Mike's mounted picker Was [AT] Back

[Al Jones]

Mike,

Let us know how you fare getting the picker home, will be looking
forward to pictures!  The 234 was the "Cadillac" of mounted pickers,
hope the MTA does ok with it!

Al

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Michael
Miller
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 11:40 AM
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Subject: RE: [AT] Back

Farmer,

THANK YOU

I have some tractor type stuff going on. Hopefully tomorow I am bringing

home my new 234 mounted corn picker. I am really excited.  First I need
to 
get the MTA ready, though, slide the wheels the rest of the way out, fix
the 
lights so I can pick at night when its frozen, mount up my super snoot, 
change the oil again and the hytran also, drop the drawbar, and mount
the 
brackets.
I can't wait to get another camera and get some pictures of this picker.
It 
is a little dinged up, but has picked around 500 acres total, and never
been 
left outside.  All the bearings I could get to seemed to be good.
The subframe and lift that he had was the rockshaft style which uses the

Fast Hitch to raise and lower it.  I was looking at getting a fast hitch
and 
putting on the SMTA, because my uncle has some implements that I could
have 
used on it too.  A look at the going price for them in my area($450+ for
a 
good tight one, $400 for a used one) had me looking to regroup.  The
seller 
knew of someone with a picker they were parting out, and it just
happened to 
have the other type of lift.
He originally wanted $500 for the picker, but his grandson is using the
barn 
its stored in for a shop for his lawncare business and he wants it
moved.  
He talked the owner into selling it for $200 if he could find someone
local 
who'd use it and not scrap it. Considering it weighs over 2 tons
according 
to the book, that is what it'd bring as scrap.  That subframe cost me, 
better than half the price of the picker.  It has 2- 2 1/2"x8" hydraulic

cylinders, tho, so as long as those are good I got a good deal.  I
haven't 
seen that yet, hopefully it's ok.  I have 3 hydraulic implements and
only 
one cylinder, so I figure I can take those cylinders off the frame when
its 
stored for offseason and then I wont have to fool with switching one 
cylinder from plow to disk to planter and back again.
I know of a friend with another 234 that he doesn't use, he got a good
deal 
on aNI mounted picker and a SMTA that he leaves the frame on all the
time.  
He said the 234 was too heavy to use on the SMTA, and it took a day to
get 
the 706 ready to mount the picker.  He told me that he'd give me his if
I 
wanted it, but I haven't yet decided if I am going to take it.  I don't 
really have a place to store it.
I know of another real nice picker with 4010 brackets, along with a
sheller. 
  If I were to hit the lottery tomorow, I'd buy a nice 826 Hydro and a
4010 
or maybe move up to a 4020 powershift and restore both, along with a 
picker/husking bed for one and a picker/sheller for the other.  I think
that 
would be a BIG hit at shows.  I think I am going to show the picker I am

buying in its "as found" state at our local show,  regardless.  Need to 
build a tractor pulling hitch that can stay in place with the subframe 
mounted tho.......Just drop the picker off in 20 minutes and hook onto
the 
sled:-)
The only problem I can see with wanting to show a picker is the fact
that 
its tall(have to take the elevator off to trailer it) and HEAVY.
Between 
the tractor and the picker, the SMTA rig will tip the scales at better
than 
5 ton.  That isn't something to haul behind a 1/2 ton pickup with a V-6.
I 
Don't think I can legally haul it behind my heavy 3/4 ton even.  I would

really like to show it at the RP show that is coming up in Mansfield I
think 
in '05, which is about an hour from my house.

On another note, I sold my dad my '51 Farmall M and a feed grinder.  
Hopefully I'll get my Farmall A tore the rest of the way apart so I can
get 
the machine work done, then put it back together.  That would be a nice 
project to get done.  Its been apart about a year.


Thats enough rambling for now.  If anyone has any stories about picking
corn 
with ANY picker, I'd love to hear them.

Mike