McCormick grain drill

farmallsandcoops · Oct 22, 2017

I have a McCormick double-run grain drill with rubber tires that has smaller boxes mounted on the back of the machine. This is the drill we used when I was a kid and we always ran alfalfa seed in the smaller boxes. I see from searching those may well be fertilizer boxes. The metal placards are still inside the lid (dated 1952 and 1953) and show numbers 1 through 10 in terms of the conical gear to determine seeding rates. But nothing says which is which on the conical gear -- I am assuming 1 is the larger end, 10 the smaller. Am I correct? Fritz Maurer you may be able to help on this based on your comments in a 2013 post.

Leroy · Oct 22, 2017

Fertilizer box will be as big as the main seed box with heavy feeds in and open enough for grass seed to just poor out.Open up to about 1.5" by 1.5" If I remember sizes correctly. And clean things off and you will find the marking for 1 thru 10 stamped into the frame holding the gear.

farmallsandcoops · Oct 24, 2017

Thanks! Things are still very clean (has been stored inside the past 35 years) and I have not seen any markings. But I am not home until late Thursday so will have to check it out when I get back. The extra two boxes are mounted low on the back side of the drill and are probably an eighth of the size of the main seed boxes and have probably half the openings as the seed boxes. The openings are maybe 1 inch square if that. Am not going to use them in this effort but had seen several references to fertilizer boxes in posts as I searched for info on McCormick grain drills. We always used them for alfalfa.

Leroy · Oct 25, 2017

Those would be grass seed only boxes. Sounds like your drill is one that was made without fertilizer boxes that was not sold in my area. As for seeing those markings they are hard to see and just a little dirt rust hides them, They are on the casting where the adjustment slides on and the latch fits into a notch and held in position with a spring. Take a wire brush and brush that slide and you should find them and it will slide a lot easier as well. You might spray that part with WD40 and whipe it down to bring them out. DO NOT use anything with oil in like PB Blaster. I do have some books that would show things but would have to hunt for them.

farmallsandcoops · Oct 29, 2017

Well I have to file this one under the category of needing to read closer. Upon close inspection of the metal placard inside the hopper, I can see the markings on that ... and I cleaned off the area on the machine and found them as well! Thanks for you help Leroy. Is much appreciated. So I will hook my wife's 544 up to it (886 seems a little large for this job...) and see if I can't do a little late seeding! Everything appears to be working so I am going to go for it.

farmallsandcoops · Nov 2, 2017

Success! Seeded the area (around 3 acres) to grass (NC Iowa) and now just need to get a little moisture and a little heat and we should be good to go. Fun to use equipment that you haven't used for 35 years and have it still work!

McCormick grain drill

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