Composter Built "Bowling Ball Tough"

Composter Built Bowling Ball Tough MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous Bowling balls engine parts cement blocks chunks of 6 by 6 posts and even 55-gal drums are just some of the extra s Carl Belohlavek s compost turner sometimes runs into When he took over the job of composting his town s yard waste he had no idea he d be dealing with that kind of junk Fortunately he built a compost turner that s heavy enough to handle it all
     I started composting with a tractor and loader but it couldn t mix in enough oxygen so I decided to build a machine says Belohlavek
His prototype turner was built from a 715 IH combine After taking on another job composting wood waste for a paper plant 50 miles away he knew he needed something bigger
I took the engine cab transmission hydraulics and wheels from a 1460 International combine says Belohlavek The turbo-powered 175 hp engine is big enough to turn the 14-ft long beater through a windrow 12 to 14 ft wide and 6 to 7 ft high It ll go through 1 250 cubic yards per hour
The 42-in dia beater is key to the machine s success Belohlavek fabricated it from Schedule 1080 heavy pipe A local machine shop cut steel plate for the ends with exactly centered holes for a 1 15/16-in steel shaft Everything from shaft to bearings is overbuilt to handle the torque
When that beater is spinning at 300 rpm s you have to have pretty substantial spherical bearings to hold under the stress and load he says
Tines measuring 3/4 by 4-in are bolted to 4-in channel iron that s welded to the pipe It s easy to replace a tine should one break Belohlavek used a jig to ensure that each tine was placed exactly as needed The 60 tines are set in three spirals that go from the edges of the beater to the center The spirals keep the beater in balance as they lift material and toss it to the center of the turned windrow
Heavy rubber belting hangs down both in front of the beater and to its rear It keeps heavy debris from flying out and hitting someone says Belohlavek
To ensure adequate power Belohlavek designed two separate closed loop hydraulic circuits One is dedicated to turning the beater and the other to the hydrostatic drive system steering raising and lowering the beater and moving the cab in and out
When turning compost I want the cab sticking out in front of the frame for maximum visibility says Belohlavek When I m transporting it between home and the paper plant it sits sideways on a lowboy trailer Then I want the cab back in line with the frame
To accomplish both he mounted the cab on a track with a hydraulic cylinder to move it back and forth He can adjust it from inside the cab as needed
Like the beater Belohlavek made sure the frame was built extra sturdy It needed to handle the beater plus the stress of turning large windrows on uneven ground The entire frame including braces is fabricated from 6 by 8-in steel tubing Steel decking makes it easy for Belohlavek to service the engine and other components A railing and ladders makes it easy and safe to climb up and over the compost turner
The machine is 21 ft wide from the outsides of the tires and it stands 13 ft 6 in high says Belohlavek
Finished compost is used in his wife s perennial nursery He also screens and bags it or stockpiles it for bulk orders
Belohlavek maintains a complete metal shop where he built the composter and also fabricates custom trailers He would consider building compost turners for others but price would depend on the combine used and the price of steel at the time
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Carl Belohlavek 780 Redfield Rd Mosinee Wis 54455 ph 715 693-3755

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