On Man Bean Buggy With Hydrostatic Drive

On man bean buggy with hydrostatic drive SPRAYING Bean Buggies 12-2-3 "It works great and saves us a tremendous amount of effort. It's far superior to the commercial 3-wheeled buggy it replaced," says Edward Hauer, Alma, Kan., about the one-man "bean buggy" he, and his son Eldon, built from scratch. Hauer told FARM SHOW one thing he didn't like about his old 3-wheeled bean buggy is that he had to steer it with his feet. "I'm 66 years old and the constant movement with my feet was hard on my legs. Our new machine has a steering wheel so you steer with one hand and spray with the other. We made the steering wheel flat, not slanted, so you can rest your arms on it while working. And the foot rest is adjust-able so you can change positions." Two junked motorcycles provided wheels for the buggy. The drive wheels, chain-driven by hydrostatic motors, mount up front. The motorcycle's front wheels steer the buggy from the back. Steering is controlled by a system of tie rods and steel cable. No power assist is required. A 10 hp. Briggs and Stratton motor drives a hydrostatic pump. Forward and reverse speeds are controlled by a single foot pedal. "This drive system is ideal for spot spraying. It's got an infinite range of speeds from 0 to about 10 mph. No brakes are needed. You just take your foot off the pedal. And it- steers with the touch of a finger," says Hauer. An operator can cover six 30-in. rows at once in the buggy. Hauer puts a 5-gal. mix of Roundup and in a 10-gal. water pressure tank mounted on the buggy. The tank is fitted with an air pressure valve stem. He simply pressurizes the tank and heads to the field. No need for a spray pump. The bean buggy is fitted with a seat from a Ford 4000 tractor. An umbrella can be positioned above the operator's head. Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Edward & Eldon Hauer, Rt. 2, Box 71, Alma, Kan. 66401 (ph 913 765-3860).

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