80 Vol 20-4. Feb-May 2012

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CONTENTS

Our cover stories:

1. Hedge trimmer mounted on forager

Here's a win - win - win project! The cost is low as the scrap John Deere forager was bought for less than £5,000 and the Spearhead trimmer was on the farm anyway. The hydrostatic drive makes it very easy to alter speed and direction - no clutch dipping. The driver faces forward so there's much less over-the-shoulder work.

2. Mobile cattle handling

He pens up to 30 cattle and can put them through the cattle crush in the field where they're grazing. So there's far less herding and time spent walking. The handling system cost £500, using a redundant muck spreader chassis, a used cattle crush, purchased gates. It's a one man and his dog system which everyone admires.

Contents highlights:

Implement trailers. Rubber track diggers and other implements need a trailer, and this issue has no less than three home built machines - one with a see-saw loading deck, a second built using a modified tipping trailer, and the third which at 26ft doubles as a bale trailer with a hydraulic ramp at the back.

Tools and tips. grip for coach bolts, as found on beet harvesters, trailers etc Lighting board tester. Safety sign for trailers. Ball hitch on trailer adapted for easy ATV coupling. Dog safety bed for ATV and tractor.

Arable. Home built front linkage*. Levelling board for cultivator/drill*. Front press*. Trailed 4m sprayer for ATV*. HIAB trailer for seeds and fertiliser*. 1 man potato grading and bagging. Tips for extending life of rubber tracks. Lightweight machinery.

Livestock. Mobile cattle handler*. Gehl grinder modifications*. Sheep snacker has home made ewe carrier*.

Safety. Front fork guard for buck rake tines*. Gantry in workshop adds to electrical safety*. ATV gun carrier*. Log gripper for chainsaw work*.

Farm Business. Financial goals and strategies. Warranty repairs. Micro farm shop. Pay-as-you-use borehole water scheme. Using the farm as school educational resource. Roll-over telecom contracts now illegal.