new landside, and new fore cart, mower news

[Donn Hewes]

I have been very busy in the shop (see pictures). Working on six mowers right now. I also made a new land side for my David Bradley walking plow. I haven’t used it yet so I will have to report how it works. I did recently build a small forecart with a 36″ wheel base. With a standard receiver hitch I think I can make several implements to use in the market garden. The first one was this bed marker. It will make furrows of different depth that I can plant into. Used yesterday to plant two 400′ rows of potatoes and four of black beans. Worked great.

My wife doesn’t think I have made any money in the mower shop, but I am having fun. I have had a 12 year old Amish apprentice for the last three Saturdays. I recently took a flywheel shaft out of a mower that was wobbling like there was no bushing at all. There were two paper thin pieces of the original bushing. Of course I went home and ordered a new shaft. The guys at Macknairs asked me if the mower body would hold a new bushing? Good question, and since I took the mower apart on the Amish farm I don’t know. Well with some doing I got the new shaft on a fly wheel (and rebuilt the whole cutter bar), and tomorrow I hope to go and try and put it all back together.

Horses, mule and donkey all good. ready for summer.

[mitchmaine]

thanks for those fine photos donn. great seeing your shop and farm. everytime i count the numbers come up short, so i gave up counting. don’t know if that is a good idea, but there you go. thanks again, mitch

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Mitch, It took me a minute to figure out what your were trying to count. In poker they say it is bad luck to count your money. I have just taken that theory into all my dealings. Just wanted to bump this thread back in front of the spam.

[near horse]

I like your forecart idea. Got any pics of your furrows/ridges? Also more about the bed marker(?) itself. Are the
“wings” welded on at a specific angle to throw soil out? It appears that the depth adjustment is made by using different holes in the shank. Does it just lock in place using the pivot arm and then release by pulling on the cable? Very neat thinking.

[karl t pfister]

Donn, Things do look like they are doing well in Cortland .!! Glad to your jack has not only survived his hard times but thrived ! Was he able to breed any of your mares ? The barn yard upgrades are looking good too, especially on a rainy wet day here ,just 3/4 ” overnite but the river is up like Irene’s second coming .
Are you using that looks like a crimper ?

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Karl, I thought you would like a picture of your horses. They are doing well, though Guy came through the winter a little thin. I think it is just a factor of group feeding and him being a big guy that needs extra hay. He is getting a few hours a a day of extra turn out now so I am sure he will fatten up. Yes I have loved the extra concrete in the barn yard. The jack breed Lady all on his own! (tall grey mare). We don’t know if she is Preg yet. I had the vet out the other day and we were speculated that the Suffolk might be pregnant but we decided to wait to confirm until it is time to check Lady. I have not caught Polly coming into heat yet. Some mares just don’t want a mule child!

Goeff, You got it. When I back up the bar drops and the point is set. At the end of the row, one step back and pull the rope, and out it comes. It worked great but I need pictures. I also need to make a few small adjustments. Yes a fine peice of cutting and welding to put the wings on. The horses picked the tongue up higher than I planned so I need to cut out a little to make it ride out of the ground better. Also need another set of holes for shallow setting. I am planning to modify a potato digger to go on there.

I am trying to fix the crimper (cutting a baring off) for a friend. I gave up a haybine a couple years ago, I would go back.

[Ed Thayer]

Don,

Great photos. Glad thing are going well in NY. I like the potato digger idea. Things are wet here in NH finally, been in a terrible dry spell. Hope you have a good hay season, Are you still working Connie?

Ed

[near horse]

@Donn Hewes 34686 wrote:

I am planning to modify a potato digger to go on there.

:(DON’T hatchet up a usable digger! I’m needing one and can’t find diddily here in Idaho (and our license plate says “Famous Potatoes” – right!). I have a MD that’s had the front truck and lever mechanism removed so it can be used behind a tractor and if I’m not mistaken, the lever/truck combo is how you adjust the depth of the digger when using w/ horses.

[Donn Hewes]

Trust me Geoff, I way to busy to cut a useable potato digger. I am planning to modify one that has defied all my efforts to make it go straight. I believe it lost it’s original beam years ago, and nothing I put on it worked right. I also think the wear on the left and right sides might have made it unstable for straight line travel. I hope / believe putting it behind the cart will fix it. Donn

[njfarmer]

Donn,
Just plant crooked rows then that stuburn digger will run straight! Haha good luck.
Brian

[grey]

Donn – is it one of those middlebuster-type diggers that has the slats on the back that pop up and down to sift the taters out of the dirt?

[grey]

Also, where do I go to see these photos that you mentioned? I don’t really have the hang of this forum yet.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Grey, Some where in my first post up top is a (see pictures) or something that is slightly highlighted. That is a link to my web album. The old potato digger is sort of one of those middle buster types. No mechanical action but long fingers that come of the back. Also swooped up wings on each side. When I start to work on it I will take some pictures.

[dominiquer60]

Geoff,
Yes the front lever with the truck raised and lower the digger in and out of the ground, I used one behind a tractor for 3 years. It works better than a fork, but weeds, soil conditions and operator error (too shallow leads to many slicers) can cause their share of problems.

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