IH McCormick 181 combine

MattLF9

Member
Are there any 181's left?
I've never seen one ever.
The only ones you see are the ones in brochures.
If there is one somewhere in central Minnesota I think I might need to buy one of these.
 
No 181's were ever sold new in my area because at that time they were just too big.....Heres a picture of one of the few 181's I can ever remember seeing in person....I found it in May 2013 somewhere west of Castle Rock in western Kansas..4 dogs were guarding it..
5v7juo.jpg
 
Ah that's cool man!
That one would look great after a full restoration.
Do you know the production numbers by chance?
Couldn't have been that many.
 
I haven't seen any in person either but I think I know were there might be a few. The problem for us was not the size but the fact it was dry in the early 60s in my area. You don't see too many of the JD Hi-Lo 95/105s around here for that same reason. The 403/503 and the square back 95/105 were much more popular because they hit the market after the drought was over.
 
The 181's beginning serial # in 1963 was 1001 and the beginning serial # in 1966 for the last year of production was 10226....I really don't know how many were built but there sure aren't very many left today.,.
 
Your years are off there little 12O6. The 181 was introduced in late 1958 and made into 1961. Then came the 403 and 503.
 
Thats what the Hot Line Farm Equipment Guide shows but you are correct that it can't be right..They don't even show serial #'s for 101's and 151's..

They show the 503 starting in 1962 at # 501 and going to 1969 at # 7336...There couldnt have been very many 181's built...
 
I have that same book. I looked at it after you mentioned it. My info came from a couple other sources including Green Magazine.
 
Just drove by them 2 days ago. I for sure would say they are 181s or 151s. They look too short to be an 03 combine. There is also an older Case 12 or newer model. Someday I will sneak in there and get some pics.
 
very interesting topic, IH 181's are very elusive, we had a few 141's and 151's in my area in the weeds and fence rows,before the scrapers got'em ....
what did green magazine have to say about the 181?
 
The article was about the 105. Basically it stated JD introduced the 95 in the late 50s which was at the time one of the biggest if not the biggest combine on the market. A year later IH one upped JD with the 181 which had a separator 6" wider. JD then countered with 105 with a 50" seperater.
 

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