Running gear update-

Dad took the tandem part in to a shop today, but they basically said that what it would cost to fix vs. what it would cost to replace, it wouldn't be worth it. That's at their shop rate of $70/hr. Funny part was, they had another chopper box in their yard with the EXACT same running gear under it with a busted spindle. Their's was a rear spindle on the tandem though, so that can be pressed out and replaced, no problems. The other side had the paint burnt off from having the same done to that side....

I went home again and we looked it over, and with some looking and jaw jacking we came up with a plan to atleast get the chopper box home.

We're gona play a few rounds of musical gears... We've got an old John Deere running gear in the weeds. Needs some work, but we're gonna put it under our busted 16 ft. Meyer's chooper box, and putn that gear under the 18 ft. Gehl out in the feild. Not sure what that gear is rated for, but looking at it, it's beefier than the Knowles, but it's a single axel 6 bolt, vs. the tandem 6 bolt that's (1/2 of it anyway) under it currently.

I'll have to take some pictures of it to see if you guys can identify it. It was under our old Rex wagon until that was beyond repair, now it's under the Meyers. It'll be under the Gehl next.

Then I'll have some time to fix the running gear myself, and then we'll put it back under. Then we might put it under our 16' 920, since that has a gear under it that has been cobbled on some its self and is 8 bolt. That part is fine, but we don't have anything that's 8 bolt for spares, so if it gets a flat, we're screwed. And those huge implement tires are kinda expensive.

I'll try to have my camera around when we start the games...

Donovan from Wisconsin

Running gear olympics?

Vito

Somethign like that- Maybe it can be incorporated into a tractor show!!! How fast can you swap gears?

I suggested swapping some gears around the day after it broke, but Dad wasn't up to it then. Now I think he's coming around....

We've got my brother's Oliver 550 w/ loader and our Massey 165 w/ loader, so we should be able to get one on either side and lift slowly. Won't be as nice as a payloader, but it should get the job done... Just a bit of screwing around.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Changing the gears around is harder if you spend more time thinking than you do ~doing~.
Just hay racks we have here, but they get fired off when needed. No big deal. Just flip them off...
Chopper box is heavier, but two good loaders should do it, drag the carcass away and shove another one under. No biggie.

I also found this while looking around...

http://www.horstwelding.com/wagon_items.php?id=10

or the other link...

Rod
Horst gear for sale

I've only ever seen 1 wagon with a double reach like that and it trailed like crap. Hard to beleive that they'll hold up very well to twisting in the feild. Followed the link to their website. It does look like they build some fine gears but looks like I'll get another chance to fire up the torch again.

I saw that it says the double reach will hepl give it the strength while turning short with tandems. To me that's not where you need strength. You need it in the spindles that take all the stress from the turns.

Donovan from Wisconsin

We've never had any problems with them. Have one of the model pictured that's 25-30 years old and one tandem model 240. Had one kingpin seize up on each one, but that's not the wagon's fault. Neither of them hardly ever see a grease gun until the pole gets tight...
They track dead straight down the road at any speed and I've never had any trouble with them in the field. They flex as much as the box/rack/whatever will let them flex. They back straight instead of rocking and twisting on their reaches too.
I know you probably don't want to spend the money on a new one... but if you ever see a used one for sale at a good price, grab it. It'll change your experience with wagons entirely.

We've also got a single axle 10 ton that's built a lot like the one you pictured... same basic design anyway. Dunno what make this one is because I don't think they ever saw fit to attach their name to it. From day one it swayed like a drunk on the road and gets worse as it wears. Been rebuilt once and due again. It's heavy enough, but it just doesn't track as nice. I'd never buy another one of them if I knew what it was.
It'll be Horst or nothing around here.

Hope you get it fixed up OK anyway if you go that route.

Rod

Wooly bear caterpillars will have a wide stripe if it's going to be a hard winter. Or is it a narrow stripe? Probably doesn't matter anymore, as I haven't seen one in years. Probably extinct. Maybe too many hard winters.