Horsepower needed for 2-row corn picker?

I am looking at purchasing a New Idea 324 two-row corn picker with the eight-roll husking bed. I would like to know if any of you gentlemen have an idea as to the amount of horsepower necessary to operate this unit and tow a wagon. I have a 1950 Farmall M that my grandfather used the mounted 2-row picker on, but want to make sure that it isn't overwhelmed by the 324 and a 200-250 bushel wagon in tow. Any thoughts appreciated! Enjoy the holiday weekend. Steve II

No problem at all. An H would handle it if you weren't pulling wagons up and down big hills.

Dad used to pull a minneapolis two row
with a jd A all through the fifties with a
6X10 barge wagon in tow without any
problems. Jim

Used to have a mounted 2 row picker on an F-20, pulled 100bu barge boxes. Aside from the poor gear selection, it worked. Dad & uncle picked for decades with that. They were planting about 20,000population and going for 100-120 bu yields.

Used a pull type NI 6A with an IHC 300 tractor - about 35 hp - and it worked fine with the same 100bu barge boxes. The 300 has 10 forward speeds with the TA, nice to match speed to conditions! And of course the independent pto, world of difference with an independent pto!

Got a NI 300 2 row picker, and some 200bu gravity boxes. The 300 pulled it, but it was a struggle. Ran out of hp when the wagons started getting full or on hills, had to drive a little slower than I could have. Wet conditions was very tough to pull all those different wheels on the ground through even moderate damp hill conditions. Was planting 30,000 population and going for 140bu yields. Could sure tell the harder pull with the thicker populations.

Got a 324, and didn"t try it with the 300. Did try it with the Oliver S77, and had to drive very slow, 1st or 2nd gear, to keep moving - at least it has independent pto so was useable. Just not enough oomph. Happy with a large Ford 5000 or 7700 on the picker - 60 or 85 hp. Works well, can drive right along. Using 34,000 populations, hoping for over 150bu corn, spots of 200 can be in there now.

This is on southern MN clay wet soils, rolling hills.

You can make it work for fun on a few acres with an M. But if you have high yield corn, high population planting, and want to accomplish a lot in a day, the M is gonna be a little small, and lack of live pto will really be miserable.

Just my experiences over the decades. You are on that borderline....

--->Paul

A corn picker without a wagon behind it isn't very useful. An H has its hands full with a loaded 250 bu wagon behind it, let alone a 4000lb picker with its power demands. An M would probably get along OK, although I wouldn't want to feed it.

Your Farmall M should handle it fine.

Harold H

I pulled a picker like that for several years doing
custom picking. I was using a 3020 JD and it had all
it wanted going up hills with almost full gravity
box. Ken Sweet

We pulled a 324 with a jd-60. About 44 horse. Gave it quite a load. Had 200 bushel flair boxes. I would not want any less hp.

Same as the "Flying Belgian" A John Deere 60 with NI 324 wide row, & 8 row bed. Just enough HP to do it right; But if in wet conditions a bigger tractor is always better. I like the pulltypes better because the noise is behind you, & in most cases the heavy dust, & flying trash are as well!

Scotty

I have used an H on a 324 and a gravity box behind with out too much trouble. An M will be just fine, my dad always picked with a New Idea 2 row and an M. The horsepower won t be a problem. I will say though that there were times with the H that you wished for a heavier tractor, like turning on the downward part of a slope, the wagon and picker could push the rear wheels of the tractor and make a jack - knife seem possible. Bottom line and H or M will do it with smaller wagons and dry fields.That picker is a heavy machine.

I can remember my grandpa pulling a 6A NI with an M in 80-100bu corn at 20,000 pop. years ago. We used an 830 case, 1800 Oliver or 970 case. I wouldn't want anything smaller than an 830 on a picker. You might get by if it isn't muddy, glad I don't have to pick with an M.

Dad picked for several years with a 48 H Farmall and #224 IHC picker, and a 26bu Iron wheeled wagon. Never had any problem unless it was muddy. Then he had problems, but he picked anyways. He had an M, But I dont remember if he used it on the picker later or not.

Gentlemen,
Many thanks to everyone for their reply. It is very interesting to read the individual stories behind each of your opinions. I was told by my grandfather many years ago that he had the engine in the M rebuilt to the same specs as a Super M so it could more easily handle the mounted picker and a 300 bushel wagon on the hills and wet ground. I have heard some old-timers around here refer to that particular engine upgrade as a "powerpack conversion", but have never seen that term used anywhere else. Since I"m picking 5 acres on fairly level ground the old girl might grunt a little but should be OK based on what I see here. Again, many thanks to all and enjoy the holiday. Steve II

5 acres, sounds like it will work well for you.

--->Paul

I can't imagine a 2 or 300 bu bed behind a picker, the normal in a hopper bed at that time was a 125 bu rated bed that would hold 60 bu of ear corn and the later Kill Bros 300 series bed was as tall as you could use with a picker and it was rated at 165 bu so it would be about 100 bu of ear corn.