This should be interesting ! I know it isn't, but I'm gonna say the Allis Chalmers 35 !
__________________
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
I'd say the N.I. 323 just because it doesnt have the problem of breaking off stalks and doesnt shell as bad.i had a 325 which is the two row version.they all had their pluses and minuses. If the jd is the onbe i'm thinking of it has augers instead of the chains and cross pieces whihc is a plus.but the 323 is the newest version of which the other companies didnt have one. They were still working on 1950s tech.
I have a NI 323 and it seems to do a really good job of picking corn. Granted I don't run tens/hundreds of acres each year through it but in the corn planted with a new Kinzie planter, I have been impressed--little shelling, rarely ears left over, easy maintenace and up keep. I have not seen a JD 101 nor for that matter any other JD pull type pickers in my area so I can't comment on them.
By the 1960s, only New Idea was putting any R&D effort into a 1-row picker. When the 323 hit the market, other companies had already exited or were about to exit the business . . . those that were still competing (IH 1-PR, JD #18, Oliver #5) were all designed to compete with New Idea's 1950s's offering, the #10. So the 323 is the best able to handle high-yield corn, does the best job husking, and loses the least amount of shelled corn. I must say though, that the old Ford 16-65 mounted my grandfather had (similar to 601) had a snoot design that handled down corn better than the 323 I had would. Otherwise, no comparison, the 323 was the best.
If I would say I think Tim hit the nail on the head a Ford 601 would be about the best and a 323 NI is second , as I have a 601 late model blue one , and a NI 325 2 row narrow late model both are good !
I wondered. I havent had time to use my a/c wd45 with a mounted two row picker but heard they could be good too. Supposedly won a lot of corn picking contests in the day.
