Anyone thought about building a corn picker?

Dachshund · Feb 16, 2006

Like the ones that used to be towed behind the tractor and picked the ears, but didn't shell the corn? I thought about delving into it. Any ideas would be helpful!

kensfarm · Feb 17, 2006

I have an old pull behind one-row corn huskor I had dragged from the farm across the street.. it has all the parts.. but would need a lot of work.

The MF65 I bought a few years ago.. has a mounted 2-row corn huskor. This fall I used it to harvest my field corn. I lined the inside of a wooden hay wagon(8ftx16ft) I built w/ 2x2 wire mesh. I was pretty impressed that it would even harvest the stalks that are laying flat on the ground.. you just have to go a little slower.

If you weren't so far away.. I'd be happy to give away the one row just to see someone restore it.

OldMcDonald · Feb 17, 2006

Yes, but no idea where to start. I certainly hope you get some reasonable responses, or even people giving enough info on old commercially manufactured ones would let us have some ideas. I am thinking of growing up to 10 acres this year, depending on how much water is in the river in May (for irrigation) but a minimum of 2 acres. Knowledgeable people please butt in. Old McDonald.

Dachshund · Feb 17, 2006

Yeah - I'd have to take you up on it if we were closer!

crazymike · Feb 17, 2006

Not sure where exactly you live. But around here we have the agtrader. It's got several sections you could such implements used. There are sections for both working and scrapped implements. Aswell as I have seen several 1-2 row corn pickers.

rambler · Feb 17, 2006

Around here (southern MN) one row units are sold for scrap iron, 2 row units only slightly above. I can't imagine engineering such a machine on your own. They are rather complex in their tolerances to do what one wants them to do.

I have a NI 300 & a 327 (the newest wide row) I think? One was $30, the other $135. There are parts from the NI 6A in the grove, got it from the neighbor 20 years ago for $100. It just plain wore out. A good narrow row 2 row unit goes $400, and a dealer was advertising a 3 row pull type last fall for $1000.

Have you looked for an old but servicable picker around you?

--->Paul

Dachshund · Feb 25, 2006

Been looking for one close by, but most I find - I'm a day late - they're already cutting it up for scrap!

OldMcDonald · Feb 25, 2006

There are no such machines in this part of the world. In fact there is very little of anything except ploughs, scarifiers and tpl boxes. I cannot even find anyone with a small grains combine harvester. I build most of what I need - harrows, subsoiler, seed drill, land leveller, rock rake, even a two pronged hay fork. Most people have very small plots and cut with a sickle type implement (not even a scythe). Bigger plots are cut by contractors with a ride on motorised reaper followed later by a baler. Some also bind hay or small grains crops into sheaves. A neighbour does a wee bit of threshing of corn and oats, but he uses a flail. Any links, photos or how to get started would be most welcomed. Old McDonald.

Taylortractornut · Feb 26, 2006

I havent been around a cornpicker that much except for a feed pickers. A fresh corn pckers has rubber fingers I think. I Know a mans here that has afront mounted basket that attaches to the front of his tractor and has casters out front. its hinged to follow the ground and has a platform like a man basket on the top. He has 2 inverted V's on the front to on each side to make the stalks go into the the basket and 2 workers pick it as it comes into the basket. Works pretty good. He found if the ears miss the workers the back of the v hangs them and pulls them up. He wans to try smeting with this the make a simple picker. He plants most of his corn a week apart in rows of 10 so it wont all ripen at the same time.
Old McDonald Id like to see your rock rake and land leveller. I worked 2 summers around and alot of them down in the delta. Neat how many desings they have.

OldMcDonald · Feb 28, 2006

Sorry, unable to post pics. I will try to learn. My son will be here in early April, and I will ask him to do it for me. Neither implement is anything flash. In fact the land leveller is just some very heavy walled pipe welded up to tow behind either my scarifier or some 3 metre wide harrows I made up. Old McDonald.