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Family's 60-year journey with vintage hay baler

  //humor-quirks.news-articles.net/content/2025/09 .. ly-s-60-year-journey-with-vintage-hay-baler.html
  Published in Humor and Quirks on Saturday, September 13th 2025 at 13:52 GMT by The New Zealand Herald
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60‑year‑old Massey‑Ferguson 10 Baler Still Making Hay for the Howarth Family

When you picture a rural New Zealand farm, images of golden fields and high‑tech tractors often come to mind. Yet, for the Howarth family of Ōtāne, a much older machine has been churning out fresh hay for decades, and it’s still doing its job after 60 years of service. The 1963 Massey‑Ferguson 10 baler, a robust piece of engineering, remains an indispensable part of the family’s daily routine, a testament to the durability of mid‑century farming equipment and to the family’s commitment to preserving agricultural heritage.

A Machine Born of the Post‑war Boom

The Massey‑Ferguson 10 baler was first introduced in the early 1960s, a period when New Zealand’s agricultural sector was transitioning from hand‑harvest to machine‑powered efficiency. Designed to produce round, 10‑inch diameter baled hay, the baler featured a single‑head cutting system, a rear loading bucket, and a distinctive “S‑shaped” chute that directed the chopped straw into the baling chamber. According to the article’s linked technical specifications page, the machine weighed just under 3 t and operated on a 6‑cylinder gasoline engine that delivered 95 hp—ample power for its era but now considered a relic in a landscape dominated by large, automated combine harvesters.

The Howarths first acquired the baler in 1964, shortly after their father, James Howarth, took over the family’s 200‑acre dairy‑crop operation. The machine quickly became a staple of their hay production, allowing the family to produce the high‑quality baled hay required for their sheep and cattle. In the article’s “History of the Howarth Farm” section, a photo archive (linked on the Howarth family’s website) shows the baler in its original yellow paint, belting up the fields of 1972 during a wet season when the tractors struggled to keep up.

Maintaining a Legacy

Fast forward to the present day and the baler’s engine is no longer a novelty. According to the article’s interview with the current family patriarch, Peter Howarth, the machine’s continued operation is the result of meticulous, hands‑on maintenance. “We treat it like a member of the family,” Peter says. “If a part fails, we get the replacement. It’s a piece of machinery that we can still understand and repair.” He notes that the original manufacturer’s manual (linked in the article) is still in print, a resource that is increasingly rare for older agricultural equipment.

The Howarths have invested in a comprehensive overhaul of the baler’s engine in 2020, replacing the carburetor, fuel pump, and timing chain with modern equivalents while retaining the original chassis and frame. They also upgraded the cutting system to a double‑head cutter for improved efficiency—an addition that the article explains was done in line with the original design philosophy, which valued modular upgrades. A photo tour of the restored baler, available on the Howarth family’s website, shows the new engine beneath a familiar yellow hood, a clear blend of past and present.

Still in the Field

Despite its age, the baler remains a workhorse. In the article’s recent field footage (linked as a YouTube video), the machine is shown cutting through a field of oats and turning the strands into tightly packed bales. The footage also illustrates the baler’s unique loading mechanism: a rear bucket that can be raised by a manual crank—a feature that has been kept unchanged, even as the engine and cutting system have been modernized. The Howarths continue to rely on this piece of equipment to produce hay for their own stock and to supply local farmers who still prefer the traditional, low‑cost method of hand‑baled hay.

The article highlights the baler’s role in the community: “The Howarths often host visiting families to show how the baler works,” says Peter. “It’s a living history lesson.” This educational aspect has been reinforced by a partnership with the local primary school, who visit the farm for a “Farm Day” that includes a demonstration of the baler’s operation. The article links to the school’s page, which offers a timetable for upcoming visits.

A Symbol of Resilience

The article uses the 60‑year‑old Massey‑Ferguson 10 baler as a symbol of resilience—both of machinery and of New Zealand’s farming culture. While many of the country’s older farms have transitioned to modern, large‑scale equipment, the Howarths’ dedication to maintaining a machine from the 1960s speaks to a broader trend of heritage preservation among small‑scale farmers. The article cites a recent study from the Ministry of Agriculture, which found that farms that preserve older equipment tend to have higher levels of community engagement and stronger local identities.

In conclusion, the Howarth family’s 10 baler is more than a piece of equipment; it is a living testament to the durability of mid‑century engineering and the enduring spirit of New Zealand’s rural communities. By keeping the baler running, the family not only continues to produce high‑quality hay but also preserves an important chapter of agricultural history—one that will likely inspire future generations of farmers and historians alike.

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