Corn / grass silage chopper is also a corn picker?

dutchman85

New User
Older couple in our area has recently torn down a barn and had removed an implement that I am hoping somebody recognizes. I didn't find any serial tag on it (don't really know were to look) but it has J. I. Case on the side of the ear corn elevator. Let me give a description first:

At first glance this looks like a single row corn picker, tractor pulled, and it has a picking head with snapping rolls mounted currently. Behind this is the elevator for the ear corn. I'm not sure if there were husking rolls in it or not. Mounted on the same frame, on the left side, there is a silage blower and spout. Sitting next to the machine there is a silage head, same size as the picking head, single row, with gathering chains and knives in it. Sitting next to that was a grass head with a cutterbar, gathering paddles (like a haybine) , and a small agri-type tire in the center of the head, evidently to help material into the feeder house. The picker/chopper has pneumatic tires but a considerable amount of wooden components so I would place it sometime in the late 40's or early 50's.

The paint is pretty fair, very restorable piece in its current shape. The older couple said it has been in the barn as long as they can remember. They are hoping a collector will get it and restore it rather than scrap the thing.

I've never seen another one like it. Right away the silage spout and ear corn elevator coming out of the same machine caught my eye. I'm looking for any information on this machine. Are these rare? Is there any value to it?
 
Hi there, this is Harold in Walnutport, Pa. My Father was a Case dealer in New Tripoli, Pa. for around 17 years. We did lots of farming for many years with Case equipment. We had a single row corn husker with the snap rollers etc. We had a Case silage corn chopper that had a hay attachment that you could switch over. I remember well when my Father shut the chopper down behind our DC Case tractor, that the big wheel with the cutter knives would roar for a while tell it lost is momentum. We used our corn husker for years, never spend much time on it other than greasing everything. We did much silo filling with the Case equipment. Those were the good old, hard working days that kept you out of trouble when you were young, I am 71 years old now. Good chatting with you folks, Harold in Penna.
 
I don't know about rare or valuable but definitely collectible. Please don't let it get scrapped.
Most machines like that have been sitting outside for decades and are rusted and rotted out.
It needs to go back into a collectors shed to preserve it and they take up a lot of room so even in the collectors world you won't
find a lot of takers so be patient. Word will get out to a taker eventually. I'd say its worth whatever it weighs in scrap price
is what its worth. The real value is the good feeling you get when you find a new home for it where it will be saved and
appreciated. Location makes a big difference also. A lot of serious collectors hands are tied if your too far away to be
practical on the hauling.
 
It is a rare piece of equipment; most were called back and scrapped by Case. I have seen 2 in the last 25 years, one in Illinois and one in Wyoming.
 
Maybe one of these is what you have?
The first is a brochure on the model C2
dated 1954.
The second is a brochure on the models
210, 220 and 225 dated 1955.
a199465.jpg

a199466.jpg
 
I wonder if any could be tracked down after all these years.
The sales brochure has testimonials from owners.

Ted Funk, Shirley, Illinois
Fred Hillers, Fountain Green, Illinois
Alfred Lorah, Denver, Pennsylvania
Ed Brenning, Oconomowac, Wisconsin

These men would be 80 today if they were 20 back in 1955.
They were likely on either side of their 40s then so likely dead now but someone may recognize the family names if they're from the same hometown. Who knows? May be a few parts machines to be found if they haven't been scrapped.
 
I would have them at least advertise it to see if there
is an interest before just letting it go, if it"s not
complete its sounds like parts will be hard to source
I wonder if any repair manuals are available? it also
sounds like a interesting project
 
I hope that chopper/ picker never get junked, no matter how poor shape it is in. A very rare rig, as it was said , Case recalled them and junked them. I have no idea why , mite of not worked ? All companies did have some " failures " in there lines.

I have seen only one in my 70+ yrs. It belonged to Geo Hedeke [sp] at Davis Jct,Ill.
We had a Case chopper , model "C" , one of the very first ones. A good outfit till we wore it out .Then it was replaced with a " C L " , Long Cut machine. It was another good outfit till it was demolished when a car hit it. clint
 
Mark, I might be interested in coming to take a look at it. I'll call you. It would definitely be a novelty piece to show at the fair. I'm close enough that I could
even drive the old SC to pick it up. I'd look just like the picture in the ad.
 
I just noticed that you are "Dutchman85" instead of "Dutchman" so you are probably not Mark Vos from Pella. That changes things a little. I might not be driving the SC to pick it up after all.
 
I can't explain why CASE would have re-called & then scrapped them, but the idea of picking ears & chopping the stalks is not practical. When the ears are dry enough for picking, the stalks have no feeding value.
 
Can't think of his last name, Steve........from Wilmont, SD had one at Prairie Village Madison, SD at the Case show in 2008. He's a director on the Northland board.
 
Here is a bit more info. Sales pamphlet A13755G. If there is interest, I will scan and post the complete 16 page brochure.
Dad sold a couple of them.
Loren
a199643.jpg

a199644.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 05:37:27 08/29/15) I can't explain why CASE would have re-called & then scrapped them, but the idea of picking ears & chopping the stalks is not practical. When the ears are dry enough for picking, the stalks have no feeding value.
John, there big push in the sales brochure was to collect fodder and get rid of corn borers. I'm definitely interested also!
 
Hello my neighbor has one of these also, they said it worked good they wood pick the corn and put it
in narrow cribs and it would dry down and the stalks would make good silage., the one that they have
both boxes are hooked to the chopper one behind one alongside . thanks Bryan
 
I have one that is complete, any of the boards will need to be replaced. also wondering if it is worth fixing up or selling?
 

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