What is Farm Hack?

[Donn Hewes]

Farm Hack is a group of folks getting together, both online (farmhack.net)and at regular gatherings to look at and work on farm innovations. Using farmers knowledge and skills to create new tools and ideas for new farms. The last thing I saw at the NOFA – NY winter Conference was a man with a beautiful peddle powered two row cultivator. Now I would never want to put horses out of cultivating, but the power of folks thinking of things like this and creating them on the farm is very cool.

April 13 and 14th we plan to have a farm hack on our farm and take a Allis Chalmers tractor and convert it into a pto cart for horses, much like like what Neal Perry did in Vermont. Hopefully the first day will be pulling the old tractor apart and salvaging as much as we can. We will also be building some hitch gear at the same time. Second day I hope to shorten the frame, mount a sliding tongue (for two, three, or four horses) and put dolly wheels or a front tire under it. Then we can hook up and give it a test.

These events are free to anyone the signs up (sort of an rsvp) and mostly pot luck all though I am planning a big dinner feed on Sat night. There is a house to sleep or barn to sleep in,but you will need sleep bags and pads. Night time entertainment is poss. Check out farm hack!

[Kevin Cunningham]

Thanks Donn,

I am always saying that the best thing young people can do for the sustainable farming movement is to learn how to weld and fabricate. The tools we need are not out there, or at the right price. I am glad to see that there are some innovations in small grain harvesting. My old Allis Chalmers All Crop is not getting any newer and someday I may not be able to keep it going. Way cool group to be a part of. This is a great website and I can’t wait to get more into it. Please post some pictures when you make your pto cart. I am too far away to come otherwise I would definately be there.

[Donn Hewes]

[URL=”http://: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1p_6rR8uSVd4HNtFPkU6oSaLu9jP-9Rfg61Ep6QqAnlg/viewform “]Here[/URL] is a link to the rsvp if anyone is interested. : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1p_6rR8uSVd4HNtFPkU6oSaLu9jP-9Rfg61Ep6QqAnlg/viewform

[Donn Hewes]

Well, it looks like we are likely to change our tractor for our farm hack.  We had our eye on  AC wd45 like the one Neal perry used; but we ran into more problems with the rims and tires than I realized.  Today I looked at a Case VAC.  This is a smaller older tractor, that has a good easy shifter for putting the PTO in and out of gear.   It has 32″ rubber tires which I believe currently hold air; I will need to go back and pump them up and double check that.  I would love to know how this tractor was set up inside to power the PTO (from the transmision or directly of the rear axle).

[JaredWoodcock]

I am trying to get out for the farm hack, should I rsvp now even if I might not be able to make it?

And do you need me to bring any tools?

 

Jared

[bsmit24]

If possible please have someone document the built with photos. I am sure I am not the only one interested.

 

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Jared,  Go ahead and rsvp.  We are just getting an estimate of the number of folks coming.  Fun this week trying to lay in some needed steel and bolts and such.   I thinking about how best to organize the work.  Hopefully we will move home the tractor in the next couple days.  It has been delayed by some bad rims and other challenges.   I am sure we will be taking lots of photos.  Hopefully there will be some info folks can use. Donn

[daniel grover]

Thanks to everyone who came out to the hack! The past couple of posts on our blog have talked about the hack and also include some photos. See them here: Two Spruce Farm@Northland Sheep Dairy. We’re still working on the project and will update the blog and here as we progress.

 

[Michel Boulay]

That is some cool project you’ve got there, anxious to see the results. Would love to participate but distance is a factor here.

Mike

[Jonathan Shively]

The WD-45 is twice the tractor the VAC is.  I have had both.  The greatest feature of the WD-45 is the hand clutch.  Even though the tractor does not have a full time pto, with putting the tractor in gear and turning on the pto then using the handclutch, the pto runs fulltime.  That clutch runs in an oil bath so can be “ridden” all day and not burn up.  Great for easing into heavy windrows when baling and such.  If you are experiencing bad rear rims, I used rear tires off of a IH combine if I remember correctly.  They were oversized tires and were great in the hayfields.

 

[Donn Hewes]

You are probably right about the wd 45 being twice the tractor of the VAC.  I am not sure that means it will be twice the PTO cart.  I think the VAC (it might actually be a V or VC?) is smaller and lighter over all.  I hope this is the “right”size.  Since I have not pulled it out of the shop yet it is hard to tell, but I do hope to work on it soon, and ted hay with it this summer.  So I will know before long.  Donn

[Jonathan Shively]

Donn, years back (20?) Western Horseman magazine had a guy that built a ground drive cart for his baler using a WD rear end.  Again, the handclutch is your friend as it would allow you to get your horses started walking and “ease” into the load.  Look forward to seeing the build.

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