Handy Loader Made From Combine Axles

Loader made from combine axles COMBINES Conversions 11-6-22 A home-made, self-propelled, 4-WD loader built from two combine axles, an automobile motor, some hydraulics and miscellaneous used equipment is helping Montana farmer Sterling Wolery, of Joplin, do jobs his 2-WD tractors can't handle. Wolery, who calls his unconventional machine the "Earthworm," built it for about $ 15,000. It's made with the motor mounted in back and the loader up front, an arrangement which offers two key benefits: First, the engine adds weight to the rear and acts as a counterweight on the loader. Second, without a motor up front, there's a clear view ahead, Wolery points out. He shortened two Massey 90 combine drive axles to 8 ft., then added a Chevrolet 283 engine and a 4-speed transmission which operates an oil pump that provides hydrostatic drive for the entire, machine. "The oil lines are the only connection between the two differentials. There's no mechanical connection," explains Wolery. "The hookup really works slick. I can change directions just by controlling a lever that reverses the flow of oil. The drive is hydraulically powered so I can work with an infinite range of speeds. That way, during any job, I can keep the motor at a constant speed, yet I can vary the machine's speed range from slow to fast. Steering is accomplished through a steering wheel that activates a hydraulic cylinder which bends the machine in the middle." Wolery uses the loader for a variety of jobs, such as rock picking, handling round bales and moving dirt and grain. "It's especially nice for cleaning manure out of corrals and for handling big round bales." If he was to build another similar rig, Wolery says he'd "put a little more length to it to get the engine lower down, and to make for a smoother ride when picking rocks in the field. I'd sacrifice a little maneuverability for a better ride." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sterling Wolery, Box 22, Rt. 1, Joplin, Mont. 59531 (ph 406 292-3513).

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