by Jason Hasert

      Hay equipment is one of the hottest topics in the 1/64 market other than planting and tillage implements.  Collectors are looking for big haying tools for their displays and shelves.  This month The Toy Tractor Times will review the three most talked about areas of haying among 1/64 collectors.

     There can be no hay crop if it is not cut.  Mowers have been well represented in 1/64 since 1987 when Ertl released the New Holland 489 Haybine.  The 489 represents a 1/64 9ft mower. In 1988 Ertl released a Case International 8840 swather for collectors who wanted something bigger.  The 8840 has a 12ft platform.  Going up to a replica 16ft mower , Ertl released the 1/64 John Deere center pivot 1600 Mower Conditioner.   In 1994 Ertl released the 8400 Hesston swather and 8830 Case International swather using the 8840 tooling.  In 1998 Ertl offered a 12ft CaseIH and Hesston 1340 disc-mower. Models like the 8312 CaseIH disc-mower represent one of the modern trends in hay cutting as discs replace sickles.  This month AGCO dealers will have the new SC12 Challenger disc-mower based on the Hesston/CaseIH tooling.  Over the past 16 years Ertl has met collectors mowing needs with a strong assortment of mowers. The only item that collectors are talking about that is missing in 1/64 hay mowing is a self propelled disc mower.  The Krone Big M with 30ft of mowing capacity is the most talked about although with New Holland, CaseIH Hesston, New Idea, Challenger  and John Deere  offering sp mowers there are plenty of models that would make popular 1/64 toys.

       Forage Harvesters commonly referred to as choppers have not been offered in the same wide selection as the hay mowers.  In 1985 Ertl released the first 1/64 chopper through John Deere. The 1/16 model also released that year offered interchangeable heads with both a corn and hay pick up. The 1/64 model only offered a two row corn head.  Maybe it was felt that a corn head was good enough and a hay head would not increase sales?  In 1986 a Case International chopper followed the John Deere using the same casting. In 1994 a Hesston version was also offered.  The only forage harvester offered to date in 1/64 with a hay pick up is the New Holland 900. This model was released in 1987 and is much more refined in its appearance.  This model is popular among collectors because it has a hay head. The 900 is no longer in production but is fairly easy to find at toy shows for $7-$10. The biggest chopper in 1/64 is the self-propelled John Deere 6910 released in 1992. Again, for some reason this model only offers a corn head?  The corn head option was somewhat surprising because 1/64 combines offer both heads. This model ended production in 1998 but in recent years has become a sought after toy.  Collectors are voting with their dollars for a big sp chopper buy paying $35-$45 for a new in the box 6910.  

      The good news is that there are new 1/64 forage harvesting items that will be at dealers in the near future.    The latest offering in forage equipment is the 1/64 John Deere 7500 self-propelled forage harvester. This model will only offer a kemper head. A hay head will not be available on this version of the 7500 toy but you may want to stay tuned.

       With forage harvesters you need a good wagon.  There have been a variety of 1/64  forage wagons over the years from International Harvester, John Deere, New Holland, Kasten and Hesston.  In 2000 Scale Models offered the most life like forage wagons out to date.  Scale Models offered three Miller-St Naize Company wagons.  The Badger, Victor and Miller-Pro wagons offered large modern beaters and tandem walking wheels. The models remained in production for a year and then quickly disappeared as collectors bought them up. The Miller wagons were great looking implements because of their features and full size. There only draw back was their hitch was too large to hook onto a chopper. Hopefully these forage wagons will make a return or a toy maker will look at offering a dump wagon. 

      The trend in haying equipment today is for bigger toy replicas.  Collectors want self-propelled mowers, big self propelled forage harvesters and big square balers.  Big balers are often at the top of many wish lists. Hopefully we will see some soon. Tele-handlers in 1/64 would be handy to move those bales.  Right now collectors either have to improvise for big haying items or turn to the custom and scratch built market for new haying models like the ones pictured above.  

       The current hay equipment 1/64 market is made up of tractor/equipment sets. There are several nice 1/64 hay including a John Deere, CaseIH Hesston and New Holland. The newest set is from New Holland including a TG 210 tractor. One new variation is Ertl's hay bales. The bales are now a hay bale tone vs. past bales that were light green and plastic looking. One nice thing about the hay sets, is that they offer a variation tractor or implement that you can not purchase outside the set.  The CaseIH set offers an MX 120 fwa model, the New Holland has a TG 210 tractor and the Hesston set offers a Hesston rake and bale spear.

TTT May 2003 Page 8

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