Home-Built Inverter "Works Like A Haybine"
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"I couldn't find what I wanted on the market so I built my own. It fluffs the windrow and turns it over a half turn, and is designed to reach deep down into ditches," says Aaron Melby, Beltrami, Minn., who built his own low-cost windrow inverter using scavenged parts.
The one-of-a-kind rig was built from a New Holland 9-ft. haybine, a Deere small square baler, and the canvas draper header off a Versatile 400 swather. The hydraulics came off a New Holland 358 hammer/mixer mill.
The baler's pickup gently lifts the windrow and then the swather canvas moves it to the side where it falls out and back onto the ground.
"I came up with the idea because I cut hay along water storage ditches that are too steep to be baled safely with a round baler," says Melby. "Conventional hay inverters can't reach out far enough. The haybine hitch on my inverter can be adjusted by changing the position of a pin, which allows me to move the entire machine up to 5 ft. to the side. With the inverter moved as far out as possible it can reach down into ditches and kick hay back to the top, where I can safely bale it.
"It also works great for normal field use. I can either drive between the windrows or straddle them. I can set the inverter to set one row on top of another without having to drive on top of the crop. Or, I can move the hitch all the way over and simply flip the hay.
"I chose the New Holland haybine because its hitch design allowed me to mount different components on the frame. Deere and IH haybines won't work because their hitch setup is different."
He started with a 1970's New Holland 479 9-ft. haybine, stripping it down to the hitch, wheels and frame and fixing it so the pivot point is stationary. He lengthened the Versatile swather's canvas and draper frame by 3 ft., then welded it to the haybine frame. The rig's hay pickup is off a Deere 24T small square baler and has a flow control valve on it, so it can be sped up or slowed down depending on hay conditions.
The hydraulics are off a new Holland 358 hammer/mixer mill. The hammermill's pump is chain-driven off the tractor pto and delivers oil back to a hydraulic motor that chain-drives the baler pickup and the drive motor for the canvas.
"It does a great job of fluffing hay up for drying purposes and didn't cost much to build," says Melby. "I already had the tub grinder, baler pickup, and swather. My total cost was about $350.
"I might make another model and add some improvements. For example, I would extend the pickup out farther so it can reach even farther down into ditches. And I'd use a longer canvas that could be hydraulically moved in or out."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Aaron Melby, 21809 450th St. S.W., Beltrami, Minn. 56517 (ph 218 926-5233; ryanzdad@hotmail.com).
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Home-Built Inverter Works Like A Haybine HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Miscellaneous I couldn t find what I wanted on the market so I built my own It fluffs the windrow and turns it over a half turn and is designed to reach deep down into ditches says Aaron Melby Beltrami Minn who built his own low-cost windrow inverter using scavenged parts
The one-of-a-kind rig was built from a New Holland 9-ft haybine a Deere small square baler and the canvas draper header off a Versatile 400 swather The hydraulics came off a New Holland 358 hammer/mixer mill
The baler s pickup gently lifts the windrow and then the swather canvas moves it to the side where it falls out and back onto the ground
I came up with the idea because I cut hay along water storage ditches that are too steep to be baled safely with a round baler says Melby Conventional hay inverters can t reach out far enough The haybine hitch on my inverter can be adjusted by changing the position of a pin which allows me to move the entire machine up to 5 ft to the side With the inverter moved as far out as possible it can reach down into ditches and kick hay back to the top where I can safely bale it
It also works great for normal field use I can either drive between the windrows or straddle them I can set the inverter to set one row on top of another without having to drive on top of the crop Or I can move the hitch all the way over and simply flip the hay
I chose the New Holland haybine because its hitch design allowed me to mount different components on the frame Deere and IH haybines won t work because their hitch setup is different
He started with a 1970 s New Holland 479 9-ft haybine stripping it down to the hitch wheels and frame and fixing it so the pivot point is stationary He lengthened the Versatile swather s canvas and draper frame by 3 ft then welded it to the haybine frame The rig s hay pickup is off a Deere 24T small square baler and has a flow control valve on it so it can be sped up or slowed down depending on hay conditions
The hydraulics are off a new Holland 358 hammer/mixer mill The hammermill s pump is chain-driven off the tractor pto and delivers oil back to a hydraulic motor that chain-drives the baler pickup and the drive motor for the canvas
It does a great job of fluffing hay up for drying purposes and didn t cost much to build says Melby I already had the tub grinder baler pickup and swather My total cost was about $350
I might make another model and add some improvements For example I would extend the pickup out farther so it can reach even farther down into ditches And I d use a longer canvas that could be hydraulically moved in or out
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Aaron Melby 21809 450th St S W Beltrami Minn 56517 ph 218 926-5233; ryanzdad@hotmail com
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