Tractor Powers Its Own Carousel

2012 - Volume #36, Issue #5, Page #44

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Bill Manthe turned an old Haybuster Stack-Eze into a rotating showcase carousel for his restored Deere A. To power the carousel table, he modified its drive to run off a hydraulic pump mounted to the A.
    “I have the tractor jacked up an inch off the floor so when I put it in gear, the wheels turn as the tractor rotates,” says Manthe. “I get a lot of attention when people see the tractor rotating. My wife Jo drives the truck in parades, and I sit on the tractor.”
    Restoration of the A came first, followed by restoration and modification of the stacker. The Haybuster Stack-Eze was designed to load and pack loose hay inside a wire cage as it rotated on its table. When full, the cage opened, and the stack was unloaded off the back end of the trailer.
    “I stripped away the hay pickup, loading arm, basket, the pto drive, chains, end gate and a lot of the bracing from underneath the table,” explains Manthe. “I stripped it down to the running gear, the table and the mechanism it turns on.”
    Once the hay pickup was removed, Manthe made a new tongue using I-beams that he wrapped around the area where the pickup had been. Manthe mounted steps to either side of the tongue.
    The table rotates on 5 steel rollers and a rubber drive wheel. At first Manthe planned to use a tractor to pull the carousel so he could power it with a pto. His son suggested using a Char-Lynn hydraulic motor with its low speed and high torque instead. With the help of a large reducer gear, the motor powers a chain drive on a sprocket mounted to the rubber drive wheel. The hydraulic power for it comes off the tractor pump and through an oil direction converter valve in the carousel table.
    Manthe put twin torque axles with torsion bars under the platform. “I had the original Haybuster wheels on it originally, but it didn’t have any springs so it was too rough on the highway.”
    Manthe got a lot of help on the project from his son, Bruce, and a neighbor, Don Phillips, who runs a manufacturing and repair business. Since Manthe has a pacemaker, he left most of the arc welding to his son.
    “We’ve taken it to shows and parades as far as 250 miles from home,” says Manthe. “When we get to a show, people come running.”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bill Manthe, 2890 320th St., Lake View, Iowa 51450 (712 657-2489).

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Tractor Powers Its Own Carousel TRACTORS Miscellaneous Bill Manthe turned an old Haybuster Stack-Eze into a rotating showcase carousel for his restored Deere A To power the carousel table he modified its drive to run off a hydraulic pump mounted to the A “I have the tractor jacked up an inch off the floor so when I put it in gear the wheels turn as the tractor rotates ” says Manthe “I get a lot of attention when people see the tractor rotating My wife Jo drives the truck in parades and I sit on the tractor ” Restoration of the A came first followed by restoration and modification of the stacker The Haybuster Stack-Eze was designed to load and pack loose hay inside a wire cage as it rotated on its table When full the cage opened and the stack was unloaded off the back end of the trailer “I stripped away the hay pickup loading arm basket the pto drive chains end gate and a lot of the bracing from underneath the table ” explains Manthe “I stripped it down to the running gear the table and the mechanism it turns on ” Once the hay pickup was removed Manthe made a new tongue using I-beams that he wrapped around the area where the pickup had been Manthe mounted steps to either side of the tongue The table rotates on 5 steel rollers and a rubber drive wheel At first Manthe planned to use a tractor to pull the carousel so he could power it with a pto His son suggested using a Char-Lynn hydraulic motor with its low speed and high torque instead With the help of a large reducer gear the motor powers a chain drive on a sprocket mounted to the rubber drive wheel The hydraulic power for it comes off the tractor pump and through an oil direction converter valve in the carousel table Manthe put twin torque axles with torsion bars under the platform “I had the original Haybuster wheels on it originally but it didn’t have any springs so it was too rough on the highway ” Manthe got a lot of help on the project from his son Bruce and a neighbor Don Phillips who runs a manufacturing and repair business Since Manthe has a pacemaker he left most of the arc welding to his son “We’ve taken it to shows and parades as far as 250 miles from home ” says Manthe “When we get to a show people come running ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bill Manthe 2890 320th St Lake View Iowa 51450 712 657-2489