Gleaner's First giants of the Harvest: Models "C" and "CII"

While Gleaner was enjoying success with the Model "A" and later "AII" self propelled combines, other larger farming operations and custom operators were in need of a bigger higher capacity combine to suit their needs. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, Gleaner introduced its biggest conventional combine yet: The Mighty "C" or soon to be known as the "flagship" of the Silver fleet as what Marketing material for the brand promoted it as.


The Model C:

The Gleaner "C" Combine entered production in 1960 starting at Serial #C1001 and ended production in 1963 at Serial #3870 when it was replaced by the "CII" model.
The Gleaner "C" was just what the big crop producers were looking for, the "C" Gleaner could handle grain heads from 14 -20 Feet. In 1960, a 20 foot head was a big deal, and custom operators on the wheat harvest liked the increased head size for improving productivity. For the Corn growers, the "C" Gleaner could be equipped with a 4 row corn head. The Bin capacity on the "C" Gleaner was 60 bushels, or a 20 bushel increase over the "A". Like the Gleaner "A", the "C" Gleaner used a RASP Bar Cylinder in which the width of the cylinder was 40 inches. The width of the Straw Walkers were 48 inches, while the length of the Walkers were at 156 inches like the model "A". The big difference between the "A" and "C" Models was the total area and cleaning area. The total area on the "C" Gleaner was 7,056 square inches, while the total cleaning area was: 3,564 square inches. The "C" Gleaner used the AC 6 cylinder/ 262 cubic inch engine and also was belt driven with 3 forward and 1 reverse gear.


The Gleaner CR Rice, CT Track, and CH Hillside combines:

Gleaner first started offering a RICE combine with the Model CR, and CT Tracked machines in 1962. These combines were in production until 1967, when the "FR" Rice Gleaner took its place. Because Rice is a real abrasive crop to harvest, and conditions are really changing, The RICE combines came equipped with a Spike Tooth Cylinder, and had the option of Metal steel tracks for the muddy rice fields, which were standard on the "CT" Gleaner. The "CR" Rice Gleaner was equipped with Rice tires for extra traction in working in challenging conditions. Bin Capacity was 60 bushels but had the option of extensions to increase capacity to 75 bushels. Only a 13 foot finger reel grain head was available for the CR and CT, although they could also run a 4 row corn head, and I am sure others had ran bigger heads on them. A turbo Charged Diesel engine was also an option on the Rice machines to give them more HP while bringing in a challenging crop.

For Hillside Harvesting, Farmers and the dealers in the Pacific Northwest were wanting a bigger combine with more harvesting capacity with the self leveling system, so soon the "CH" Hillside combine was introduced. It was in production from 1963 to 1967, when it was replaced by the "GH" Gleaner. The "CH" Gleaner could handle either a 16 or 18 foot grain head, which increased productivity over the 14 foot head on the "AH". The "CH" had a bin capacity of 75 bushels, and was powered by the same engine as the "C" Gleaner. It is interesting to note all the different combine options that Gleaner had available back in the 50's and 60's.


The Gleaner Model "CII":

Farms were continuing to grow and the demand for bigger combines by the mid 1960's were apparent and custom operators were wanting more capabilities out of the "C" Gleaner. So in 1964, Gleaner introduced the Model "CII" combine with some new improvements to help satisfy their customers. To start with, Gleaner now offered the "CII" combine the options of grain heads in the 12 -24 foot range. With a 24 foot ridged grain head on the front, and an increased bin capacity from 60 to 85 bushels, the CII for a short time was the "Flagship" of the Silver fleet. Gleaner also introduced a 6 row corn head for the "CII" while keeping the 4 row head as an option. Total area in the CII Gleaner was at 7,344 square inches while Total Cleaning area was 3,564 square inches. The "CII" Gleaner was powered by an A-C 6 cylinder/262 cubic inch engine that put out 93 HP. The transmission and drive was the same as the previous "C" Model. An optional Factory cab was also available for the "CII" Gleaner to protect the operator from the elements and dust.
The "CII" Gleaner ended production in 1967 and as its time as the "flagship" of the line. Gleaner was ready with an even bigger combine in 1968 to replace the "CII", and that model would become known as the "G".