He Built His Own Rock-Tough, 3-Way Soil Plane

2017 - Volume #41, Issue #1, Page #16

[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story | Read this issue]

When I need dirt moved, I call my 76-year-old neighbor Don Heintz. With more than a half-century of experience in earth moving, he can make his skid steer dance while his self-designed soil plane does tricks.
    “I wanted a soil plane heavier and more flexible than I could buy,” recalls Heintz.
    Heintz can tilt the blade up and down and left or right, thanks to a unique mount that uses an old sheep's foot roller tongue and bushings.
    With the help of a local mechanic and fabricator Heintz brought his design to life, learning as he went. He started with 3/8-in. thick steel for quick-tach base plate. The 90 by 90-in. soil plane frame and cross arms were fabricated with 1/4-in. steel plate.
    The heavy-duty bushings were welded to the frame. The flange on one end of the tongue - a large steel pipe that rotates inside the bushings - was welded to the quick-tach plate with steel gussets reinforcing it. A hydraulic cylinder attached to the tongue between the bushings and the frame produces the left-to-right tilt.
    Heintz quickly discovered the torque on the plate was too great. “It snapped the welds,” he says. “We replaced the plate with 5/8-in. steel and that held. We also used 5/8-in. steel to reinforce the front arms of the plane.”
    The arms needed the reinforcement. The first crossbar sets back about a foot, leaving the arms outstretched and serving multiple purposes.
    “I use them when I push over trees with the soil plane,” says Heintz. “I also use the arms to slice dirt off a bank as I work alongside it.”
    When his son and grandson redid a waterway for me recently, it was the elder Heintz who swooped in with his skid steer and earth plane to do the final finishing work. In no time at all, he had finished off the waterway as smooth as silk and ready for seeding.
    As my neighbors often remark, “What will we do when Don Heintz really does retire?”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Don Heintz, 1761 Evans Hill Rd., La Crescent, Minn. 55947 (ph 507-895-2206).

Click here to download page story appeared in.

Click here to read entire issue

He Built His Own Rock-Tough 3-Way Soil Plane MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Earth Movers When I need dirt moved I call my 76-year old neighbor Don Heintz With more than a half century of experience in earth moving he can make his skid steer dance while his self-designed soil plane does tricks “I wanted a soil plane that was heavier and more flexible than what I could buy ” recalls Heintz Heintz can tilt the blade up and down and left or right thanks to a unique mount that uses an old sheeps foot roller tongue and bushings With the help of a local mechanic and fabricator Heintz brought his design to life learning as he went He started with 3/8-in thick steel for quick-tach base plate The 90 by 90-in soil plane frame and cross arms were fabricated with 1/4-in steel plate The heavy-duty bushings were welded to the frame The flange on one end of the tongue - a large steel pipe that rotates inside the bushings - was welded to the quick-tach plate with steel gussets reinforcing it A hydraulic cylinder attached to the tongue between the bushings and the frame produces the left-to-right tilt Heintz quickly discovered the torque on the plate was too great “It snapped the welds ” he says “We replaced the plate with 5/8-in steel and that held We also used 5/8-in steel to reinforce the front arms of the plane ” The arms needed the reinforcement The first crossbar sets back about a foot leaving the arms outstretched and serving multiple purposes “I use them when I push over trees with the soil plane ” says Heintz “I also use the arms to slice dirt off a bank as I work alongside it ” When his son and grandson redid a waterway for me recently it was the elder Heintz who swooped in with his skid steer and earth plane to do the final finishing work In no time at all he had finished off the waterway as smooth as silk and ready for seeding As my neighbors often remark “What will we do when Don Heintz really does retire?” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Don Heintz 1761 Evans Hill Rd La Crescent Minn 55947 ph 507 895-2206

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

SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW NOW