Fertilizer Buggy Converted Into Low-Cost Planter Loading Systen
Old fertilizer buggies can be converted into low-cost planter loading units, says Steve Pitcher, Jewett, Ill., who converted a tandem axle fertilizer buggy into a hydraulically-powered seed loading unit that's complete with a hydraulically-operated auger and 15-ft. telescoping downspout.
"I paid $300 for the fertilizer buggy and spent a total of less than $2,000 to make the conversion, not counting my labor," says Pitcher.
He removed the drive chain from the buggy and replaced it with a rubber belt. He mounted a 6-in. dia., 15-ft. long auger on the back part of the buggy's frame. One motor drives the belt and the other one operates the auger. The motors are hydraulically powered by the tractor pulling the planter via snap couplings on back of the planter. The downspout is wired with an on-off master switch for each motor.
He also divided the buggy into three compartments by welding in a pair of steel plates. Feed truck-style gates in each plate are manually opened and closed by using a pair of handles that mount outside the buggy.
"It really takes the labor out of filling seed boxes and it speeds up the process," says Pitcher. "The buggy will hold about 200 50-lb. bags of seed. I use a pair of 12-volt solenoid control valves on the buggy frame to adjust the speed of both the auger and the belt. There's a microswitch in the auger hopper so if the hopper gets too full the seed flow will automatically shut off.
"The auger was originally designed to be truck-mounted and folds in the middle for road transport. "The buggy's three compartments allow me to use different soybean varieties and also keep all the seed from working toward the back at the same time, which could make the buggy unstable."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steve Pitcher, 18363 N. 800th St., Jewett, Ill. 62436 (ph 217 683-2217).
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Fertilizer Buggy Converted Into Low-Cost Planter Loading Systen FERTILIZER APPLICATION Fertilizer Application (58f) 24-1-37 Old fertilizer buggies can be converted into low-cost planter loading units, says Steve Pitcher, Jewett, Ill., who converted a tandem axle fertilizer buggy into a hydraulically-powered seed loading unit that's complete with a hydraulically-operated auger and 15-ft. telescoping downspout.
"I paid $300 for the fertilizer buggy and spent a total of less than $2,000 to make the conversion, not counting my labor," says Pitcher.
He removed the drive chain from the buggy and replaced it with a rubber belt. He mounted a 6-in. dia., 15-ft. long auger on the back part of the buggy's frame. One motor drives the belt and the other one operates the auger. The motors are hydraulically powered by the tractor pulling the planter via snap couplings on back of the planter. The downspout is wired with an on-off master switch for each motor.
He also divided the buggy into three compartments by welding in a pair of steel plates. Feed truck-style gates in each plate are manually opened and closed by using a pair of handles that mount outside the buggy.
"It really takes the labor out of filling seed boxes and it speeds up the process," says Pitcher. "The buggy will hold about 200 50-lb. bags of seed. I use a pair of 12-volt solenoid control valves on the buggy frame to adjust the speed of both the auger and the belt. There's a microswitch in the auger hopper so if the hopper gets too full the seed flow will automatically shut off.
"The auger was originally designed to be truck-mounted and folds in the middle for road transport. "The buggy's three compartments allow me to use different soybean varieties and also keep all the seed from working toward the back at the same time, which could make the buggy unstable."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steve Pitcher, 18363 N. 800th St., Jewett, Ill. 62436 (ph 217 683-2217).
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