Antique Hay Equipment Collection Spans 100 Years

Antique Hay Equipment Collection Spans 100 Years HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Miscellaneous For Loran Ellingson of Park River N D being raised on a farm and attending equipment auctions made him realize from a young age that his focus would be on antique machinery specifically hay equipment and dump rakes “When I’d go to auctions I began seeing hay dump rakes sometimes not even in the sale but just sitting in the grass somewhere ” says Ellingson “So I’d buy them for a few bucks here and there I just enjoyed how simple they were made with only three moving parts ” Beginning with his first purchases in 1976 Ellingson gathered about 80 pieces of hay equipment including 63 hay dump rakes paying between $5 and $25 for most Fifty of the 63 rakes are in working condition Ranging in age from 70 to 100 years old the collection features Adrian Platt & Co Case Cockshutt International John Deere and Minnesota brands Most sit in Ellingson’s yard for curious onlookers to view Four of his prized Internationals measuring from 8 to 14 ft are displayed front and center along his driveway Since many of the oldest hay dumps were designed to be pulled by horses he is replacing some of the wooden hitches with metal bars to pull with a tractor “My first Minnesota ones had wooden horse pulls with some being quite brittle ” he says “At times the wood would come apart when I was loading them at a sale or during the ride home ” Ellingson is still looking for unique dump rakes and would like to find a 12 or 14-ft John Deere with oblong spokes to match his 10-ft model Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Loran Ellingson 117 Harris Ave N Park River N D 58270 ph 701-284-7025

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