Farmer Designs Windrow Fluffer

Farmer Designs Windrow Fluffer HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Miscellaneous 9-3-16 Minnesota farmer Lester Schultz, Osakis, designed a windrow "lifter saver" that replaces his hay rake to speed hay and grain drying time. "It's real gentle on crops," says Schultz. "It doesn't knock leaves and grain heads off and, by fluffing the windrow, it reduces hay drying time by a day. We also swath our grain. When it rains and flattens the windrow, it's tough to get it to dry. But, by lifting the windrow with the lifter-saver in the morning, we can go through with the combine in the afternoon. "An added benefit is that the rig puts the windrow atop the stubble so you can run with the combine pickup higher." The pickup consists of five 22-in. wide rubber belts that rotate on rollers. The belts have 6-in. long plastic teeth to pick up the windrow. Schultz designed both pto and hydraulically-powered roller systems that operate independently of tractor ground speed. Roller angle can be set from 90?, which sets hay back down on the same strip, to 40?, which moves the windrow over 3 ft. onto dry ground. Pickup angle is set by adjusting the rig's rigid outside wheel. The other wheel is on casters. Pickup height is hydraulically adjustable from a ground-sweeping low to a 15-in. transport position height. Schultz is working on getting his lifter-saver into commercial production. He hasn't set a price yet. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lester Schultz, Rt. 3, Osakis, Minn. 56360 (ph 612 859-4409).

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