A friend of mine recently picked up a New Idea 6A picker. It appears to be basically the 2 row version of the No. 7. He originally bought it for parts, but it seems to be all there and in really good shape. I suggested that he might consider getting it running instead of parting it out.
Just wondering if anyone is familiar with the 6A. I've never seen them mentioned on this forum or on YT either. Are they rare, or did they all get worn out and scrapped? Any info is appreciated.
There were extremely popular from what i've seen. I 2worked for a farmer who had one but no longer used it. I think there is another one or maybe the same one 20 minutes from here.I went to a sale where the guy had bought one to replace his ac 33 mounted picker.. I think for a two row pull type of their day was the best.Lots of guys around here had both a mounted and a pull type picker they used.Not many left that i see but thats the same for other pickers too since most have gone to either the newer super pickers or combines.
Just as a follow up---I ended up buying that picker shortly after I posted this thread. Spent part of last fall plus the last week or so of this year getting it running. I ended up replacing most of the wood pieces that the gathering chains run on. My AGCO dealer was able to find all those pieces NOS except for one, which I had to make. Also the gathering chains themselves were missing, as were several of the sprockets. Again, they were able to find all NOS parts! Still needs a little work here and there, but it will pick corn the way it stands right now.
This brings me to one question. The rear elevator on this picker is designed to fold down so it will fit in the shed. I have a parts book but no owner's manual, so there are no instructions for that. Does anyone know exactly how that works? Is it just a matter of loosening the chain way up and then folding it over? Or is there more to it than that? Any information on that would be appreciated.
-- Edited by RichsToys on Monday 23rd of October 2017 11:18:17 PM
I'm glad you got the picker, and got it going. That's good information to know, that there is some new old stock parts available if you have a good dealer around. Wish I could help you on folding the elevator down, but I just don't know enough about them yet. Hopefully someone will know.
From what I was able to find out on YT I think all I need to do is loosen or disconnect the chain and then tip it forward. Either way, it's too heavy for one guy to try by himself. So for now it's sitting outside with a blue tarp over it. I currently don't have room for it inside, whether the elevator is down or not. Hopefully at some point I will be able to rectify that situation.
I bought a 6A while in high school back in 64-65. I believe they started building them in about 1949 and ended in 55 or 56 with the 300. The No. 7 was taken from the 6A. New Idea only built 2 row machines until the No. 7 which was their first one row. I traded in a farm-rite one row snapper on it because of no husking bed. On the 6A the price between the two was I believe about 200 dollar difference. The 6A was a good machine, and didn't see much difference between that and the 312 that replaced it except for strength and narrow row. I pulled them both with a 1946 John Deere A, which handled the 6A just find.
