Wisconsin Farmers Happy With Italian-Built Rock Crusher

Wisconsin Farmers Happy With Italian-Built Rock Crusher ROCK PICKERS Rock Pickers 29-5-14 Last summer vegetable growers Allan Brooks and Tom Zick of Markesan, Wis., bought a machine they hope will make rock picking a job of the past. They bought an Italian-built FAE rock crusher, which chews rocks up into small pieces on-the-go. The 3-pt. mounted, pto-powered crusher is distributed in the U.S. by Big Iron Equipment of Plover, Wis. (ph 888 696-4019 or 715 344-3401). The company offers models from 4 to 7 ft. wide. Brooks and Zick bought a 4-ft. model which weighs about two tons. They pull it behind their 100 hp New Holland TV 140 bi-directional tractor, equipped with a variable hydrostatic transmission. The rock crusher has a 22-in. dia. rotor that turns against the direction of travel. The rotor is equipped with tungsten carbide teeth. Stones are crushed by being forced against a steel bar. The machine runs on skids that are bolted to the frame at either side. Working depth is varied by adjusting the skids. "It works well and leaves a mixture of finely harrowed soil and small stones not much bigger than a quarter in size," says Allan, who farms with his father Gilbert. They grow more than 2,000 acres of peas, sweet corn and snap beans for area canning companies. "This spring we put about 125 hours on the machine grinding rocks on at least 40 acres. "Canning companies want fields that are clean and this machine will crush rocks that are too small to hand pick. We have mainly limestone rocks which are relatively easy to crush. It handled rocks up to 15 in. in diameter with no problems. However, we also ran some smaller granite rocks through it with no problems although the crushing process does take longer for granite rocks. We traveled at speeds from 1.6 to 1.8 mph. If you go too fast, the machine will pick up the rocks and run them through without totally crushing them. To maximize the output of the machine we just scalp the soil, running an inch or so deep. Last spring Brooks attended the SIMA farm equipment show in France, where six different brands of rock crushers were on display. "I don't know why these machines haven't caught on in North America. At the show, the manufacturers of these machines said that some farmers in Europe run these machines up to 15 in. deep in the soil. However, that takes a lot of horsepower and is very destructive of soil structure." The 4-ft. wide rock crusher sells for about $31,000; the 7-ft. model, $70,000. "These machines aren't cheap, but I think they have real potential for doing custom work," notes Brooks. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Allan Brooks, W774 Center Rd., Markesan, Wis. 53946 (ph 920 748-3600; janal@fbconnectu .net),

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