Drainage Bullet Eliminates Tiling

Drainage Bullet Eliminates Tiling TILING MACHINES Tiling Machines 15-2-8 "We've used this idea for years. Works great, especially in heavy, marshy soil," says Larry Tendler about his idea of using drainage "bullets" pulled behind subsoil shanks to create underground tunnels to carry away subsoil moisture. Tendler, of Wauwatosa, Wis., is a re-tired farmer who worked for years on an experimental farm owned by Allis Chalmers. The use of steel drainage bullets was one of the more interesting ideas they developed. The bullet is a solid 6-in. dia. chunk steel with a hook inbedded in it's pointed nose cone. The bullets, which are generally 14 to 18 in. long, connect by chain to the bottom of a subsoil shank. "You pull them at 2 to 4-ft. intervals through the field, depending on how much drainage is needed, at a depth of 18 to 24 in. The tunnels will hold up for 3 to 5 years, depending on the soil," says Tendler, noting that he's tried the idea in a variety of soils. "It works well even in loose, sandy soils." To get the bullet started, you either dig a ditch or start on a bank of some kind, following the soil contour so water will drain. "We used the idea for years on wet, marshy soil and it did a wonderful job. We thought it did the job of drainage tile for just a fraction of the cost," says Tendler. They tried different types of bullets, including heavy wall pipe, but found that no matter how heavy, pipe would col-lapse and that the heavy weight of the solid steel bullet was needed to keep it down in the ground. Tendler says it generally takes 30 to 40 hp per shank to pull the drainage bullets. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Larry Tendler, 8204 Gridley Ave., Wauwatosa, Wis. 53213 (ph 414 453-6793).

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