Grasshopper Weed Wiper Built From Street Cleaner, Combine

Grasshopper weed wiper built from street cleaner, combine SPRAYING Bean Buggies 11-3-7 When Eugene Bouma, Adams, Neb., needed to find a way to control scatter cane in milo and bean fields, he turned to odds and ends around his farm and at local salvage yards. "First I located an old street sweeper with an air-cooled Wisconsin engine, 3-speed transmission and V-belt variable speed. The engine also had it's own hydraulic system and power steering. "To build the frame, I went to a salvage yard and found an old Massey combine with 24-in. dual wheels that were chain-driven at the right ratio that I needed. Wheel bearings were taken from spindles off an old truck and welded to combine rims. An old Chevrolet 20-in. truck wheel with a bearing on each side was used to make the single wheel 'yoke' on the front end. I used triple strength square tubing for the frame, which is 5 ft. high with a 10 ft. wheelbase. A second hydraulic pump off another combine was added to run wiper hydraulics. "To make the wiper I covered a 2 by 6-in. board with long shag carpet and ran a small piece of PVC pipe across the top with small holes in it spaced every 2¢ in. for liquid to flow through. It covers 8 rows at a time and has folding wings for road travel. The machine will travel at speeds varying from a slow creep to 12 mph. It's fitted with a hitch for over-the-road travel behind my pickup. The chemical supply spray tank mounts high on the back of the machine for gravity flow to the wiper. It's regulated by 6 valves for equal distribution of solution. "It's smoother riding, heavier built, and more rugged than most commercial machines. Total cost was less than $1,000 for materials. It's worked great for the past two years." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Eugene Bouma, Rt. 1, Adams, Neb. 68301 (ph 402 788-2505).

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