It's wintertime. My mind wanders this time of the year. What can I say.....
First and foremost I am an IH guy. One of the items on my must-have list is a mounted picker. I really like the 2MH, I know the 234 is the best unit (and I have an 856 that I could put a narrow front on and mount the 234) but there's something about a 2MH. I guess my dream would be a late model Super M with a 2MH under it but I'm not fussy on the tractor. (Never mind I have owned both a Super M and a 450 that would work nicely!) I'd like to buy a tractor and picker together and just keep it hooked up all the time. Anyway, my question is, are there areas of the country where pickers are more common still? Here in eastern NC I don't think there were ever a lot of pickers to begin with (our main crop was tobacco on smaller farms) and most were one row (the JD 100 snapper was fairly popular.) I feel like the western part of the state might be a good place to look as there was more beef and dairy and thus a greater need for ear corn. So, aside from just posting some classified ads, where would one start looking? I'm not afraid to travel either. A friend and I went to PA last summer to get my JD 43 sheller.....
Usually what happens is stuff "falls in my lap" when I'm not really looking. And right now it's a terrible time to be adding to the collection, financially speaking. But when the time is right I want to be READY!
I was kind of in the same position a few years ago when I was looking for my 234. Patience and persistance are key. I was fortunate enough to be able to squirrel away enough money to but it and get it home. I poured through auction sites, Yesterday's Tractors website, Craigslist, Search Tempest to cover a larger area of Craigslist, followed up on leads, and got lucky to find my 234-husking bed-sheller in a shed about 180 miles from me. I live in southeastern Minnesota where mounted pickers used to be common but are getting harder to find. If you are willing to travel, I would look in Minnesota-Iowa-Wisconsin-Illinois-Indiana. I know the 2MH pickers are out there and you will find the one your are looking for. A Super M and 2MH are a good combination. An 856 with 234 picker would be even better!! Are you going to use to pick a few acres or to have as a show piece? Keep us posted on what you find!!
Dan, where are you located? My 52R combine came out of Iowa, so did my JD 42 corn sheller, via PA. So I'm not above going cross-country!
KA656, mainly it would be for show and demonstration. I'd eventually like to rent a little bit of ground to "play" on--pick corn with a picker, shell with my sheller and cut wheat/beans with my combine. I don't hunt, fish, or golf so this is my vice.
I thought i saw one advertised some where. I'll try to keep an eye out since i am in indiana. Ohio and Pa and Ky are both good bets and a little bit closer to you too.
Dan, it came from Mason City IA. It was on Ebay of all places! It's a late one with a Farmall Cub engine and it doesn't look to have too many hours on it. A friend of a friend hauled it for me--this was back when fuel was reasonable...my wife and I also went to Avoca back a few years ago to see Farmall Land. One of my buddies and I like to do the occasional long-distance tractor-related road trip so you're not too far!
But when the time is right I want to be READY!
