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Farmer-Designed Belt Lacer Speeds Repairs
Seventy-year-old Melvin Garner bales about 1,800 acres of hay each year on his Durant, Okla., cattle farm, but thanks to a do-it-yourself belt lacer he came up with, broken belts are not the headache they once were. Garner says it's the fastest and easiest to use on the market and he now makes three different models: one specifically for JD balers, one for Heston/International balers, and one he calls his "American Style Lacer," that will work on any baler.
"They're all simple and easy to operate. They've got the squaring and trimming on them so there's no guess work about it," Garner says. "I'm a farmer and I don't like buying anything that's not any good. I designed these and got a company to make them for me. I did it because I got tired of the time spent having to leave the field when I broke a belt before."
With Garner's belt lacer, repairs are complete in as little as 15 minutes and the portability of the device allows farmers to make the repair right on the baler if they wish.
The Deere model and the Heston/International model are both patented, heat treated, and will lace 4-in. and 7-in. belts.
The American Style lacer is made of steel and comes in two different models. One fixes 4-in., 7-in. and 10-in. belts and costs $210 U.S., while the other model fixes 4 to 18-in. belts and costs $250 U.S.
"People can special order lacers to fix up to 20-in. belts like the conveyor belts used by fertilizer companies," Garner says.
Garner charges $500 for the Deere and Heston/International belt lacers. He ships all lacers by UPS collect. They weigh about 45 lbs.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Melvin Garner, Garner Manufacturing, 204 Sunny Meadow Drive, Durant, Okla., 74701 (ph 580 924-2975).


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2001 - Volume #25, Issue #3