Antique wagon hoists

Mark Poss

Well-known Member
Did they use other methods to hoist wagons to fill corn cribs besides a frame work under the front tires? Thanks for any help, Mark.
 
I've seen some A-frame things that sat on the ground in front of the wagon that had a cable going over a pulley setup on the top that could be winched up.
 
I've seen a wagon jack, kind of like an overgrown handyman jack, which tipped up the front of the wagon body (the back had to be on a hinge of course). Since it worked from the ground and not the running gear, you had to lug it out of the way when empty and back in front of the wagon for the next load, but I guess that was better than shoveling all day.
 
What about the Enos(sp.?)corn dump? I think they lifted the wagon box or the whole wagon to the top of the crib but that is a much as I think I know. Anybody have any information please enlighten me. Armand
 
One of my wagons has hinges on rear bolster. Never paid it much thought as it carries a gravity box. Guess I'll take a better look when I get a chance.
 
I own a wagon lift that was manufactured by john deere . it was a cradle that lifted only the front steer tires , was operated with a electric motor through a gear reduction that wound a cable on to drum ( like a winch ) both tractor and wagon could be driven over it .
 
We had a green a-frame, don't remember the brand name. Wagon hinged in back, had a big angle iron welded across the bottom frt of the wagons with about a 4 inch ring welded to the angle iron. You had to lift the a-frame over the wagon tongue and put a hook through the ring and hook up a hyd. hose. I was probably about 12 to 14 yrs. old and a little too light to lift that damn a-frame, probably a contributing factor of a really stiff back now days.
 
Those wonderfull memories of wrestling that a frame over the drawbar ours was painted orange we had a case elevator maybe they went together? Glad when they put hoist under them still better then shoveling them off.our chopper boxes had false front end and cables that came to the back the back swung up and there was a motor attached to a pipe that wound the cables i think that might have been allis
 
there was one other method to unload a wagon loaded with ear corn.

The method we used, two AL scoops, dad and I unloaded many a load of ear corn.

You had to really stay on your game as one pitched the scoop load into the crib upper door as the other loaded his scoop, not much room for error.

**could not be thinking about the new cheerleader while scooping corn.

also knowing there was going to be another fully loaded wagon waiting in the field as soon as you got this empty wagon back to the field.


at least I was not having to load the wagon by picking the corn by hand, did plenty of that, that method gave you time to think, between unloading the wagon.

wonder if any of the farmers of today, ever think about the old way of doing things as they are unloading a combine bin of corn into the 18 wheeler.
 
And they had a long stroke hydrolic cylinder jack that did the lifting and with that cable like that it cut the raise speed in half but doubled the lift power. Lots of companys made those. I have 2 or is it 3 different versions setting here that I have never used, do not know if the jacks work. Need to check them out.
 
Many a company made that fals front end kit but a lot were also home made. Some were powered with electric motor, others with gas engine and still others were hand crank powered. Long time before I ever saw a self unloading forage bed other than that falls endgate.
 
We had a lift here that had a frame you drove under. A cable lowered down to the loop on the front of the wagon. Then a lever was engage off the elevator jackshaft to lift the wagon with a winch.

I never picked corn by hand nor scooped a load off the wagon but sure picked my share of corn in ear form.

1975 dad and I picked 28,000 bushel by ear. Dad said he was never running that dusty picker through that much corn again. 1976 we built our first drying bin. I picked my last ear corn in 2009 when I sold the cattle. Ear corn was no longer needed for feed.

Gary
 
Shovel.

A frame wheel hoist like you describe.

Hand pump self contained hyd pump and hoist.

3pt hoist - giant cylinder on tractor - to lift.

Hyd hoist you had on the ground and lifted the wagon box, not wheels and frame.

Hyd wagon hoist run off tractor.

Gravity box.

That's what I have seen.

Used 5 of those, and own a 6th one but never used it, came along as an auction buy....

Paul
 
I have an antique front wheel mechanical wagon lift. Has a long rod with a connect to an old time PTO and a large (8") universal joint with about 10-12 steel ballbearings in it.
 
We had one that was an X type hoist with a good sized bottle jack on one side of the X. When you pumped the jack by hand the X expanded causing the wagon box to rise up. Was great for small grains and tedious for ear corn.
 
Here are a couple ways.
mvphoto10339.jpg

mvphoto10340.jpg
 
Dad had one that we drove under, mostly wood. Two A frames on the sides, with doubled 2x8's across the top. Threaded shaft on one side, driven by a jackshaft from elevator, pulled down on a T shaped block. A short arm at the bottom shifted the unit for up/hold/down. Thing was so worn out that had to stab a crowbar into ground & pry into lift position. Chains ran from the T block to pulleys at top, then down again. Hook the chains around front axle on wagon to lift.
Willie
 
I have a Case running gear on rubber with a Buerkens wood flare box and a steel wheel wagon (maker unknown) with a Triumph straight box with hoists like the top picture in Rich'toys post.
 

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