Self-Propelled Grain Auger

Self-Propelled Grain Auger GRAIN HANDLING Augers (4) 19-3-4 If you're tired of having to chase down help every time you need to move your grain auger, you'll like what Fergus Russell did to his auger. "It used to take my wife, my son and me at least a half hour to move our auger even a short distance," says the Skiff, Alberta, farmer. "Now, one of us can do it in five minutes." That's because Russell self-propelled his 55-ft., 8-in. dia. Brandt auger by mounting it on a 1950's Oliver 33 combine he bought for $100. Russell stripped the combine down to its engine, transmission, axles, and operator's platform. Then he attached a pair of 2-ft. brackets made out of 3-in. reinforced angle iron to the front of the frame. The auger's axle rests on the brackets and is held securely in place by the combine's feederhouse hinges which clamp around it. Russell replaced the auger's original manual winch system with an electric systern of his own design. It uses two winches - one in front, one in back - to raise and lower the auger. The rear winch mounts in an 8-ft. high angle iron frame that's hinged on the bottom. The front winch mounts under the middle of the auger. Winches are controlled from a switch box on the driver's right side. To operate the auger, Russell replaced the combine's original 6-volt electric system with a 12-volt system. The 12-volt system provides extra power for the electric motors on the winches, he notes. For added convenience, Russell moved the combine's throttle and hand clutch to ground level on the left side so he can operate the auger from the ground. Russell has about $200 invested in the rig. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Fergus Russell, Box 10, Skiff, Alberta, Canada TOK 2B0 (ph 403 867-2250).

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