When I was kid we had an sp that I just rember . We later had an AC #17 on a 1958 D-17 diesel and then a 1961 Ford red 2 row mounted on a Ford 981 Select-o-Speed. The Ford picker was traded in 1963 on a new Gleaner E with 10 foot grain head and a 2 row corn head , ending our ear picking until 1984 when I grew Pioneer seed corn for several years and my neighbor picked it with his Uni. In 2004 I saw a Massey SP advertised in a local for sale paper, and made a deal. It was parked in the driveway of a corn crib, and was said to have picked recently, but it wouldn't start and one brake was stuck. We got the brake loose and towed it home backwards. It was right before Old Threshers and we didn't have time to getting it going in time. They featured Massey in 2005 and we got it up there. I live about 15 miles from Mt. Pleasan, Ia , so part of the time I drive it back forth or pull it. It is 1953 6 cylinder Continenal engine (same as a 44 tractor). They don't have hydraulic , the head is raised by a mechanical screw jack, and the variable speed lever with notcher is also the clutch. I got to pick with it at the Denmark, Ia plow Dayin 2006 they have some 36 inch corn to pick. We are repairing and painting in stages.
A post note true to Iowa's weather , the picking was in late Oct, the next day
I drove home in shorts. Here you go Jim. Don
-- Edited by Agco Heritage on Friday 1st of January 2010 04:59:37 PM
Hey Don good seeing pictures of your picker in action I have pictures of it I took at Mt. Pleasant and thought how neat it would be to see it in action thank you very much. Charlie
Thankyou Charlie, it's hard to find wide row corn around home to pick, one of the reasons I got the one row New Idea, it can do 30 inch. Do you know Old Threshers are featureing John Deere in 2010? I don't have alot of JD except the barge wagon and gear, but I enjoy anything old. I helped with threshing everyday, trying learn something as I also have an AC 22x38 thresher still in rebuilding. Hope to meet you at MOT this year . Don
Thats funny about the weather because i know a guy who had one and he had to pick corn for someone miles from home andhe said he like to froze to death driving home at 10 mph.
The day I drove it to the plow day and picked, as you can see I had about all the clothes I own on and about froze. The bad part of the configuation is you don't get heat from the engine like a mounted picker on a tractor. You also set up higher which is good for seeing, and sort of being out of some of the dust, but you're up in the air when it is cold. Don
Don, (Agco Heritage) Would you share some pictures of your thresher and would it be possible to get the thresher serial Number? Thank you.
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Randy Freshour Member: White County Antique Power Association, Indiana Allis Chalmers Partners Own: 1955 Wd45, 1953 AC 66 All Crop "Small Bin" Combine, #53 3-16 plow, various other implements
Tim, I was 12 and 13 when we had the Ford picker , I thought it was a good picker , they won 4 out of 5 National picking Contests 1959-63. We had it on a, normally wide front Ford 981 Select-O-Speed Gas that had to be changed for the picker. They made a handy combination. At that time, the Quartz on the " Sure-grip" snapping rolls could be recoated "easily and at small cost" acording to the literature. I think I mostly did wagon detail at that . I do remeber it being better in the mud than our D-17 (6 cylinder) diesel with a # 17 picker. We only used it 2 years and went to all combine shelling. I got mounted on somebodies17 gas next. Are you sure there are 2010 mountings my literature only lists 3010 & 4010
Randy, It is a late 1935 #37311 that still needs a alot of TLC it sat outside for 25 years.
i seen your picker at mount pleasent and you started it up for me. there is another one up by hartford. i still plant wide row. i to would like to see it pidk corn