Hp for corn picker

Cody6161 · Sep 7, 2011

i was wondering what amount of hp is needed to run a two row corn picker with a 150 bushel gravity watgon in tow?

dej(Jed) · Sep 7, 2011

(quoted from post at 10:26:08 09/07/11) i was wondering what amount of hp is needed to run a two row corn picker with a 150 bushel gravity watgon in tow?

It doesn't take much to run a 2 row picker. A Farmall H would probably do it. If you are on flat ground 28 HP should do it. Hilly terrain might up the need a bit.

NY 986 · Sep 7, 2011

In perfect conditions maybe 50 to 55 PTO hp. Heavy yield, a little mud, and some grade then 80 PTO hp or more.

John51 · Sep 7, 2011

Not much horsepower needed but traction could be an issue. I know my 2520 will not pull it if it's a little muddy on the hills. A full wagon and two row picker takes some pulling power.

rustyfarmall · Sep 7, 2011

(quoted from post at 10:26:08 09/07/11) i was wondering what amount of hp is needed to run a two row corn picker with a 150 bushel gravity watgon in tow?

The 150 bushel gravity wagon is the key word here. Figure 56 pounds per bushel of shelled corn (more if the moisture is up), and you're looking at over 4 tons of weight in that wagon. I wouldn't want anything less than an 80 horsepower tractor running that picker, and 100 horses would be even better.

NY 986 · Sep 7, 2011

In 200 plus bushel (dried shelled) corn with multi-trait genetics I think the H would have a load and then some with the picker never mind the wagon.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 7, 2011

Lots of corn picked back in the 50's, 60's with 45,50 hp tricycle tractors w/ mounted pickers. Where you could get in trouble fast is having a full wagon behind you in too wet soil or muddy conditions. A loaded wagon is 4 tons of corn.

old · Sep 7, 2011

I can not say as for pulling the wagon but I do know at one time my Oliver Super 88 had a mounted corn picker on it so I know it can handle a picker and it is 55HP but where you are will matter a lot pulling a wagon due to hills etc

brian(MN) · Sep 7, 2011

I would go with a higher HP tractor, maybe 75+hp. When you get your wagon full and going up a hill you are going to be dragging a lot of weight. Also, bear in mind that corn pickers were designed for 60-80 bu/acre corn. If your corn is 150-175bu acre you will be crawling along because the picker will not be able to handle it all fast. When I picked corn with a 30 inch row picker, the bottle neck was the elevator between the rows, it could not pull the ears up fast enough. Also, there is alot of stalks going through the rollers, they can break if loaded too much. You will not be able to go slow enough with an H or M, you will need a tractor with slower speeds, something with a TA and live PTO. I used a 1066 or a belarus 825. The best picking moisture is 18-20%, anything dryer will shell off in the field. Wetter will work good if you have a crib that will dry it.

hd6gtom · Sep 7, 2011

Cody At 1 time dad had an H farmall with a 2 row mounted picker on it, pupped a 125 bushell flare box wagon. He traded that for a new D17 Ac in 1959, about 52 HP, used that till he retired in 1988. I have seen 2 row mounted JD227 pickers mounted on B JD. At 1 time I hsd a 227JD mounted on a WD45.

Dean · Sep 7, 2011

In the 1950s and 60s, it was common in my area to see 35 HP AC WDs with two row mounted pickers, albeit with smaller wagons.

Dean

massey 333 · Sep 7, 2011

To clarify something,these 150 Bu.wagons you are talking about only hold 75-80 Bu.of ear corn at the most.They are rated for small grains.As far as pulling a pull type picker and your 150 wagon,leaving total mud out of it,25-30HP tractors pulled 2 row pickers for something like 30 yrs with out any troubles.As far as a picker working with todays corn,it just depends on the picker(some good-some very bad).A little different picker,but I ran Uni's with 4-6x30 and 8-22s(Deere Heads) until the early 2000s with no problems with todays corn.

rustyfarmall · Sep 7, 2011

(quoted from post at 12:44:22 09/07/11) To clarify something,these 150 Bu.wagons you are talking about only hold 75-80 Bu.of ear corn at the most.They are rated for small grains.As far as pulling a pull type picker and your 150 wagon,leaving total mud out of it,25-30HP tractors pulled 2 row pickers for something like 30 yrs with out any troubles.As far as a picker working with todays corn,it just depends on the picker(some good-some very bad).A little different picker,but I ran Uni's with 4-6x30 and 8-22s(Deere Heads) until the early 2000s with no problems with todays corn.

Yes, but the wagons pulled behind would hold only 50 bushels of shelled corn at the most, translated to maybe 25 to 30 bushels of ear corn, and the corn did not yield much over 30 to 40 bushels per acre.

