Today I got to run my picker for the very first time. My uncle opened up the field with the combine and let me pick a wagon full. It didn't pick very clean. I forgot to put the wagon elevator hopper fan belt on so I got a lot of husks and stalks in the load and my husking rollers are almost as smooth as racing slicks so about 30-40% of the ears still have husks but by golly we got a wagon full of ear corn and had some fun doing it.
Another uncle (by marriage) has fond memories of riding in the wagons as a kid while his dad picked corn on their family farm so I let him run it for one round and then he rode in the wagon on the return trip. We were both grinning from ear to ear! (pun intended) My dad and grandma and grandpa also came to watch as did my wife and kids. At the end of the day we took a family picture for the Christmas card and headed home. It was a fun day. We will probably use the ear corn to feed the squirrels and deer this winter or just shell it and sell it. I found a model 50 sheller attachment about a month ago so hopefully someday I can get that mounted and try it out. Here are some pics from the day.
Sorry about the huge and sideways pics, I do all this from my phone and don't know how to make it smaller and right side up.
Looks like a pretty nice late 237! I remember when we got ours new, seeing it in the yard when I got off the school bus is something I'll never forget. I know where it is now, but it has sat outside several years and the only tractor I have to put it on is a 1951 A. I know of another really nice one a couple of miles from here in shed I should get...
We still have the 3020 we put it on, but it's had the wide front on ever since we took it off last and now has a roll bar & canopy.... Hard to believe it's been 30 years since I have used one!
Thats awesome!!!! Thanks for sharing. Last fall was my first time picking. Found a 2 row ford and restored it and used it last year. This spring I found a ford sheller and have it ready to go when I get time to get in the field. Can't wait. I'll warn you it only gets worse, have to go pick up 2 more ford pickers this week
Seth, Great photos!! I am glad to hear you had so much fun getting out to pick some ear corn. When I was a kid, I was riding in the wagon but my job was to level out the load as it filled up. As I got older, we bought another wagon so I could unload one while my dad was picking the other one full. Funny, how now that my dad has been retired from farming for about 15 years, we have two mounted pickers-husking beds and shellers, one pull type picker, seven barge wagons, two gravity wagons, and one MM corn sheller. Lots of toys for just having fun!!
Thanks for sharing the firsts with all of us and hope to see more from you in the future!!
I need to fix up a trailor and get a better pickup for hauling equipment. I need to get the big pully that drives each row and that big heavy drive belt for mine. Mine is the old red dearborn on a wd45