Still Running Strong - 1977 International 1440 Axial Flow Combine - CASE 1020 Header - Harvest 2020

Monroe County, Michigan
GoPro Hero 9 Black 5K

The introduction of the first 300 Axial-Flow combines occurred in 1977, offering two new models:
• Model 1440 featured a 135-HP, 436 Cu.In. engine, a 24" rotor, with a 145 Bu. grain tank with
a sieve cleaning area of 4750 sq. in.
• Model 1460 delivered 170 HP with its 436 Cu.In. engine, a 24" rotor, and offered greater
capacity with a 180 Bu. grain tank with a sieve cleaning area of 4750 sq. in.
The first Axial-Flow combines had the following features:
• Manual Hydraulics
• Open Center Hydraulic System - Gear Pump
• Manual and AHHC (Automatic Header Height Control) header controls
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Axial flow combines (also known as rotary harvesters) are a type of combine harvester that has been manufactured by International Harvester, and later Case International, Case Corporation and CNH Global, used by farmers to harvest a wide range of grains around the world.

Introduced in 1977, these harvesters marked a departure from traditional combine harvester design, in that threshing and separation was performed mainly by a rotor, as opposed to the drum and straw walker type models used previously. This is shown in the image at right, where the bulk of the processing area is devoted to a cylinder, that spins and threshes grain from the grain heads and allows for far greater capacity than the previous drum and walker design of harvester. This increase in capacity has led to a significant productivity increase of harvesters and therefore farmers who use them.[1]

The rotary design by International Harvester was the first of its kind to be mass-produced and its patent over the design gave IH a competitive advantage over its rivals, including John Deere, Massey Ferguson, New Holland and others.

International Harvester had launched the 15 series of conventional combine harvesters in 1968. In 1977, after extensive engineering efforts and a bottom up design, IH released the 1440 and 1460 models of harvester. In 1978, the larger model 1480 was released, as well as the specialty models 1470 (for hillside operation), and the 1482, designed to be pulled behind a tractor with PTO capability. Further models were introduced as the series was developed including the 1420 in 1980,

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