How many of you guys remember 40 inch rows with 10 to 12 inch seed spacing?

flying belgian · Sep 7, 2011

We had a New Idea pull type and pulled it with a "60" JD. 42 hp. pulled it in all kinds of conditions. However we only have slight hills on this farm.

Cody6161 · Sep 7, 2011

ok, i was in a debate over using a NH tc55(55hp) or a JD 4240(110 hp), so im thinking just go with the 4240

John Harmon · Sep 7, 2011

When I farmed I had a 620 Ford two row mounted on a AC D17 and pulled case running gears with 7"X 8" Kennedy barge boxes which maybe held 80-90 Bu. ear corn to the top of a 12" bang board.Never lacked for Horse power with the 17.Dads Oliver 88 diesel had a Oliver #4 mounted picker on it and he pulled 125 Bu. Kilbros gravity boxes on heavy case gears also.No lack of power with these machines and I don"t believe the Oliver ever had more than 70 Horses while the AC,well it was an AC,it always thought it had more HP than it actually did.Lol

NY 986 · Sep 7, 2011

Got a picture of that Ford/ AC combo?

Leroy · Sep 7, 2011

If your gears are geared corectly the NH will handle the picker unless it is a 3 row better than the JD will.

KYfarm · Sep 7, 2011

is your set-up like this?

HP wise that tractor is about 85 and can"t even feel the picker pulling on the PTO

I do have hilly fields though and once the wagon gets pretty full if its wet i have had times when I could feel the rear tires slipping a bit in the mud going up hill

SO i think for sure that it could be done with less HP but I would use as much traction as you have if you have hilly ground

onefarmer · Sep 7, 2011

I have picked corn using a 2 row narrow NI picker and a 250bu wagon using a Farmall M, with no problems at all. This is with in the last 5 years. I thought about putting the H on it.

Joneil · Sep 7, 2011

We ran a two row new Idea picker with a 3020 John Deere. Our farm is kind of hilly but never had trouble with a loaded wagon. We tried not to pick when it was wet. As far as power in good conditions it was plenty, I would run in 5th gear sometimes.

massey333 · Sep 7, 2011

In the mid late 40s,we were getting 80 to 140Bu.yields and were using wagons that held 125 to 150Bu.of ear corn pulling a two row NI or MM picker with A-C wc or MH 101.Dad started drilling in 44 or 45 and quit checking in about 48 in 38in rows.Had crib dryers from 1946 on.

S2710 · Sep 7, 2011

If you have a two row mounted on a Farmall M or another brand of your choice you will not have any traction problems. If it is a pull type picker you will need an bigger tractor to pull it because you have taken all the weight off your rear wheels. Also as others have said with todays yelds you are going to overload a lot of old pickers.

Bob

paul · Sep 7, 2011

Yup. Dad picked with a picker mounted on a F-20, so about 20 hp, corn was planted at 19,000 population, had 100 bu barge boxes so probably 50-60 bu on a wagon.

Then I went to a old NI 2 row 6A picker, pulled it with the IHC 300, perhaps 33-35 hp. Worked fine.

Got some 200bu gravity boxes and a NI 300 picker, with the front removed perhaps 90-100 bu of ear corn on them. Now, that was a load for the 300, worked, but worked hard. The Ollie Super 77 did pretty good too.

Then I got a more modern wide row NI picker. And I'm planting corn at 35,000 an acre now. The IHC 300 and the Super 77 Ollie can't keep up.

The 85 hp Ford 7700 does real real well, don't really know it's there most of the time.

The Ford 5000 at 60 hp also does well. Tho without rear weight or fluid, I can feel the pull up some hills loaded.

Nice to choose between the open Ford & the cabbed Ford depending on the weather.

I'd think the 55 hp Ford would work well most of the time for the fella. Good to have the 100+ in reserve for tougher conditions if need be.

--->Paul

heavyhaulertoo · Sep 7, 2011

Most of the time an m will work just fine till it get's wet, then you can't turn the end. The brake's won't stop the turning side with band brake's. It sure help's to have slow picker gear's!!

NEKS · Sep 7, 2011

Run a M on a 2M picker and then went to a 400. Can not even remember what gear we picked in.

John Harmon · Sep 7, 2011

Naw, I sure don"t they both were on my selling out auction in march 1971.neighbor bought the D17 and i think the 620 ford picker went to wisconsin,up around lacrosse if i remember right.It was a real good picker,of course it was real new,I only used it for two years and only picked about 60 acres of corn for both years.The Ford dealer mounted it and got it running. He had to fab several brackets to make it fit,

Hp for corn picker

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