Al Friesen started custom harvesting in 1946. He was new to the business and didn't have a trailer for sleeping accommodations. Therefore the crew ended up eating out and sleeping in the back of the truck bed. He had a crew of nine men and two cooks. In 1951, Al purchased a trailer house to cook in and a bunk house for all the guys.
Somewhere between May 15 and the 20th the crew started out for Seymour or Vernon Texas to harvest wheat. After a few years they stopped going there and started out in Chattanooga, OK. When they finished for that farmer they traveled north to Enid, OK; Meade, KS; Imperial, NE; Big Sandy, MT; Joplin, MT; and finally to Sunburst, MT. They would finish up the first part of October and head on home.
Our equipment has improved over the years. When Al started out they didn't have a grain cart causing the combines to dump directly onto the trucks. Their trucks didn't have a hoist to make for easy dumping. Each truck would hold about 180 to 200 bushes. (Today our semis holds up to 1000 bushes.) They used a pull type Massey Ferguson combine with a 14 foot header. They cut fields ranging anywhere from 60 to 160 acres. When all the wheat had been cut for the year they headed home to harvest fall crops. They harvested wheat, milo, barley, flax, mustard, corn, rape (canola), oats, bird seed, duram and spring wheat.
Loading a no cab 27 Massey with Al at the Wheel onto 1949 Chevy Truck.
Two 27 Massey Combines with 14 ft. headers on 1949 Chevy Trucks at Enid, OK
Two 27 Massey Combines with 14ft. Headers. Al's Custom Harvesting sign on the truck with the first air compressor and 2 welders. First New Trailer house turn out not good and was sold next year.
No Cab 27 Massey with 14 ft. header at Alliance, NE. Al is operating the combine with three of the farmers sons riding along.
No Cab Super 92 Massey combine, 1956 Chevy Truck and Service pickup in Joplin, MT.
760 Massey Combine with 24 ft. header.
Two 27 Massey combines with 24 ft. headers, 1976 tractor with Grain cart & 1964 Chevrolet Truck loaded and ready to go at the yard of the old farm house.
Custom made Truck by Al Friesen in 1984. He took the 6 wheel chassis up to Smeal Manufacturing in Snyder, NE where they added the bed and hydrostatic controls. "BIG RED" is still working today.
© 2009 Friesen Harvesting L. L. C. All Rights Reserved. Page last updated: September 25, 2009
Two 27 Massey combines with 14 ft. headers in Montana.
27 Massey with the umbrella up, unloading into a 1953 Chevy Truck with 180 bushel capacity at Alliance, NE.
No Cab 510 Massey Combine with 18 ft. header, 1959 Chevy Truck in Meade,KS
760 Massey Combine with 6 row corn head in Meade, KS
