Hay wagons; let's see them!

[DMF]

Did you use 4x4's for the "floor joists" What size wood did you use on the floor??? Is it pressure treated??? I was worrried about loose corn falling through when the pressure treated shrinks.

Just FYI I used 4 x 8 x 16' Hemlock for my main beams and 4 x 4 oak for the joists. I decked mine with 1" thick oak boards...those shrunk and left gaps as well. If you are looking to make a floor that will not let kernals of corn fall through I think you'd have to shiplap the edges. I wouldn't think you'd want plywood because water would pool up when it rained...

 

[slowzuki]

We've got 4 hay wagons on the farm. 3 are large ones, hold about 280 bales when stacked right. The other is small and has the deck removed right now for hauling lumber.

Up here racks are all built with big stringers and 2x6 deck run the width.

I see in the US smaller stringers with 4x4's run short ways and 1" deck run the long direction is common.

Ours live outside and seem to last about 15 years. Takes about 3-4 hours to completely redo one. I've started using seal healing asphalt over the stringers so I only have to redeck in the future.

 

[Scotty370]

Southrnr17-I agree with your "own-vision+own product" statement. I especially like seeing folks spend "quality-time" with the likes of the young'un in your pic! Growing up on a farm, those are some of the best memories of my younger days......~Scotty

 

[southrnr17]

What size is your wagon??? How high are the sideboards??? What did you use for your runners on the frame??? Did you use 4x4's for the "floor joists" What size wood did you use on the floor??? Is it pressure treated??? I was worrried about loose corn falling through when the pressure treated shrinks.

Do you have any pictures of the construction process???

BTW: I like it.

I'm going one day this week to look at some running gears. One guy has two that he wants $100.00 each for. I want one to pull behind my corn picker, It's a New Idea 323. Looks a lot like yours.

Another guy has a wagon with a floor and sides he wants $250.00 for. Not sure what it looks like though. It does have Electric running gear.

Sorry for so many questions.

My wagon is 7'x12'. All of the wood is pressure treated, bought from Lowes (you could save a lot if you have a local sawmill). The main beams are two pairs of 2x8's and the "floor joists" are 2x6's. I notched the main beams and cross beams an inch each so they interlock. The floor and rails are 5/4"x6" standard decking boards. I butted everything up tight when I screwed it down hoping that once it shrank it wouldn't open up too much. So far I don't have a problem losing corn through the cracks. The side rails are 3 boards high, so that makes them 17" tall. Also, to be exact, the floor is 15 decking boards wide so that makes it 85" wide.

I would say that if you can get a decent wagon for $250 that sounds like a great deal to me. I couldn't even find a halfway decent name brand running gear for that around here. I've got way more than that in mine just for materials. My picker is also a New Idea 323. I'll attach some pictures of the build. Good luck!

 

[jayste]

Southrnr17, looks nice. Keep us updated. Do I see brakes on that wagon?

Jay

 

[DMF]

As promised, I took a few pictures of the finished product. Sorry for the snow...the deck boards are painted the same Massey-grey that the head board and wheels are.

 

[jayste]

Great job, Rich. What is that 3" channel? I like how you brought the corners together on the uprights. I see grass doesn't just grow on top of the septic tank but under the wagon as well!

Jay

 

[DMF]

Great job, Rich. What is that 3" channel? I like how you brought the corners together on the uprights. I see grass doesn't just grow on top of the septic tank but under the wagon as well!

Jay

Yup. That was channel I picked up cheap from a place that was going out of business. It's the sameplace I bought the pallet racks I mention in my thread "Implement Shed" in the projects forum: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/158849-implement-shed.html.

The hay wagon was my first real welding job and I did it all with a stick welder. I'm pretty pleased with the results.

As far as the grass growing underneath it, I had recently parked it there before it snowed. When I had the wagon assembled but not yet painted, the grass under it all died, I assumed from some acids leaching out from the oak floorboards.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Hey guys,

just bought a new MF 1837 baler that has the center line baler. Want to use my current 16' flat bed car trailer to collect the hay instead of another piece of equipment (hay wagon). Looking at the baler it looks like I can run a 3" x 6' channel to extend out from under the baler which would be bolted to the baler frame--it has a welded tab with hole for a hook up already, put a 2" ball on the end or the channel piece, weld a brace from the 3" channel to the hay chamber and bolt it there. My question would be would that be strong enough (3" channel) to support a 16' trailer? Thanks

 

[jayste]

Lonewolf, I'm more concerned if the baler will handle the tongue weight when the trailer is loaded.