Wagons & a JD running gear

I considered a lot of options as far as hay racks or wagons for the last year or so. Being I am going back into producing small square bales. My old wagons, need to be rebuilt and/or lengthen to better accumulate my grapple system. 14’ and 16’ long decks 7’ wide worked ok with hand stacking back in the day (100 to 130 bales per wagon). But with a 6’ x 9’ grapple grab……….ah, never mind.

Unfortunately, it seems that hay chaff and wooden wagon parts don’t seem to like to co-exist for long in my neck of the woods. Treated lumber, tar paper, tar, you can just about name it and I’ve try it while re-building wagon decks. I have to admit, the longest lasting ones were from the olden days of creosote pressure treating.

 

As I have mentioned before, I made a little trip to Louisville KY, to the NFMS, back in mid-February. While I was there I made a hands-on inspection of a Life Time wagon. I even had my grandson see if he could pick up the tongue (somebody has to in order to hook it up, why not him, he’s younger than me ). Well seems a couple of the Life Time wagons somehow followed me home (although, the boss won a trip to Alaska, from same checking account ). There seems to be some assembly is required, also.

 

The longer one is a 25-footer, setting on a 15-ton running gear. The shorter one is a 20-footer that I plan on placing on a John Deere running gear that I have. Maybe TxJim (or someone with a better memory than mine) can tell me the tonnage capacity of this JD 1065 running gear (adjustable tongue, no dual rear axle), I’m thinking it’s 8 or 10 ton running gear IDRC.  It use to have a JD 216 forage box on it's back (yea, it's old).

 

The back racks need to be installed, the two shorter racks will only be utilized when hauling RB and the rear hitch installed on the 20-footer. The running gear on the 25-footer is a little over-kill, but it was thrown in as part of the deal, was getting only a 12-tonner, but that wagon followed someone from Georgia home it seems (maybe dawg or one of his neighbors??).

 

BTW, I’m looking a hauling 360-420 bales (10-12 ton) on the 25-footer and 270-315 bales (8-9 ton) on the 20-footer. And with an open flooring, leaving hay stacked on the wagon shouldn’t be as big as problem, as far as spoilage is concerned.

 

I don’t know if I’m going to have time this weekend to get started on the assembly process or not.  I think I got about a month yet before I can load any of THIS years crop on them anyhow.

 

Larry

 

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Wagons & a JD running gear