McCormick Grain Drill

[cherrick]

I have an oldy, vintage McCormick grain drill (please see my pics) I am working to restore.
Can you tell confirm this is a McCormick?
Can you tell me the model (#)?
Is it possible to find a user manual for this grain drill?
It does have the third seed box for tiny seeds.
Any help with usage (how), parts, wisdom would be great.

 

[John G. Williams]

I see that it has an hydraulic ram and fitted for rubber wheels so it may not be too old; likely the 50's or more likely the 60's. I have one with four foot diameter steel wheels that is either the 40's or 50's.which is basically a horse drawn model adapted for a tractor. I did not think that McCormick used galvanised metal boxes, so are you sure it is a McCormick?

 

[Duner Wi]

Compare yours to McCormick model M of same era.

 

[Leroy]

Model M is seed box only, with both seed and fertilizer it is MF and the MF has an odd numberof openers while the M has even number of openers. The MF can be late 40's drill. I cannot see pictures good enough to tell if a fertilizer box or not. They were clutch lift but later versions had hydrolic avaible, I got the conversion but never got it on my drill.

 

[Timmycornpicker]

If there is a big conical drive gear under the box to adjust seeding rate, it is an MF with double run meters. If it adjusts seeding rate by sliding the meter shaft that runs the length of the grain box in or out to open and close the openings in the feedcups, it's an MFF with fluted feed rolls.

 

[Timmycornpicker]

They did on some in the 40s and 50s but had red paint over the galvanized when new. The paint tended to flake off the zinc over the years.

 

[Leroy]

I had 2 MF and bought several parts drills for the Amish I was working with And never heard of a MFF drill. Must never have been sold in my area of the country.

 

[Timmycornpicker]

Sounds like John Deere Van Brunt drills here. Lots of model B and FB drills around with fluted feed, but I have never encountered a model DR with the double-run feed. I've seen sales literature for them, though.

 

[cherrick]

Per Mark at Burrell's it is an MF. It has the front small box for tiny seed broadcast and the back box for fertilizer. I ordereds an operator's manual from Binders Books along with 2 decals. Burrell's indicated that the hydraulic cylinder turns it on or off. I am not sure if I want to paint the galvanized boxes. Wheels are at the sand blaster and new rubber implement tires are ordered.

Wish me luck.

 

[Leroy]

The MF did not have galvanised seed or fertilizer boxes. And the hydrolic cylinder does turn the drill off but it only does that when the drill is raised to transport or lowered to seeding position. The orignal clutch hift does same turn off when raising ans on when lowering. I have an orignal owners manual from back in the 40's when Dad bought the first one and manual came with the drill. The fertilizer boxes rusted out even with cleaning as good as we could get them, that manual has the parts list but at that time cylinder lift was not avaible. I bought a newer book and it does not have any parts list but it does have the cylinder lift in it. Dad got rid of the IHC drill in the 80's when was rusted out and found a hardly used John Drill FB drill that I used for several years and I hated that JD drill, that is when I got the chance to buy a MF IHC that needed work but never got it done untill I quit farming. The orignal MF was a single disk opener with 6 angled to one side and 7 to other side for a 13-7 drill. The one I bought was a double disk opener model and I had to hunt up a parts opener and was same 13-7 size. Either ther IHC MF or the JD drills if on steel wheels will sell for a few hundred dollars at auction and the wood box Oliver on steel will outsell either. I have mought several for an Amish friend and machinery jocky for him for sale on his lot. Even the drills on low rubber that they can bolt on steel wheels will sell high. The high rubber not so good and hope to find a set of steel wheels to put on. Size wanted is 12-8 or 13-7 as is good size for a team.