HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen-Thresher Reunion, 2004-09-09, Page 47rit ti
Welcome to the
43rd Annual
Thresher Reunion
Auburn man regular exhibitor
Collecting for years
Bill Andrews of Auburn has been involved in the Thresher Reunion for years by bringing
various tractors and a steam engine. Over the years, Andrews has collected numerous
antiques and he had to build an addition to his house just to keep all the collectables as well
as a storage shop for his steam engine. Andrews stands beside his antique tractor, which is -
surrounded by all his priceless collectables. (Elyse DeBruyn photo)
Welcome to the 43rd
ANNUAL THRESHER
REUNION
Have a great weekend!
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PAGE A-14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2004.
Thresher Reunion 2004
Father, uncles also had corn pickers
Continued from A-11
more when he bought it," said
Fred
The Phillip's fascination for corn
pickers seems to be inherited as their
father and two uncles had one.
Although some restoration had to
be done, Phillips said the corn picker
was in relatively good condition
when it was purchased.
One of the unique aspects of this
machine is that it's a uni-system -
meaning the corn picker comes off
and can be replaced with a combine
or a hay baler, making it convenient
for farmers.
Phillips said the machine runs and
can be put into gear, but they haven't
taken it to a cornfield yet.
He said the corn picker's engine is
another unique part of the machine.
When the machine was being built,
engineers realized that there wasn't
enough room inside the machine for
the engine, so instead of making
room for it, they made it into a V4
type, which Phillips said must have
cost the company a lot of money at
that time.
The machine runs on a 20-
horsepower engine and picked 300
acres a year until 1990. It has a 20
gallon gas tank that would last about
a day.
It picks two rows at once, takes
the cob off the stock, husks it, puts it
onto a conveyor belt that drops it
into the wagon behind.
He said it would probably picked
about 10 acres a day at about 20,000
stocks an acre.
When the .time comes to change
the corn picker, the machine simply
tips forward, slowly backs away and
then is hooked up to the preferred
equipment. For example, a swather
(strips grain from the field) or a
combine.
Phillips said he subscribes to a
corn picker magazine to better
understand the creation of these
machines and how they work.
According to one of the
magazines, at the National Corn
Picker contest in Sioux Falls, SD in
1957, a machine very similar to the
Phillips' one, won first place by
picking 2,715 lbs of corn in 16.85
minutes.
Another took second place by
picking 2,635 lbs in 19 minutes and
it also took third place with 2,570
lbs picked in 19.5 minutes.
"It must have been some serious
business back then," Phillips
laughed.
Although the Phillips brothers
can't take Thresher visitors into a
cornfield with them to give a proper
demonstration of how a corn picker
works, Fred said they will still give
a full demonstration at the Reunion,
with the exception of the field.
"We're really looking forward to
coming back. We had a great
response last year and hopefully we
will again this year."
By Elyse DeBruyn
Citizen staff
What started out as a hobby grew
into a large room expansion full of
antique Thresher artifacts.
Bill Andrews of Auburn and a
dedicated fan of the threshing
machine, attends the Thresher
Reunion every year and
demonstrates his tractor steam
engine.
When he's not at the show,
Andrews takes excellent care of his
prized machines by keeping them in
a large addition to his house, which
he said he had to build in 1992 in
order to get the engine indoors.
"When the road was paved (in
front of his home), I couldn't get the
steam engine onto the asphalt," said
Andrews
He added a 20 foot by 48 foot
"antique" room to the existing 32
foot by 48 foot room.
The rooms are now filled with
priceless antiques as well as some
collectable items such as John
Deeres collectable plates along with
most of the Blyth steam engine
plaques starting from 1985 to now.
He also has figurines and several
other plaques that were given to him
as presents from friends and family.
"It's all special to me," said
Andrews.
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