hay conveyors

[knightguy]

When I was a kid we had a bale conveyor elevator that we moved around, but I have seen some that seemed to be permanently mounted to run vertically on the outside of the barn. How well did these work? Is there still a manufacturer producing them?

 

[JMS/.MN]

I made my own in the 70s, but they were conventional chain units both outside and inside the barn, with a tipoff. I was the one-man crew when the kids were small, and the better half expecting. There is still a vertical auger type on a barn I drive by often- paint colors make me think it might have been built by Owatonna, plus there was a dealer near there. Vertical type requires a steel "cage" to contain the bales and prevent them from falling out.

 

[jd-tom]

Yes, they were built by Owatonna Mfg. Co. I have a brochure around here somewhere for them. The bales were fed up between 2 augers spaced so that a 14" x 18" bale would fit snug between them and these augers would "auger" the bales vertically up the side of the barn, As JMS stated, there was also a cage of round tubing built around all of this to keep the bales from falling out. At the top, the tubing was curved to turn the bales into the barn, probably feeding them onto a horizontal conveyor that carried them further into the barn. OMC has been out of business since the mid to late 1980's and I don't know of any other manufacturer that made this type of conveyor (but I would guess that someone did.) I doubt if anyone makes them nowadays.

 

[JMS/.MN]

For anyone interested in the location, it is along MN hiway 4, on the south edge of Meier Grove, MN. Also an interesting barn in that town, with a wooden silo poking through the roof. It"s next to the church. W/O CRS, I"ll get a pic sometime and post it here.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Never saw one with augers here in NY state but we had a New Holland that went vertical that used chain and paddles. Sometimes a mishaped bale would jam and you had to climb up the side of the elevator to free it up. Skinner may have also had something. Donald Skinner passed away a few years back but I think one of the sons is still making parts and such.

 

[Fordfarmer]

Have seen the auger type, but never seen them work. Had an Allied verticle, used regular #55 chain. Worked OK -IF- the bales were tight, not too fine/soft, and you didn't put many bales on at a time. Hvae a permanently in-place slanted Allied now, much better.

 

[Catskill Pete]

I have a Skinner elevator, wonderful machine, but I don"t think it will work at true vertical, pretty close to it though. I believe Skinner sold out to Zimmerman after Donald Skinner passed away. Donald Skinner told me that he designed his elevator after owning John Deeres and New Hollands and then building his the way they should have done it in the first place.