[AT] Potato diggers - Slight variation

[Almost-Running Deere]

In the 60's We used to run over the field with a disc to cut the stalks 
before plowing.  For some reason dad thought the discing was less wear and 
tear on the tractor and bush hog.

Dana
SE PA


>From: Greg Hass <gkhass at avci.net>
>Reply-To: Antique tractor email discussion group 
><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>Subject: Re: [AT] Potato diggers - Slight variation
>Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:32:48 -0500
>
>I appreciate the offer and I looked at the picture of the chopper.  I have 
>had access for the last three years to my brother's stalk chopper which 
>chops three rows.  This year the stalks just shattered into small pieces 
>and I was able to plow 26 acres with my roll-over plow only plugging 5 
>times.  Two years ago it plugged slightly more but was still tolerable.  
>Last year, for some reason, the stalks did not chop up and in a 1/3 mile 
>long field the plow would (literally) plug up to 20 times per round.  The 
>field was a nightmare.  I told peole I had a beaver village with beaver 
>lodges all over the place!  (Piles of cornstalks all over the field.)  In 
>fact, this past year I had to field cultivate two extra times just to 
>scatter out the piles of stalks and level the unevenness just to plant my 
>edible beans.  What I was looking for (I'm not sure they were used in 
>Indiana.) is a flail chopper nine feet wide which cuts the crop and throws 
>it into an auger, which in turn throws it into a second set of knives which 
>chop it some more and then the crop is blown into a wagon.  However, in my 
>case I would just chop the stalks and blow them back into the field instead 
>of into a wagon.  It's not a machine I would use every year, only in years 
>when my brother's machine failed to adequately chop the stalks.  It would 
>be much slower two rows at a time compared to my brother's machine which 
>does six rows at once.  It would, however, still be better than a plow that 
>plugs every fifty feet.  I do appreciate your offer on the machines but 
>they do not appear to be what I am looking for.
>
>I use a 3-bottom, 18-in. roll-over plow that is 30+ years old.  (Does a 
>great job of plowing, but doesn't have the clearance of some of the newer 
>plows.)  Thanks again for the offers.
>
>Greg Hass
>from the icy, snowy tip of Michigan's Thumb
>Bad Axe
>
>
>At 11:45 AM 1/1/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>>On 1 Jan 2006 at 3:46, Greg Hass wrote:
>>
>> > First of all, Happy New Year to everyone.  Grant's post reminded me of
>> > something that has been on my mind quite a bit recently. I have some
>> > problems quite similar to his, one being limited funds
>>and the other
>> > farming only a little over a hundred acres.  I have no
>>idea how many on
>> > this list farm at all, particularly how many farm small
>>acreages.  As I
>> > have mentioned in previous posts, all of the machinery I
>>own except for the
>> > corn planter and skid steer is 30+ years old.
>> >
>> > I am generally on the lookout for various machines, but
>>the problem
>> > is:  where I can I find them?  I used to be able to find
>>some at auctions,
>> > however the auctions that have the equipment I need have
>>pretty much run
>> > their course and auctions now are mostly large farm
>>auctions.  Our local
>> > machinery dealers have refused for quite a while to take
>>any of this small
>> > type of equipment on trade.  It is now rumored that our
>>local John Deere
>> > dealer (whom I do not patronize and who bought the
>>dealership from the
>> > previous owner 2 years ago) will not take any equipment
>>over 5 years old on
>> > trade.  Three miles from me is a local machinery jockey
>>in his mid-30s who
>> > handles just the type of equipment I need.  However, he
>>is so crooked that
>> > not even a flame wrench can straighten him out, which is
>>sad because our
>> > area could really use this type of dealer.
>> >
>> > My only alternative seems to be fence row hunting, which
>>is difficult
>> > because many of the fence rows are not visible from the
>>road.  For
>> > instance, my field cultivator and crop sprayer I got from
>>a cousin who had
>> > them sitting in tall weeds out behind the barn for 15+
>>years.  Both
>> > required several hundred dollars in repairs to get them
>>in working order
>> > but at least now I have fairly decent, usable machines.
>>My roll-over plow
>> > I heard about by accident.  A guy a couple of miles away
>>had purchased it
>> > on a deal with a used tractor and never used it.  It had
>>been sitting there
>> > for over 10 years.  The problem with this type of
>>acquisition is that in
>> > all of these cases I had been looking for the equipment
>>for 3 or more years
>> > before I found it.  Should I need a machine in the near
>>future they are
>> > almost impossible to find quickly.
>> >
>> > At the present time I am looking for a flail chopper.
>>For those not
>> > familiar, they were a machine 5-ft. wide that cut hay
>>with swinging flails,
>> > threw it into an auger, which in turn augered it into a
>>set of knives which
>> > recut the hay then blew it into a wagon to feed the
>>cattle on a daily
>> > basis.  I do not have livestock, but on my limited
>>acreage such a machine
>> > would do a good job of cutting up the cornstalks so they
>>wouldn't pug my
>> > plow.  Twenty years ago there were hundreds of them in
>>our area so the
>> > problem now is to find one.  I have never heard of an
>>online service with
>> > listings of this type of equipment, although it would
>>probably be handy.  I
>> > know here's no magical anser to the problem.  I guess I
>>just needed to vent
>> > a little going into the new year.
>> >
>> > Greg Hass
>>
>>
>>
>>Hi Greg:
>>
>>         Son Scott bought a regular Brady stalk chopper (I think it
>>was called a 4 row) at auction a year or so ago and started
>>to fix it up but we are switching to all hay and horse
>>pasture. Right now I don't plan to plant any corn this
>>year. I think it is missing one half of the PTO shaft and
>>it needs a smallish (famous last words) repair to one end
>>of one shaft where a drive pully mounts on it (pulley loose
>>on shaft). The chopper probably had paint on it at one
>>time...   ;-)
>>         Scott just walked in and I asked him if he wanted to sell
>>it and how much. He shrugged and said $50.
>>It is this type but not as wide and has less paint (copy
>>and paste):
>>http://www.agdealer.com/pages/view-
>>listing.cfm?ID=238364&ClientID=124
>>
>>         He is also selling a Ford 4-16" semi-mounted plow but he
>>has more in it. Wants $250. He is getting rid of some of
>>the stuff he bought a few years ago and generally looks to
>>just get his money back. We were thinking of renting some
>>more ground together and were setting up to cover ground
>>fast with two sets of equipment but his job has rapidly
>>grown to the point that he has trouble coming up with
>>enough time for such things now. I am not interested in
>>more ground if he can't do it with me. His job pays a "lot"
>>more than farming...   ;-)
>>         I need to thin some stuff too but I haven't decided just
>>what yet.
>>
>>
>>--
>>"farmer"
>>
>>Francis Robinson
>>Central Indiana, USA
>>robinson at svs.net
>>
>>         I have created a local Shopsmith users list for my area.
>>It is described as follows:
>>This is to be a list for Shopsmith owners and want to be
>>owners in the general area of Indiana. If you are across
>>the line in OH or IL that is fine too. I don't want to draw
>>a hard line but I hope for all members to be within a
>>reasonable driving distance of each other. This list is for
>>sharing woodworking tips and stories and Shopsmith tips and
>>stories but also is to be used for the buying, selling and
>>swapping of Shopsmith tools, accessories and parts between
>>members of this list.
>>
>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianaSSlist/
>>_______________________________________________
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>
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