Bill Wright: Running Gleaner for 50 years

While following the North American custom harvest run in the AGCO Parts Tech Van, we met Bill Wright, a custom harvester from Manchester, OK. Bill is a Gleaner man and he has been for the last 50 years. “I started harvesting with my dad at age 11, running Gleaner A models,” Wright said. “We’ve always had Gleaners.”

Bill Wright & Nick, his grandson

It is hard to change brands after so many years, according to Wright. He has learned the machines throughout the years and is comfortable running them.“Fifty years has been a pretty good run with Gleaner,” he said “Knowing the machines has kept me from switching brands.” Besides familiarity, Wright is still running Gleaners because of the in-the-field support offered by the AGCO Parts Tech Van. “The tech van has always taken good care of me and my combines”.

Currently, Wright is operating two R66s on his harvest run. Bill still sits in the operator seat of one combine, and his grandson, Nick, runs the other. “It’s been nice having Nick around,” Wright said. “He’s been around harvesting his whole life.”

The Wrights begin their harvest run in Seymour, TX and end the wheat season in Montana after six more stops in Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota. After wheat, the crew usually combines corn, sorghum and soybeans at home in Manchester, OK and in Dighton, KS. However, the weather this year has made harvest difficult. “Nothing’s been easy this year,” Wright said. “Worst luck we’ve had is the weather though. We’ve had good luck with our combines.”

One thing is certain with Bill Wright; he doesn’t plan to change brands anytime soon. “Well, we did try one other brand quite a few years ago,” Wright said. “But we didn’t get along too well with that one.”

Do you know anyone who bleeds Gleaner silver like Bill Wright?