Technology from Silicon Valley and Beyond

John Deere No. 8 Self-Propelled Cotton Picker manufactured in 1949

This John Deere No. 8 machine was a two row cotton picker, self propelled and operated by one man. In 1949, John Deere of Moline, Illinois, introduced the No. 8 Self-Propelled Cotton Picker. It was the world's first two-row picker and was powered by a 43-horsepower Hercules gasoline engine. This machine picked at 2 mph, harvesting two rows at a time. With its 1200 lb. high-capacity basket, the No. 8 picked approximately 17 acres a day, more than doubling productivity of previous one-row machines. The No. 8 Cotton Picker retailed for $14,500 in 1952. (Source: Florence County Historical Society - Florence, Arizona). Photo by Sally McBurney/SVHA