Powered Hay Sampler

Powered hay sampler HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 15-4-28 Researchers at Agriculture Canada, Melfort, Sask., have developed a powered hay sampler that can take a sample in about 30 seconds and even works in frozen bales or silage. The coring tool is a 3-ft. long rotating tube mounted on a carriage that rides on horizontal tracks mounted on a 4-wheel trailer. A hole kw, which serves as the cutting tip, is welded to the end of the rotating tube. A core is drilled on the for-ward stroke of the carriage. After the tube reaches the required depth, the carriage is retracted and the sample is compressed, then pushed out into a sample bag or container. "It's much easier to use than a hand-operated drill and works much faster," says E.Z. Jan, engineer. "Using a hand drill is awkward and time consuming. It takes about 5 min. to get a sample. Ours takes only 30 seconds. It takes a better sample because the hay doesn't heat up and lose quality. With a hand-operated drill you have to use a rod to push the sample out, and sometimes the sample is hard packed and difficult to force out. Our unit automatically ejects the sample and collects it for you." Two 1/2-hp electric gear motors are mounted on the unit. One motor moves the carriage back and forth and the other motor chain-drives the coring tool. The core sample is pushed out of the cutting end of the tube by a stationary rod extending the length of the tube. Jan says all parts needed to build your own powered hay sampler can be bought for $600 at a local hardware store. For more information and detailed drawings, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, E.Z. Jan, Agriculture Canada Research Station, Melfort, Sask., Canada SOE lAO (ph 306 752-2776).

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