Treadmill Exerciser Made From Bale Thrower

Treadmill exerciser made from bale thrower HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 16-4-22 After he suffered a heart attack 12 years ago, Frank Drayer, Churdan, Iowa, was told by his doctor he needed to get regular exercise. "I like to walk but it's difficult to get out in the wintertime. Also, we live along a busy highway so, when I discovered a discarded New Holland bale thrower in my machine shed, I decided to turn it into a motorized treadmill. "The thrower had 2 separate frames each with a set of rollers and belts, so you can make two treadmills out of one bale thrower. The belts are 12 in. wide and 36 in. long. I attached an 11-in. dia. belt pulley to the front roller shaft, mounting a 1/4-hp. electric motor alongside to drive it. There's a 1 1/2-in. dia. pulley on the motor shaft. A small turnbuckle attached to the motor mounting frame lets me shift the motor back and forth to tighten the belt. That lets you adjust slippage depending on how fast you want to walk. "Two angle iron uprights bolt to the frame with a 1 1/2-in. dia. pipe in between that you can hang onto. The handle is about chest high with a toggle switch attached to turn the motor on and off. "The only cost for the treadmill was the toggle switch, pulley and V-belt. I had everything else. "We keep the treadmill in our family room next to our patio door." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Frank D. Drayer, Box 198, Rt. 1, Churdan, Iowa 50050 (ph 515 389-3458).

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