Pull-Type, 2-Row Corn Picker

1987 - Volume #11, Issue #3, Page #09

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"We converted New Idea self-propelled corn picking units into a pull-type 2-row corn picker for a fraction of the cost of a new machine," says Jerry Price, Maryville, Mo., who spent about $850 on his conversion. "We wanted a picker because of the ease of storing ear corn and so we could feed ground ear corn, but we only had about 4,000 bu. to pick and couldn't justify the cost of a new machine."
Price started with a pair of 40-in. picking units from a #20 New Idea picker. He narrowed the snouts up to 30 in., a job that he says was relatively easy because each unit mounts separately on an axle. The lift rollers on the units were narrowed 10 in. and positioned upside down to accept a cable instead of a hydraulic cylinder.
"We mounted the picking units on the axle and swing-over hitch of an old Deere silage chopper. The pto shaft stayed in the same location but we removed the flat belt drive pulley and replaced it with the gear that used to go on the tractor pto for the mounted picker. There are two drive chains - one drives the husking bed and inside picking unit and a second that runs from one picking unit to the other. The picking units mount on a 7-in. channel iron frame welded to the chopper axle at the height of the tractor axle. The cable lift originally used to raise the chopper was readjusted and hooked to the roller lift.
"The chopper frame didn't have enough clearance so we cut the centers out of the 15-in. chopper wheels and welded them into the 20-in. wheels off a 1-row New Idea picker. Weight wasn't a problem because the husking bed trails behind on its two original 'crazy' wheels. The pto shaft drive to the husking bed and elevator hooks to a jack shaft beside the main drive gear.
"In the field, the husking bed and wagon are offset one row towards the side of the tractor to help eliminate side drag. It works great but caused a misalignment problem. We had to build metal chutes to carry ears to the husking bed. The trick in making the chutes was getting a steep enough slope so ears would not pile up."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jerry Price, 212 Park Ave. #5, Maryville, Mo. 64468.

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Pull-Type, 2-Row Corn Picker COMBINES Corn Pickers(13) 11-3-9 "We converted New Idea self-propelled corn picking units into a pull-type 2-row corn picker for a fraction of the cost of a new machine," says Jerry Price, Maryville, Mo., who spent about $850 on his conversion. "We wanted a picker because of the ease of storing ear corn and so we could feed ground ear corn, but we only had about 4,000 bu. to pick and couldn't justify the cost of a new machine." Price started with a pair of 40-in. picking units from a #20 New Idea picker. He narrowed the snouts up to 30 in., a job that he says was relatively easy because each unit mounts separately on an axle. The lift rollers on the units were narrowed 10 in. and positioned upside down to accept a cable instead of a hydraulic cylinder. "We mounted the picking units on the axle and swing-over hitch of an old Deere silage chopper. The pto shaft stayed in the same location but we removed the flat belt drive pulley and replaced it with the gear that used to go on the tractor pto for the mounted picker. There are two drive chains - one drives the husking bed and inside picking unit and a second that runs from one picking unit to the other. The picking units mount on a 7-in. channel iron frame welded to the chopper axle at the height of the tractor axle. The cable lift originally used to raise the chopper was readjusted and hooked to the roller lift. "The chopper frame didn't have enough clearance so we cut the centers out of the 15-in. chopper wheels and welded them into the 20-in. wheels off a 1-row New Idea picker. Weight wasn't a problem because the husking bed trails behind on its two original 'crazy' wheels. The pto shaft drive to the husking bed and elevator hooks to a jack shaft beside the main drive gear. "In the field, the husking bed and wagon are offset one row towards the side of the tractor to help eliminate side drag. It works great but caused a misalignment problem. We had to build metal chutes to carry ears to the husking bed. The trick in making the chutes was getting a steep enough slope so ears would not pile up." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jerry Price, 212 Park Ave. #5, Maryville, Mo. 64468.

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