Jim Delaney celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this year and has been operating Dania combines since 1963, from the tender age of just 14. The unique factor is that Jim has harvested grain every year since. He has only ever operated a Dania combine.

History

In 1963, Jim operated a 5ft trailed Dania D500 combine which was driven off a Fordson Power Major tractor. On an average day, this outfit would harvest five to six acres. At the time, Jim and his father were harvesting around 60ac per year.

In 1970, the family made the decision to upgrade the D500 combine to a Dania D800, an 8ft self-propelled machine. By then, Jim and his father were combining on hire and had extended their workload to approximately 150ac.

The D800 was a huge step up at the time and had twice the harvesting capabilities, with the potential to cut up to 10ac per day.

Jim ran this machine for 12 years before upgrading to a Dania 1250 in 1982. The family used this machine to harvest their own crops along with continuing to cut for neighbours until 1988. This machine has remained in the family ever since, cutting an average of 70ac per year.

However, trouble struck in 2013 with the loss of the engine in the D1250. Just a number of days later, Liam was searching through the internet and stumbled across an immaculate Dania D1650 combine in Armagh. Liam simply couldn’t believe his luck.

The following day, Liam and Jim travelled to examine the machine and found it to be absolutely immaculate. It had only one owner from new and had only ever been used to cut the farmer’s own crops. They purchased it on the spot.

This D1650 was built in 1982 and is in a very original condition. All functions within the cab are still working, including the original lights. It has a 10ft header and cuts approximately 16ac on an average day.

This machine is currently harvesting just shy of 80ac per year for the Delaney family. This is broken down into 40ac of spring barley, which is destined for malting, 17ac of winter barley and 15ac of winter wheat.

Maintenance

The way in which Jim looks after his combine is second to none. Before the harvest kicks off, Jim spends three days going through the machine to ensure it is in tip-top shape. The D1650 has its original instruction manual and parts book and this is consulted if there is any issue.

During the harvest, the combine is housed religiously every night. As Jim put it to me: “If you don’t have a shed to put your combine into then you shouldn’t have a combine.”

At the end of each working day, the combine is cleaned down and the air breathers and the engine are blown out. Before going to work each morning, oil are water levels are checked.

Jim foresaw the scarcity of parts for Dania combines and a number of years ago he purchased all of the spares former Dania dealer EV Condell had in stock. These parts, along with the spare D1250 sitting in the shed, are sure to keep the Delaney family harvesting grain with Dania combines long into the foreseeable future.

Why Dania?

When I asked Liam and Jim why they have such a great love for the Dania brand, they explained that they never changed as they always ran Dania machines and in doing so developed a loyalty to the brand over the years. Liam explained that from the family’s experience operating Dania machines, they were always reliable and one point Liam noted was the consistently clean sample produced.

The family purchased their first Dania machine through local dealer EV Condell in the nearby town of Portlaoise. At the time, Dania combines were very popular and dominated the Portlaoise hinterland.

Vintage

Liam is no stranger to the vintage scene and is currently the secretary of his local club, The Rock Inn Vintage Club. His pride and joy lies in a Fordson Power Major which he fully restored five years ago.

This tractor, originally registered in Kildare and built in 1958, is the same model as that used by Liam’s father and grandfather to pull their very first trailed Dania combine back in the 60s.