Tony and I were just talking about them yesterday. The 2-PR isn't TOO bad, rusty but I have seen worse. As I heard once before, it's not the rust that does the job, so as long as it functions, it probably picks just fine. I couldn't believe how much iron is in a 2-PR... Bought mine of eBay for 200 bucks, it was repainted a long time before but for a two owner picker it was in phenominal shape. It actually was worse when I got home than when I picked it up... The bouncing down the Minnesota roads made tears in the snouts of the picker where the adjusting bolt was... nothing I can't weld, but it did make me pout. It had a couple new sprockets and that 100 or 120 chain had nearly no wear. For being a 50+ year old machine, it made me smile!!
That 2-MH is worth that in scrap, boys. There are TWO sprockets on there that would be worth 300 dollars, especially the picker being in the condition it is mechanically. For being outside, just look at the undersides of that picker. It didn't see much corn before it was parked. Those sprockets to the left and right of the driver, the ones with the shaft permanently on them, are DEFINATELY NLA!!!! I got a set of brand spanking new ones with my 2M-HD, still wired together with the IH tag. Owner paid 270 dollars for them in 1985. Blink a few times at that one and think inflation. He lost them in a storage cubby but gave them to me before I drove away with the picker. Said it makes no sense to GIVE the picker to me and sell me parts, so they go with the package. I wish I had the time and knew where to do it, I would part it out right where it was and haul the rest of it in. I can think of so many parts that are probably the best you are ever going to find in an ol 2-MH. Husking rolls, knuckles, gears, shafts, gathering chains, elevator... dang...
I didnt see a elevator and husker unit for that 2MH. Wouldnt mind having that 2 PR, but I've already tried it and its almost impossible to put that 2PR on a 25' gooseneck. I looked it all over, and I dont think its possible.
Oh c'mon Tony... you gotta get yourself some 2-MH literature, man!!! I agree with you on one thing, I don't see the elevator. But the husking bed is on each side of the picker, all one unit on that bad boy, with a little elevator on the back. That's an all-in-one system, absolutely nothing related to the 234. I've got the girlfriend's digital camera, I'll get some pictures of my 2M-HD to post on here. Ought to bring a little entertainment to the forum (took a bunch of my 234's tonight, too.)
OK guys could you give me a little education on the 2pr? Are the snapper units the same as a 2MH? If so did the 2PR ever get updated in later years to have the rolls and stripper plates like the 234? In this area of Nebraska I have never seen a 2pr just the 2MH and 234's.
I have a 2-PR, eieio, and I'll do some cross referencing to the 2-MH... I never thought of them having interchangable parts, but it sure would be a possibility. The snapper units are QUITE alike with the 2-MH, but having a 2M-H(D) I never put two and two together that there might be parts likenesses... But conceptionually, they are the same, even with the ear conveyors to the husking bed. Never thought of the parts aspect.
The newer 2-PR might have had heavier gathering chains, I have the old school detachable link type, but can't complain. They never did have the stripper plates, though (can you imagine, though?!?! That would be a heck of a pull type picker, let alone if you could put a sheller on it!!).
Were there a lot of 2-MH's in your area? I'd like to find more 2M-HD's, there were few made because the 234 came out shortly after. I never knew the difference until I owned one, now I can keep my eye open for the extra husking roll out the side. I heard of a seed corn company that ran a fleet 560D's and 2M-HD's back in the day, that would be beyond an addiction for me.
I bet 234's didn't even last that long, did they? Maybe a few years before the combine became king? Sometimes that is nice, I see a lot of equipment in Iowa that was used gently because it was replaced at an earlier age, the older implements around here were used full time until as late as a few years ago, and then the Amish buy some of them. They are used pretty hard by the time I find them. Thanks for the post!!!
Yes there were many 2MH pickers in this area. They were good pickers but when the corn got dry there was alot of shell corn in the fiields. I don't know of any 2MH HDs around here, I was told by an old family friend that they were hard on tractor axels. The 234 with the stripper plate put all the corn in the wagon and the speed you can pick is unreal.
