It originally came from Saskatchewan. The owner is driving. A former A-C dealer now Agco and strong with Gleaner I'm about 20 minutes south of the dealership.
------------- Nothing is impossible if it is properly financed |
Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 9:00am
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I've heard about the Mexican built L2s, but have not seen a photo of one with the straight glass. That's something else I think would be neat to see. My custom harvest boss said the N6s they had also had aluminum rivets in them, and they had to replace them with steel rivets when they shook loose. |
Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 6:35pm
Thanks for your reply Calvin. Is the reason for the narrow header to make a "baleable" windrow behind the combine ?
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Calvin Schmidt wrote:Posted By: Calvin Schmidt
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 7:24pm
Narrow head could be for baling straw but 100 bu wheat is also common around here . The dealer also has a combine salvage yard so could have been what was available with a straight cut. 10 years ago it had a pickup for windrows
------------- Nothing is impossible if it is properly financed |
Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 7:33pm
I've never had the opportunity to run wheat, does it take a lot of power to run wheat being clipped 4-5 inches down from the heads ? We run a 15' header on an F2 in 60 bushel beans, but perhaps this is not a fair comparison  . Thanks again for all of your replies !!
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Posted By: Calvin Schmidt
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 7:35pm
He are a few pictures from 2010 when the farmer had it for sale only a few miles from the current owner. I assume it is the same combine.   ------------- Nothing is impossible if it is properly financed |
Posted By: Calvin Schmidt
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 7:38pm
Combine capacity in wheat is more about cleaning capacity. Corn it's power ------------- Nothing is impossible if it is properly financed |
Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 7:59pm
| Thanks. |
Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 8:14pm
| Calvin, or others, seems like Gleaner put out a C 62 ?? Was this primarily for wheat growers or did "row croppers" utilize them ? |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 8:30pm
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From what I understand the C62 was a shelved design by Gleaner, maybe under Allis Chalmers and then it was revived and produced under AGCO. I'd guess an R62 could do almost anything a C62 could but do it better with proably the exception of Canola........ purely a guess on my part gleaned from lots of reading about each machine. I have no experience with the C62 or canola. Seemed the C62 was mostly sold in wheat country but I'm sure some went into the corn belt. I say that based on seeing them for sale in wheat country and never having seen any for sale in my area of the corn belt. ------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |
Posted By: VAfarmboy
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 9:42pm
Years ago I got into some 80-100 bushel wheat with dad's old Deere 4400 with a 13' header once and the biggest problem was elevator capacity. It was just more wheat than that machine (designed when 40 bushels of wheat was a bumper crop) could handle.
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Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 10:18pm
I’m not sure it is...it has “Allis-Chalmers” on the cab and the Cummins emblem under the L4 on the bin. The one in the video doesn’t have either of those characteristics. |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 7:45am
| From what I remember on Gleaner forum,the C62 is a Walker machine with a rubber belt under Walkers instead of shaker pan like M-L. Was not a Gleaner design. Massy? |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 8:18am
------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 8:25am
| Gleaner design that utilized many R-62 parts as well. |
Posted By: Calvin Schmidt
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 11:07am
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If I remember correctly the C62 was basically a M-F and as the Doc said a lot of other Gleaner parts. ------------- Nothing is impossible if it is properly financed |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 11:42am
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I'm almost positive Massey had nothing to do with the C62 other than it was sold in red. It's all Gleaner. Even where the cylinder is located is like the natural flow rotor location. I don't see a thing about it that looks like it came from a Massey. ------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |
Posted By: tbran
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 1:36pm
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1. it was Gleaner - used the threshing grate /accel rolls etc. 2. After talking to a few old hands I remember the demise of the L4 - seems they didn't pay for the parts.... and Deutz Allis didn't have security filing on the the units produced. Thus credit was the demise... remember it was the '80's... Also the C62 was sold mainly in Canada - had a friend who was a dealer - really pitched a fit when they were discontinued. They had some initial belt seal issues but searching the service bulletins finds they were pretty update , trouble free. ------------- When told "it's not the money,it's the principle", remember, it's always the money.. |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 1:48pm
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My sales brochure for the L4 is dated either 1990 or 1991 so they must have made them at least that long. Found a sales brochure on line just now that is dated 1991. ------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |
Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 4:51pm
Thanks for that reply farmboy
. Like I mentioned, I've never ran wheat  . Is the amount of "straw" a limiting factor as far as capacity ? |
Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 5:26pm
Very interesting! My 1991 brochure (Probably the same as Lonn's) calls the company "The L4 Corporation". It says the factory in Mexico was a former joint venture partner with A-C, but at the time of the L4 was totally Mexican owned, and they had 10 years experience in manufacturing L3 combines (but 1991-1983 = 8 ?) Anyway, it says they had the tooling and license rights for the L series combine. Having license rights would legally allow them to manufacture the L-series combine, right? So if I correctly interpreted what Tim said, this "L4 Corporation" was buying parts to build the machines from Duetz, but didn't pay for them, they lost their credit, and went under? Also...what is a security filing? |
Posted By: tbran
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 10:19pm
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AC -Deutz Allis or Agco - timeline overlaps - had no way to control or obtain a security interest in a product that bore a name owned by them. There were several forces at work. The company from AC to DA to the formation of AGCO had a export sales force that may have had something to do with the allowing of the L4 to be - but that cannot be substantiated by anyone I could find - just rumors. The poor credit came from a reliable source. As long as the machines were in Mexico there was nothing Agco could do - but when they crossed over into the US violation of trademarks and patents came into play but the young Agco had not an abundance of cash for legal battles.. The best I can remember one of the Agco execs was adamantly opposed to , as stated, the L4 Corp. Took some time for him to win. ------------- When told "it's not the money,it's the principle", remember, it's always the money.. |
Posted By: gleaner1
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2020 at 6:02am
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The plant is still in business although a slight name change. acfabrication.com ------------- ALLIS CHALMERS "The color is orange" |
Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 13 Aug 2020 at 4:27pm
| That is neat to know, Tim. Your stories and wealth of knowledge never disappoint! |
Posted By: JoeO(CMO)
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2020 at 10:30am
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Posted By: GM Guy
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2020 at 12:35am
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We have a Mexican L2, Air conditioning and hydro, its a corn/soybean special and doesnt have a heater, imagine that. :) 301 engine. Tan interior,but a different foam/vinyl, and the seat is the same a L. Much better rear deck, heavier and has a little added support. fit and finish is relatively poor, mixture of rivets, Dad got to speak with the original owner, who bought it from Schmidt and sons in KS, IIRC save 20 grand over a US model. major hyd. problems, assumed tank wasnt cleaned after drilling and welding fittings. Schmidt stepped up and tore everything down and cleaned it up, put it back together, no issues after that. He traded it for a US model a few years later. Its SN 008. Ill try to add pics when I get time. ------------- Gleaner: the properly engineered and built combine. If you need parts for your Gleaner, we are parting out A's through L2's, so we may be able to help. |
Posted By: nick121
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2020 at 8:07pm
| I would say corn it's running out of cleaning capacity is an issue same as wheat. Beans it's hp shortage grinding through tough stems. |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2020 at 7:08am
------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |