Doesnt look like much in the pictures but... I have been after my dads old custom corn shelling ever since I knew it might still be around. Last weekend I hunted it down and was able to get it bought before the scrap man got it in the spring. The crib it was parked in is coming down in the spring and the truck/sheller were going to the scrap!
I have memories of riding along with dad in this rig to custom shelling jobs when I was about 5-6 years old. I would ride along there and then he would plant my butt on a seat of a tractor all day to watch them work! Maybe that is where I got the "bug" for pickers/shellers! The truck is a 1959 Ford F600 with a 292 Y-Block V-8. The rotary screen was put on the front of a Gleaner combine and a few other mods were made to get rid of the heat (like the missing hood). Truck is just how I remembered it right down to the "Red Man Championship Pulling" bumper sticker on the front bumper!
He bought this from the original owner in 1978 and ran it up until the late 80's when it was sold to a local farmer and then was sold again on his auction. The sheller was one of the very last of the No. 6 John Deere's built, even has the black "newer style" JD decals on it. The original owner had bought a new JD sheller in 1965-66 and was using it and the local JD dealer told him that this was going to be the last chance to buy a new sheller and if he wanted one he needed to put his name on it. He took delivery and the sheller sat on a skid in the shed for two years before it was put in service. Dad bought it at a farm sale and he said by the end of the day he had 6 weeks of work booked up! Everyone was watching to see who bought it to get their cribs shelled! Dad said during the 6 weeks or so of shelling he did, he had meatloaf everyday but 2 or 3! I have some pics of it in action in the early 80's and will post them when I get them scanned in if there is any interest.
We plan on getting it out of there in the spring and hope to tune up the engine and get it ready to roll for next falls shows! I am just tickled to be able to run the same outfit that he ran when I was a kid. Usually I am a MM/White and Chevy truck guy, but I needed to make an exception on this one!
Minneapolis Moline M670 Super, MM G950 Diesel, MM U302 Super, Oliver G1355 Diesel, MM H320 Picker, MM S600 Semi-mount plow, MM M3300 Plow, MM CR Hayrake, MM Lawn Tractors, 1959 Ford F600 w/ John Deere No 6 Sheller, 1964 International C1500 Grain Truck
I have a No. 6 in the shed here too that I'll probably use this coming summer to shell the corn I picked and cribbed this fall. Mine is tractor-driven, mounted on a 2-wheel cart. I'll post pictures of it in use when I shell. I'll be anxious to see pictures of yours when you get it up and running!
That is neat to find stuff that has family ties to it like that. It seems from the way that you described it, it still has some life left to it. Look forward to hearing about the progress on it and pics. of it in action. Sounds like a video just waiting to happen.
Those old motors are tuff. Fouond an old winch truck with one in it, had sat for years. The old man said it would probably run, haha. There was a 3" maple tree growing through the frame, pulled it out and it turned over. Took it home cleaned the points, hooked up a battery, poured some gas down the carb, it took rifght off.
My grandpa was a custom sheller back when I was just a kid and I also remember being around a No. 6. I guess that's why I own two of them today! However, I wasn't fortunate enough to find an original machine. Wow, what a great find!
Are we going to be seeing that rig over at Rantoul in August?
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Pickers: IH 2MH on Farmall 400, IH 234 on 766, IH 234 on 706, 2- 234 sheller units, 234 husker unint, 234 grinder unit, IH 34HM-20, New Idea 305 w/ husker, IH 14P pull type Shellers: Moline model E
That is my goal to have it ready for Rantoul, planning on getting it running this coming spring, not sure if I should drive it down or have a lowboy haul it. Driving it would sure be an experience! Wonder how many times I would be pulled over? Charile, you got yourself a camera job! No lights on it though, so much for the night filming!
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Minneapolis Moline M670 Super, MM G950 Diesel, MM U302 Super, Oliver G1355 Diesel, MM H320 Picker, MM S600 Semi-mount plow, MM M3300 Plow, MM CR Hayrake, MM Lawn Tractors, 1959 Ford F600 w/ John Deere No 6 Sheller, 1964 International C1500 Grain Truck
Neet story and I'm glad you got it back. I know you can't wait to use it. That's going to be a great feeling for you when you run the first ear of corn in it. Good Luck.
Got the "old" pics of my "new" sheller loaded up, thought you guys might enjoy them! This was in the early 80's at the farm I grew up on. The older man is my Grandpa Henry Miller, the other person is my dad, Dan. The lil guy in the last pic is yours truly, not a picker picture, but I like it anyways!
I added another pic we came up with, a better pic of the sheller in action! I think it is my uncle on top of the wagon, not sure though
-- Edited by FPTractorCo on Tuesday 28th of December 2010 07:49:44 AM
Minneapolis Moline M670 Super, MM G950 Diesel, MM U302 Super, Oliver G1355 Diesel, MM H320 Picker, MM S600 Semi-mount plow, MM M3300 Plow, MM CR Hayrake, MM Lawn Tractors, 1959 Ford F600 w/ John Deere No 6 Sheller, 1964 International C1500 Grain Truck
Luke those are some great old photo's. That really makes it neat that you got the family sheller in your collection and you have the then and now pictures. I wish I had more from my younger days.Thanks for posting and sharing with the rest of us.
Update: Went up home over the weekend and worked on the truck for a few hours and it came back to life! I never thought I would see so much crap (literally) come out of an engine! She will definitely need alot of work but it is alive! Drove it about 5 miles to a different shed where we can tinker with it.
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Minneapolis Moline M670 Super, MM G950 Diesel, MM U302 Super, Oliver G1355 Diesel, MM H320 Picker, MM S600 Semi-mount plow, MM M3300 Plow, MM CR Hayrake, MM Lawn Tractors, 1959 Ford F600 w/ John Deere No 6 Sheller, 1964 International C1500 Grain Truck
