"Riser Repair" Tool For Irrigators

"Riser Repair" Tool For Irrigators IRRIGATION Acessories 32-4-32 This new wrench for wheel line irrigation saves time and water when repairing broken risers. The Riserench slips down into the riser pipe to grab the male adapter. Three stainless steel jaws are expanded by tightening a draw rod on top of the wrench. Up to 10,000 lbs. of gripping force can be placed on the jaws. The wrench will remove the fitting, even if it's broken off flush with the tee on the main line, eliminating the need to saw and chisel out the broken fitting. With a 4-ft. handle, there's no need to dig a large hole to stand in. The entire repair can be done from above ground. "The biggest advantage of the new wrench is that repairs can be made while the line is still draining," says inventor Ryan Sweat of Center Creek, Utah. "With the pressure off, the wrench can be inserted into the broken riser. If a pre-made riser is on hand, with all fittings glued and dried, repairs can be made while water is still bubbling out of the main line. "If debris falling into the main line is a concern, a 3-ft. piece of 6-in. pipe can be slid down over the broken riser, down to the main line tee." By not fully draining the line, the chance of water hammer is reduced when recharging the line, possibly saving another repair. In some areas, depending on how fast the water leaches into the ground, a full day of watering can be gained, saving both water and time. The wrench was born out of necessity. Sweat had been doing repairs for local irrigation companies and was tired of looking down a muddy hole at a broken pipe. By a chance meeting, Ryan was repairing a broken riser for a neighbor, Doug Allred. Doug has been a toolmaker for 30 years and has a small shop at his home. Ryan asked about designing a wrench to remove risers. After several designs were tried, a working prototype was built. Ryan found the hardest thing to do with the wrench was keeping it in his possession, once the neighbors found out how easily risers could be repaired. The wrench is patent pending and manufactured in Utah. Sells for $280. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ryan Sweat, 4117 East 2400 South, Heber City, Utah 84032 (ph 435 671-0883 or 435 671-2577; kathrynisweat@hotmail.com; www.riserench.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.