Combines What is status of birotor combine bookIJ

[Unit5]

The titile of the book is "Dream Reaper" by Craig Canine. The ISBN is 0-679-41272-7 This book is awesome!! The copyright date of my book is 1995 and wonder if their is an updated reprint. The story ends right before John Deere buys the patent. I'm wondering what Mark and Ralph are up to these days. Probably working on a quad-rotor lOl Merry Christmas, Brian

 

[MostlyGreen]

I have the revised (soft cover) version which includes an epilogue telling about the sale of all patents and intellectual property to Deere. It doesn't reveal much, other than the fact that Deere, after several unsuccessful attempts, eventually bought the Bi-Rotor concept. The way the story read, Ralph and Mark were more concerned about giving thier investors a fair return for thier investment; - an honorable thing to do, despite the passion the both of them had for pursuing this project to fruition!

 

[Unit5]

I guess I might be hijacking this thread, but I believe CAT really dropped the ball on the Bi-Rotor. CAT had access to so many revolutionary patents in the Bi-Rotor. I guess when Claas and Bi-Rotor went head to head Claas won. However, they had a few decades to refine their design. The Bi-Rotor had so much potential. If CAT had fully developed the Bi-Rotor, they would be challenging Deere for the dominate market share. I know I may be torched for saying that. This combine design was a revolutionary achivement. 20 years from now features of the Bi-Rotor will be brought to the market and we will think that we could have been driving a combine like this back in 2005. Maybe this will get the board talking!!! I'm getting bored and we have snowstorm on the way. Brian

 

[Farm_Kid2]

The Bi-Rotor did not go head-to-head with the Claas in the Cat testing. I'm guessing it was either the Gleaner or maybe the New HollandIJ I loaned my book out and didn't get it back, but I remember thinking it was the Claas when I read it. Farm Buddy knows who it was, but I think the only thing he said was that it was not Claas.

 

[MostlyGreen]

The company in question was New Holland who, at that time, already had a business relationship with CAT. New Holland built some of the CAT tracked-tractors in their Winnipeg (Versatile) Plant. New Holland also had an extensive combine engineering facility in Belgium, so I guess CAT thought they'd be credible and impartial with thier assessments.

 

[Unit5]

Well I guess I learn something new everyday. In the book they never named who company X is. I dug out my copy of "Draem Reaper" and about page 271 they talk about company X selling the Bi-Rotor with the CAT logo here in the States and COmpany X abroad. They go on to talk about the Bi-Rotor going up against 2 combines in the Imperial Valley. Pretty tough going, 140 Bushel irrigated wheat in 110 degree heat. The Bi-Rotor ran in second place to the company X combine. So, was the Bi-Rotor competing with the TR 98IJ Also, I wonder which combine did the Bi-Rotor beatIJ I know this is all academic but I'm interested what caused the CAT and New Holland deal to fall apartIJ The CNH merger would still be 5 years away at this point. Brian: Ready with Salt, Sand, and Shovel. BRING IT ON OlD MAN WINTER!!!

 

[MostlyGreen]

I found out about the mysterious "Company X" from a New Holland company service manager who, in turn, received pictures_info from a New Holland engineer. like you, I always thought "Company X" was Claas as well. He never mentioned the actual models of combines the BiRotor was up against; - I'm thinking it might have been the TX68 conventionalsIJ The only "deal" between CAT and New Holland (that I was ever aware of) was the manufacturing of select CAT tracked-tractors at the Genesis_Versatile plant in Winnipeg, plus I believe CAT supplied logistics for New Holland parts distribution, at least at one point! I'd have to read the book again but, the way I understood it, Mark and Ralph were hoping that "Company X" would manufacture_market the combine in North America under the CAT logo, while it would be (perhaps) marketed under "Company X's" logo in Europe. We really need FarmBuddy to contribute to this thread; - he was a big part of the team that actually built and perfected the prototype. In fact, his picture is in the book (towards th end).

 

[Unit5]

I just e-mail FarmBuddy inviting him to join us. I picked up the book and check out the "team picture" near the end. I guess there is a part of me that hates to see a innovative prototype sitting in the boneyard. We have great combines today. Every manufacture makes a good product. However, most of these designs are just refinements of 30 to 40 year old technology. I think Mark and Ralph did everything they could to bring this machine to the farmers. It's just that today you have to have a great dealer network and piles of cash to a player in the combine market. Thanks for the information on the New Holland and CAT workings. It's something to think that the Bi-Rotor could have been rolling off the line in Grand Island nest to the 8010s, 7010s, XX88s, and CRXXs combines.

 

[MostlyGreen]

Dakota (from this system) actually drove to Mark Underwood's home and saw "first-hand" both prototypes; - seems they weren't part of the deal that Deere made with Agri-Technologies; I've posted the link! I agree that today's combine offerings is merely "reworked" technology from past years. Although the BiRotor wasn't totally "proven" to the point where it was ready for mass-production, it seemed like a great concept. Farmbuddy used a term for the XBR2; - I think he called it something like a "pre-prototype" or "concept of design" machine! Definitely a talented and dedicated group of individuals, they were!

 

[Unit5]

That's a great link. I didn't know that the entire rotor could be removed that easily from the combine. Thank you for sharing that. Brian