Walking Axles Gently Float Baler Over Rough Ground

Walking Axles Gently Float Baler Over Rough Ground HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Balers (6) 12-3-6 "These homemade walking axles with offset duals gently float my Deere 530 round baler over center pivot wheel tracks and other rough ground," says Roy Sauder, who grows irrigated alfalfa on his farm near Bridgeport, Neb. Until he made the walking axles, Sauder says deep ruts and center pivot wheel tracks were "tearing up" his baler. "The 530 baler makes a 1,800 lb. bale and all that weight is on a single axle. Every time the baler would drop into one of those ruts, it practically jerked me out of the tractor seat. What's more, I was tearing up the cam tracks which run the hay pickup teeth. I haven't replaced a cam track since I built these walking axles two years ago." Sauder removed the original wheels and short stub spindles on the baler and re-placed them with two 5 ft. long walking axles and four offset dual tires. He then ran 2 in. dia. shafts through the center of each axle, welding them onto 6 x 6 x 1 in. steel plates bolted to each side of the baler. Sauder also built hubs to fit four new 10.00 x 16 in. tires, mounting the tires on both ends of each axle. Each front tire is positioned outside the walking axle, and each rear tire inside the axle. Viewed from the front or rear, the tires on each axle are about 10 in. apart "It gives you the effect of 10 inch duals for reduced soil compaction," explains Sauder. "When I get ready to trade in the baler, I'll just unbolt the walking axle unit and bolt on the baler's original axle and wheels. Nothing has been altered on the baler so the walking axles won't affect its trade-in value. And, if necessary, I can reinstall the walking axles on the next new Deere baler I buy." Sauder figures the walking axles cost him less than $500 in labor and parts. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Roy Sauder, Rt. 1, Box 295, Bridgeport, Neb. 69336 (ph 308 262-0179).

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