What Baling-wire used for??

Ok my turn.... sorry no "pics" Tom got me to thinken. What we used baling wire for on the farm? Back in the med 60's a dusty old breaded man landed his bi-plane crop-duster on are freshly baled hayfield. To reload the plane to spray cornfields in the area.As it came to a stop my brothers ran up to the old plane. the old man climbed out dusted himself off, 1st thing he said was "boys your dad got any baling wire?" yup we do. As the old fart wrapped a wire on the tail of the plane. He said to dad can the boys go up with me??? Dad took one look at the plane said wire is good stuff !! But I don't think so,hee hee. So over the years what did you use wire for?? sorry about carring on! God Bless

My Dad and I were hauling a couple of tons of scrap in a '73 F-250 when we had a blowout. The only jack we had on hand was a bumper jack, which wouldn't fit under the bumper of the truck. We took a short chain and wrapped it around the rear axle, then wired it to the top of the ratcheting assembly of the bumper jack, with it as close to the bottom of the bumper as we could get it. Put about 10 wraps through the chain links, if I recall correctly. Worked like a charm. Baling wire is good stuff!

Lets see now. Exhaust hangers,gas welding rod,cotter pins,a loop through throttle spring to speed up engine for pulling, top link bracket to hold top link when unhooked, hydraulic hose bracket, fence repair and henge for gate. Just a few.

Shoot used it and the plastic twine to hold tie or other wise fix any thing that was trying to fall down or off of things. You do know any good hardware store sells a wire call mechanics wire which as such is pretty much the same thing as baling wire

Year's ago was at a farm sale with a buddy. Was turning around in a driveway and dropped off the end of the culvert and knocked off a tie rod. Beat it back together and wrapped it with baling wire and came back home. Didn't break any speed limits on the way home though. Did the same thing last week when mowing at another place down the road. A worn tie rod on mower dropped off. Wired it up and came back home for proper repair.

Tons of it were used on these over the years. I still find it on some that I work on for folks now.
Here is mine earning it's keep.
Richard in NW SC

A lot of gates were held up with baling wire on our farm back in the day. We'd hang heat lamps with it, dad made a hog catcher with a couple of pipes and baling wire, baling wire tied hog water lids down (for awhile). Baling wire burned down a portable hog shed in the pasture when lightning hit a fence post and followed the baling wire that tied the post to the building. Now I'm going to be reminicing about it all afternoon LOL. Jim

I Knew an old scot that split the rear tires on his old case,and sewed them up with baling wire to get another six months or so out of them. SQUEAK

Rod I think asked about how they "tie" thewire so here is a shot of a 'twist" cnt

Over 30 years ago Dad used it to weld jaws back together on a 16 inch cresent wrench after too big a cheater pipe. Still holding today.

OH My--to keep this reply from being 5 miles long, I will limit the reply to just one implement--dad's old plow with mechanical lift. Baling wire was a poor farmers best friend.

Baling wire served a purpose on both ends of the trip rope. Rope was easier on the hands than wire so a piece of usually old, broken, discarded rope was used in the grabbing area. Tie a knot in each end of the rope and extend it back to the plow trip lever as needed with baling wire.

For the breakaway feature and to attach the trip rope to the tractor, double strand the wire and form a hook. Hook the baling wire hook to the tractor seat and to the knot in the front end of the rope. When the trip rope got tangled or the plow broke away, the hook would straighten out.

The depth levers original rods from the latch to the squeeze lever tended to break after 30 years and baling wire would serve as a replacement. Also, the notches that the latch engages tended to wear angles and would not stay engaged. A piece of baling wire properly applied would hold the latch engaged.

To hold the plow in the ground, pieced of heavy iron from the junk pile could be mounted on top of the plow beams and held in place by you guessed it baling wire.

Baling wire worked for small cotter pins. Need an inch long spacer on a shaft, wrap baling wire between two washers. If spare parts had at least one bolt hole, tie them to the implement with baling wire. Those were the good old days. <sigh>

Thats a great story, Rod.

That is sort of neat they can do that, thanks for pic, Rod.

Around here it has tied up a lot of tailpipes. Its purpose was to get you by till fixed right, but it did its job so well it never was removed.
Have a old hog feeder full of it and yet to day have a path to it getting baleing wire when I need it.

My uncle bought a tractor once that had alot of baling wire tied on it. The more he removed the better it ran. We used baling wire often in the barn to tie ud cow stanchions. Ron, with your reply about plows, years ago I worked for a seasoned farmer that would tie long pieces of wire onto the plow to help turn over the furrows. He didnot have coverboards, but it seemed to help a lot.

My gosh what havent I used balin wire for. Everything from holden gates together to holden a fuel tank on a truck balin wire is a farmers best freind.

If it can't be fixed with bailing wire and/or duck tape it can't be fixed!! (<:

Jim