Daniel Gross normally changes tires on his sprayer three times during the growing season, a job that normally requires two people.
“We usually use the massive hoist in our large shop, but the hoist is in use 80–90% of the time, so I had to come up with a different solution,” he said.
He constructed a basic frame for the load forks to engage. Then he added a swiveling tube long enough to handle his largest tire. He made two grapples to grab the tire. Two 16-inch cylinders squeeze the tire, and a 12-inch cylinder on one side of the arms adjusts the rotation.
Gross powered the unit with a hydraulic reservoir that supplies an electric-powered pump, controlled by a long corded CB mic.
“Drive up, squeeze the tire, and remove. Grab the new tire, drive up, adjust height, use the CB mic to rotate while aligning holes and mount. So simple,” he said.
GRAIN WAGON GRAVEL SCREENER
Lant Elrod
I made my gravel screener by turning a gravity box upside down and cutting out the side from which the grain unloads. For strength and bracing, I took some 3-inch square tubing and bolted it to the sides and across the taller part of the box. Next, I cut out most of the sloped floor and outlined it with a section of steel-framed iron corn cribbing, which I flattened out and bolted to my bracing frame. It had the right angle from the gravity box. I dump pit run gravel over the corn cribbing. The larger rocks roll off the downslope, and the gravel falls through. With my skid loader, it works very well dumping and loading gravel at my farm at places where I have a vein of gravel.
Jim Wendt, Glenwood, Minnesota
AMALGAMATED ROAD GRADER/PLANER
Lant Elrod
I created an amalgamated grader/planer using four components. I attached John Deere planter wheels to a Krause toolbar packed with gravel. I then attached a Bison blade to an Orthman lift assist. I married the two units together to finish my grader/planer project.
Keith Mason, Litchfield, Nebraska
COMBINE UNPLUGGING TOOL
Lant Elrod
When my John Deere S670 combine gets choked up with crop material, unplugging the unit can get burdensome. I created a tool that helps speed up the cleaning process. I cut notches in one end of a short piece of pipe, and then cut holes in the other end to slide a pry bar through. When the combine is plugged, I slide the pipe over the accelerator. With a pry bar, I rotate the pipe in the opposite direction the accelerator normally rotates until the concave is all the way open. This usually will break loose the choked material.
Steve Kelley, Bardwell, Kentucky
QUICK-SPLICE CONNECTING LINK LOCATOR
When in the field, finding the connecting link or replacement link in a roller chain can be difficult. My nephew, Brian, came up with an idea to use a paint marker to color the splice link. Now, a quick look, and it can easily be found.
Steve Pierce, Marengo, Illinois
