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Combine Retrofitted Into A Corn Buggy
In the early 2000s, the heyday of Deere 8820 combines, Belan Farms in Ontario ran four of them doing custom work for area farmers. They bought a burned-out 8220 for parts and rather than scrapping it out, they replaced the harvesting unit and grain tank with a Brent Grain Buggy. They named the slick new creation the Corn Buggy and have used it for over two decades.
Mike Belan says that adding the 500-bushel cart body to the combine frame required adding I-beams between the front and rear axles. They also replaced the standard rear axle and tires with a beefed-up frame, hydrostatic 4-WD, and larger tires.
Belan says the initial concept was for the Corn Buggy to be a second grain cart in the field but visibility from the cab was poor and it was difficult for the operator to see while traveling alongside the combine. Instead, they parked the Corn Buggy at the end of a field, used their regular grain cart to fill it, and filled their semi-trailers from the Corn Buggy. The slick shop-built invention uses the combine’s original auger system for unloading.
Like many ideas, Belan says their Corn Buggy idea came out of the blue and they just started building it. They had most of the parts and steel on hand. It was a good winter project that he figures cost them around $10,000 and no more than $15,000. Better yet, it’s provided years of use without any breakdowns. A bonus is that after harvest, it’s a handy rig to have around the grain bins to top off semis or move grain from one location to another.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Belan Farms, Lambton County, Sarnia, Ontario.


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2024 - Volume #48, Issue #3