Steel Poles

[grey]

Spring links used in the manner you’ve shown here (at the rear of the horse, hitched to a vehicle rather than doing work on foot) don’t usually cause wrecks. However, they can take a small or medium-sized “uh-oh” and quickly turn it into a king-sized “OH %*@$!” that just doesn’t quit.

The good, well-made spring links do have quite a high weight rating, but, as I said, that rating is only when the load is straight-on. The smallest bit of torque or twist on the pull and the spring latch on the link gets twisted off its seat and then there’s really nothing to keep the link from stretching from a “C” into an “L”.

I’ve seen three wrecks that involved spring links. One involved spring links on the neck yoke (dumb), one involved spring links on the lines (dumb) and one involved spring links on the heel chains.

[near horse]

John,

Your cart looks pretty stout – nice job. With regard to the “donkey engine”, have you looked at the pictures of the one Donn Hewes put together? I don’t recall if the pictures are on this site or only at his picture site – http://www.picassa something or other – DONN – HEEELLPPPP!

I’ll see if I can get the site thing straight or maybe Donn will see this and bale me out! He has a lot of nice pics demo different things: carts, hitches etc

Donn’s a real asset (notice the ‘et on the end of that word!) 🙂

Check out his pictures. – here’s the site http://picasaweb.google.com/mulemandonn Just find the right file or look at all one million pictures!

Geoff

[jac]

Geoff I’v been in Donns page .. Amazing fotos and a nice guy too.. I’ll do my best to get sumthin better Grey. I certainly wouldnt use them in the yoke and the first thing I did when I got the lines was take off the snaps supplied.. This I exactly how a site like this should work .. Thanks guys
John

[Barw]

Hi Jac nice fore cart very similar to the power cart I built.
I wish I was as handy with posting pic’s on the computor as you
folks. I use mostly steel poles just 3-4″ schedule 40 black pipe with
8-10″ in front of neck yoke.I weld a strap over the neck end of pole
so evener of front team will attach.Make all this equip myself cheap
way to get it done.Each piece of equip has its own pole.

[LostFarmer]

My farmer/fabricator/horseman neighbor build a tapered steel pole. He used thin wall 6×4 tubing with the 4 inch side verticle. He then carefully cut wedges out of the sides bent and welded back up. It was a work of art. It was light and still strong enough to do the job. He is a handy guy to have as a neighbor.

I would put the hammer strap and evener pin on the pole as well. Then it would all go together easy slide into a receiver hitch and you are good to go. LF

[jac]

Hey guys.. Barw check out Donns post on” how to put fotos on” in the “how to use this forum” at the top of the home page.. Up till I read that me and this computer were on real shakey ground and I spent a lot of time shaking my fist at God:D.. LF.. I copied Lynn Millers plans totaly but I put the hammer strap on the pole I used for my wagon.. you can just make it out on the foto of me loading hay in the gallery.. That bar I have at the front is going to be reshaped to include a dropped loop with a locker at the opening to take an evener for a 3 or 4 up soon…do you think the hammer strap on the pole for the hicthcart would work ok or did Lynn make it that way for a reason ??
John

[Donn Hewes]

The best thing about a bolt on neck yoke is it will never come off. The best thing about a slip on is you can use it with other tongues, and it is a little easier to pick up the tongue and hook it up.

I get the best of both worlds with a snap on. I use a heavy duty slip hook (very strong) with a gate on some of my neck yokes. This is the best neck yoke I have ever seen. There is an old thread with pictures about 6 pages back. “DIY forecart and neck yoke”. I use two of these neck yokes to hook up all four on a four abreast. I built what is basicly and evener that goes in front of the animals. With the neck yokes already on the two pairs, it is easy to pick up that front evener and snap both neck yokes to it.

[Donn Hewes]

Four abreast neck yoke definitely not heavy, I guess I would have to find a picture. As for over kill, That depends on what you want to stop, and what ground you are working on. Most four abreasts I have seen have only had the center two on a neck yoke. If they can do all the braking and backing that you need, more would definitely be overkill. On the other hand if you are on hills or heavy loads that take four to pull it forward, you might want / need more braking or backing power. In that case my neck yoke has worked great for me. I have used it all summer for several years and it is easy to use.

I will say I like a bolt-on neck yoke, they are the safest neck yoke there is. I use a few. I have quite a few slip-ons that I use also.

[Does’ Leap]

I thought I would resurrect this old thread. I never did transition to steel poles, but I am revisiting the idea as my stash of wooden poles are depleted.

For those of you using steel for poles, what do you use (thickness, square/round, etc.)?

Thanks.

George

[carl ny]

Just to give you my opinion of steel poles… I wouldn’t give you .10 cents for one. They have no memory. My son has one on one of his forecarts and it was bent the first time it got pushed on a little. Like I said,JMHO.

carl

[near horse]

I’m using one today (still on my #9 mower). I’d guess it’s 2.5 inch OD square pipe …. not sure of thickness (3/16 ?) …. but it’s too heavy, especially on the end of a mower. I would go with wood and a neck yoke on each one.

[near horse]

Carl – I would argue that steel does have memory – it’s just not good memory!

After hooking and unhooking my steel tongued mower today – NOT a good option. Maybe better on implements with lower tongue weights or foreecarts. It is brutally heavy when hooking up a mower.

[carl ny]

I will agree that it has a very limited memory, but for the most part the memory is that when it bends, it stays bent..

carl

[Author]

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