Is this a IH 150 spreader?

[petebert]

Advertised as a McCormick. Did some internet searching and tried to match it up with pictures. Looks like it's a IH McCormick 150? Any other models I should look at to try and match it up?

 

[DanielW]

I would say so. There were a few very similar models of IH spreaders, denoting the number of bushels they (theoretically) held. The 175, for instance, is what I had. Pretty much identical, just a little longer. One of the problems with the 175 was that the carrier bearing on the long shaft leading to the apron/beater drive was mounted solely on the wood, not on one of the angles that tied the top rail to the lower frame rail (that's just the way the standard spacing worked out), and thus any 175 you see almost certainly has a pooched carrier bearing because it moved a little over time as the wood has flexed/rotted, and continued running in that misaligned position has caused it to wear out prematurely. That one has the carrier bearing mounted to one of the tie angles, which means it's one of the smaller (and better, in my opinion) models. Doesn't look too much shorter than my 175, so I'm guessing a 150. Decent(ish) spreaders for their time. But if you're thinking about buying, check all the apron advance mechanism (especially the pawl) for wear at the pivot points and make sure the apron chain isn't too worn.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

That looks like my 130 with the triple beater setup instead of the single one. It could be a 150 or 175, but it's a bit on the short side.

You can see mine in the video at 7:26.

Mike

 

[m16ty]

That's a true 13 letter sh** spreader.

 

[Brownie450]

That is identical to our 125 which Dad bought new back
in the early- mid '60s. We always shedded it under the
lean-to. The unit pictured has had a rough life. Ours still
has some red paint on it & some white on the sideboards.
Jim

 

[petebert]

Thanks, mainly trying to figure it out to look for parts availability and the correct user manual. Although it looks like all the models are pretty much identical, as far as the manual goes. Looking at the manuals on ebay it looks like they might list some size specifications, so that would definitely narrow it down.

 

[DanielW]

I'm not sure I'd worry about a manual. There's not much to those spreaders, and the few IH specific parts on them will no longer be available. But if the mechanical parts seem to be in ok shape, that wouldn't worry me too much. Replacement links for the apron chain will probably be your most-needed parts, and will be available anywhere - none of those apron chains are brand-specific. The bearings they used on the apron headshaft and beater drive may be a problem if they're wore/seized; they were the old-school cylindrical roller bearings that a lot of older equipment used. They're not an overly superb design because they aren't sealed and the mild steel shafts run directly on the hardened rollers. If it's been kept lubed they're probably fine, but if the grease in them has been allowed to harden and the shaft has spun on stationary rollers at any point it can be a pain. The biggest issue is that you won't immediately notice if the shaft is spinning on the rollers, because it's not fixed to the inner race like you have on modern/conventional bearings. When the apron drive bearings went on mine I made up some flanges and replaced the original bearings/castings with standard flange bearings. If you want to keep it original, those old-school cylindrical roller bearing inserts are still being made by the company 'Berliss' - they make about every size of those old bearings you could imagine. All other parts are going to be no longer available, but there's not many parts to one of those spreaders you couldn't fab yourself. Gearbox, ratchet wheel, and pawls would be my biggest concern. But if they're in good shape and maintained properly they'll probably outlive you.

But it is an old spreader - not the kind of thing you want to buy unless you're mechanically-inclined, like to tinker, are able to do some fab work yourself, and can think outside the box. It appears to be missing at least one roller chain (you can see the naked sprocket under the shield in the second picture), which is not a big deal itself as that double-pitch roller chain is available at any industrial supply. But it makes me think it's been sitting for a while and hasn't been spun for many years. You might find some seized/stiff bearings, and you definitely need to make sure they're freed up and all rollers spinning inside the bearing so you don't burn up a shaft.

 

[Brownie450]

We always dumped a quarter bucket of used oil on the floor
to make it unload easier. After the first load, it was lubed
enough with the manure.
Jim

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

That is identical to our 125 which Dad bought new back
in the early- mid '60s. We always shedded it under the
lean-to. The unit pictured has had a rough life. Ours still
has some red paint on it & some white on the sideboards.
Jim

You're right. I missed the white on the extensions. That makes it a little older than mine.

Mike

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Thanks, mainly trying to figure it out to look for parts availability and the correct user manual. Although it looks like all the models are pretty much identical, as far as the manual goes. Looking at the manuals on ebay it looks like they might list some size specifications, so that would definitely narrow it down.

They are pretty much all the same. If I can find it later, I'll post some of the manual to get you going.

Mike

 

[petebert]

I'm not sure I'd worry about a manual. There's not much to those spreaders, and the few IH specific parts on them will no longer be available. But if the mechanical parts seem to be in ok shape, that wouldn't worry me too much. Replacement links for the apron chain will probably be your most-needed parts, and will be available anywhere - none of those apron chains are brand-specific. The bearings they used on the apron headshaft and beater drive may be a problem if they're wore/seized; they were the old-school cylindrical roller bearings that a lot of older equipment used. They're not an overly superb design because they aren't sealed and the mild steel shafts run directly on the hardened rollers. If it's been kept lubed they're probably fine, but if the grease in them has been allowed to harden and the shaft has spun on stationary rollers at any point it can be a pain. The biggest issue is that you won't immediately notice if the shaft is spinning on the rollers, because it's not fixed to the inner race like you have on modern/conventional bearings. When the apron drive bearings went on mine I made up some flanges and replaced the original bearings/castings with standard flange bearings. If you want to keep it original, those old-school cylindrical roller bearing inserts are still being made by the company 'Berliss' - they make about every size of those old bearings you could imagine. All other parts are going to be no longer available, but there's not many parts to one of those spreaders you couldn't fab yourself. Gearbox, ratchet wheel, and pawls would be my biggest concern. But if they're in good shape and maintained properly they'll probably outlive you.

But it is an old spreader - not the kind of thing you want to buy unless you're mechanically-inclined, like to tinker, are able to do some fab work yourself, and can think outside the box. It appears to be missing at least one roller chain (you can see the naked sprocket under the shield in the second picture), which is not a big deal itself as that double-pitch roller chain is available at any industrial supply. But it makes me think it's been sitting for a while and hasn't been spun for many years. You might find some seized/stiff bearings, and you definitely need to make sure they're freed up and all rollers spinning inside the bearing so you don't burn up a shaft.

Most of everything I use is used stuff I buy and repair. I always buy the manual and go through all the grease points and make sure every spring, chain, etc... is within spec. Rotating it by hand the spiked bars spun but the paddle doesn't have a chain on it and the gear for it seems pretty worn. When I engaged the apron I couldn't rotate the pto by hand but I saw it was attempting to move which I figured was a good sign.