Piggyback Chaff Truck

We have to travel up to 16 miles to haul chaff in from our farthest fields," says Peter Leismeister, Consul, Sask., who, along with his brother Tony, devised a way to blow grain chaff into a 3-ton International truck which rides piggyback behind a converted Hesston Stakhand.

The collector box was removed from the Stakhand frame and a 14-ft. extension added. The Leismeisters added an axle equipped with duals from an old truck to the extended frame. Originally, they drove the chaff truck cab -- first onto the trailer. However, the Stakhand couldn't blow the material far enough to fill the truck so they revised their plans and now back the truck on, driving up 7-ft. ramps that are left down to drag in the field but are lifted for road transport.

The high-sided truck was specially built. The top half of the endgate pivots out and rests over the Stakhand chute, helping direct chaff into the truck. Peter notes that the chute fit right into the end of the truck so that no modification was needed. The endgate also hinges at the side for unloading.

The Leismeisters pull the rig with their 92-hp 1850 Cockshutt tractor. During harvest, the collect chaff in 5 to 6 ft. high piles using a REM chaff saver wagon that pulls behind their combine.

Peter notes that it takes about three trips over each pile to clean it up, and that it takes 10 to 12 of the piles to fill the truck. At headquarters, truckloads of chaff are pushed together into large piles with a tractor loader.

The brothers use the chaff, which includes cracked grain and weed seeds, as feed for their 100-cow beef herd.