My grandfather said the same thing about the 2-MH's, he can't hardly stand looking at one after running a 234. LOL. I heard that about the 2M-HD's with the axles, I'd love to find a set of 706/806 mounts for it so I wouldn't have to worry about my tractors... it did indeed come new for an M, and it has regular 2-MH gear underneath and not the updated 2M-HD stuff, I guess some of the early 2M-HD's had the 2-MH brackets. Sure is a lot of iron for a picker, and when it was on my tractor I didn't have the transmission or the elevator on it yet. Grandpa about crapped his pants when I told him I found a 2M-HD, he flustered out "That'll be a load on an M!!" She's going to see light duty, nothing too heavy, when I get it back running one day... But its weight and balance was probably one driving reason they weren't made for too long. Had the maximum capacity for the day, though.
I am so hungry to run one of my 234's I'm turning inside out... The 2M-HD is just my toy, 1.) Free, 2.) rarer than rare itself, 3.) outdated technology.
TimsIHtractors wrote:I am so hungry to run one of my 234's I'm turning inside out...
He he, unlike you, I can run mine. I need to put it back on, but I think its not gonna happen til after spring planting is done. Havent started yet, but we're getting equipment and tractors ready.
what kind of yeilds do you guys with mounted pickers get from your wide rows? what size rows and whate plant populations do you use?. hoping to get my planter set to 36" rows but may keep them at 30 for this year.
It's all based on location, location, location... especially in our area, there is little difference between wide and narrow rows, and by the time you pencil the cost of a new planter, new head (perhaps new combine if it isn't really set up for 6 row capacity), its foolishness. My cousin (35+ years old) was irate when the guy who does custom combining for him went to narrow row only, as his dollar for retooling did not produce THAT much significance in yeilds.
However, much of our area isn't some great black loam, its a brown clayish soil, so you do reach a maximization of yeild at a point that no matter how many plants per acre will not overcome.
Typically, 130-150 bushel to the acre on the sidehills is the norm, sometimes the 6 row guys can get 140-160. A properly set-up and used 4 row will perform with or even out perform most 6 rows. I don't know what my uncle plants, but I have been planting around 31000 population in 38" rows and like it out of my 400 Cyclo. I haven't had a yield to even speak of, so I am a poor 4 row example. My grandfather and uncle are looking at a Kinze no-till planter, 4 row, not so much because we are going no-till but that we are are going more min-till and the no-till set-up would just be really nice for completely clearing trash in the rows when planting in any condition. I hope I can buy our 900 if they are getting rid of it, it wouldn't have to move from where it sits. The fertilizer boxes on the 400 are shot, and I don't have enough crap to fertilize my ground (or fields are too far from crap source) to go without boxes. Still trying to estabilish a management pattern with my farming, well, I guess I'm trying to get enough farming pattern to have a management.
My recommendation: your local farmers will give you the best answers about yield results, but strictly follow your seed variety's recommendation for plant populations. I know of so many farmers who put a few more thousand to the acre out of their four rows to make up the 6 row difference, and that is too much crowding... Some people are amazed how 4 rows at 30,000 will at times out perform 6 rows at 33,000... However, when I get the opportunity I will be trying 6 row. I love how they canopy closer (weed control) and I think you utilitize more of your square footage of area, PPA without crowding. Actually know of a study going on much more related to drilling corn, giving each plant more radii of growing room. Here it is 21st century and we haven't figured out corn... I hope this is a big promise for our future, that we still have room to grow and improve!!!
Until then, 400 Cyclo on 38's planting 31,440 PPA, been happy with it so far and I have all the equipment to do four rows (planter, cultivator, rotary hoe, harvesters). Going six requires a complete change on all of those over one year, not a decade. That is a big decision that will take a few years to make.
appreciate the great post. using my mounted picker is one of my main reasons for going back to 36 " rows.plus i want to try interseeding between the rows.and it is easy on a tiny 30 acre farm to open up the fields rather than running over rows or opening by hand.want to do it at least once .
The bouncing down the Minnesota roads made tears in the snouts of the picker where the adjusting bolt was... nothing I can't weld, but it did make me pout. It had a couple new sprockets and that 100 or 120 chain had nearly no wear. For being a 50+ year old machine, it made me smile!!
She's going to see light duty, nothing too heavy, when I get it back running one day... But its weight and balance was probably one driving reason they weren't made for too long. Had the maximum capacity for the day, though.
