All Around the Farm: December 2013

Homemade truck brake anchor pin bushing installer

I made this bushing installer out of some ordinary items found in most any shop: an old anchor pin, a bolt, and two washers. The two washers are stacked on the anchor pin, and the pin is welded to the bolt. Simple. I have not wrecked one bushing since I built this.

• - Rodney Olson | Morris, Minnesota

This fuel cap won’t get lost

The fuel cap for my skid loader was lost. So I bought a truck fuel cap as a replacement – it fit just fine.Then I secured it to the skid steer with a short piece of heavy string and two short screws. My new cap hasn’t been lost one time since.    

• - Matt Lengacher | Harlan, Indiana
• - mahhlonhlengacher@ymail.com 

Roller mill saves money   

We took the duster off the front of a used grinder and removed the feed auger, then we mounted a used automatic roller mill where the hammer mill was. Swivel clamps at the top and close to the bottom end let us turn the hopper.

• - LeeAnne and John DeVries | Colfax, Iowa
• - jldvfarms@aol.com

A place for everything  

On these shelves, every tool has its place. There is 2-inch PVC pipe fastened to the bottom directly under each tool to hold its cord. Now, the power cords stay not only tangle-free but also free from the damage that can happen when they are wrapped tightly around tools.  

• - Walter Ranft | Filer, Idaho

Just follow the white lines

Getting machinery pulled up close enough to our swing hopper isn’t a problem anymore – not since we began marking the path of the swing hopper’s wheels with baby powder. Just liberally sprinkle the entire arcing path to guide equipment into position more easily.  

• - Sandra Voss | Granville, Iowa
• - 712/448-2668

Measure it, mark it, and hook it up  

Since my three-point-hitch implements all have the same top link, I usually have to adjust the length of the top link for hookups. I drew a line across each end of the top link with a paint marker, then I measured between the lines when it was adjusted correctly for a particular implement.

• - Will Bedell | Springville, Iowa | wdbdel@juno.com

Cut down on grain spills

To stop the waste of grain falling on the ground, I took a boot from an old feed bin and attached a 4-inch field tile under it to hold the grain. I made two brackets to hold the unit onto the base of the auger on the cart. It was very easy to mount using four 3∕8-inch bolts.

• - Max E. Robinson | Marysville, Ohio
• - 937/642-1132

Recycled belting keeps a body feeling good

When I built my wood shop, I began investigating commercial floor pads. While delivering grain to the terminal elevator one day, I noticed they were replacing overhead belting used to fill bins. From their discarded pieces, I salvaged several sections to use as floor mats.

• - Ed Winfrey | Sibley, Missouri | ewinfrey@centurylink.net