Pictures

[Tom OConnor]

A little explanation here. The first picture is a machine to shred the cuttings after the automatic pruners go through. The second is a blueberry harvester and the third is a Freeman Baler. The Freeman seems to be the favorite and many are
sold with the mounted engine and are pulled by ton pickups or jeeps. They have all the controls in the cab to start the engine, engage the baler and the hydraulics for the tension, pickup, tongue and moisture meter. I was told that many of
the custom balers will run a hundred thousand bales a year. Not surprising when they cut alfalfa about every thirty days and seldom ever have rain to contend with.

 

[RedMF40]

For the first machine, what kind of clippings? From fruit trees, vines? Something else? Never seen these machines before, thanks for the share.

 

[Andy Martin]

I'm thinking those pictures aren't from Kansas, Toto.

 

[Hayfarmer]

Where are you Tom? I have seen guys using the 3 tie freeman balers pulled by a pickup with a special hitch in the Columbia basin, eastern Washington. They use a special 5th wheel hitch on pickup. Saw a couple parked here, Central Washington, but most guys use tractors on them here and most are hydro driven from PTO

 

[SVcummins]

World ag expo Tulare California I?ll bet with machinery? on display like that . Not a lot of big corn planters or grain drills at that show when I went but still a pretty neat show

 

[Mutt and Jeff]

And you thought chainsaw massacre, jaws, zombies, was ugly and scary
I'm ascared just lookin at those jaws.
Darnnit I'll have nightmares again

 

[BillinCentralMO]

"Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the field ...."

 

[Part Time Pete]

Cool pictures. I wonder why you don't see any Freeman balers in the northeast? It's all NH, JD or Case IH around here
Pete

 

[ADB-Ia]

Doesn't look anything like the blueberry pickers on my uncle's farm in Michigan when I was a kid. They had legs instead of wheels.

 

[INCase]

quite a baler. surprised they would make one with its own power unit or do they bale with pickups or something without PTO?


what is the freeman machine behind the baler?

 

[Rich'sToys]

That blueberry picker looks similar to my brother's grape harvesting machine.

 

[wilson ind]

READ READ pulled by ton trucks and jeeps !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[John Wilmoth]

Lot's of Freeman Balers where I grew up (southern Idaho) both tractor pull and self propelled
baled lot of hay with a Freeman pulled with an old H.Had own engine,can't remember what engine
our John Deere's used Wisconsin.
When I got divorced shucked it all and moved to Portland,Freeman factory located there,did some
construction work there to me it was just like Disneyland!!

 

[JL Ray]

You guys think that maybe the bailer is targeting the Amish?

 

[Tom OConnor]

The machine behind the Freeman baler is an accumulator and you can see part of a cube of bales to the right of the machine. They had a slight drizzle so they covered the bales. The picture is what they pick up the cubes with.

 

[Tom OConnor]

I farmed my entire life in central Michigan but had a new home built in the White Tank Mountain area between Good Year and Buckeye, Arizona when I retired. A lot of vegetables grown in this area along with many huge dairy operations. I think that the popularity of the Freeman Baler is the outstanding capacity and when you see them behind a pickup or Jeep you know they are fast on the road. The Tulare Farm show is over in central California.

 

[Oliver 500 Wa]

First real job I had out of school was working at a machine shop that was owned by Freeman and made all the machined parts for Freeman balers and other machines. Supposedly one of the best square balers of the day. They were still owned by the Freeman family back then. Now they are part of a larger corporation.

 

[Tom OConnor]

Here is a couple tree pruners that you wonder how they ever got past OSHA. Those whirling saw blades just gives one the chills.

 

[Tom OConnor]

The clippings are what is cut off the trees after the pruners go through. Both the fruit trees and the nut trees get pruned, the clippings get windowed and then shredded into mulch.

 

[RedMF40]

Those tree pruners look like "spinning wheels of death." Probably pretty efficient at what they do, however. Friend in PA uses something called a "hydro-ladder" to lop off branches in his orchard. My understanding is that it's still manually operated--kind of a cherry-picker with hydraulic pruners.

 

[Dave H (MI)]

Hello Tom! How you doing this winter? The water pump went on the truck on my last load of the season but I got it back in the shed and left it for Spring. Nice easy repair to start the year with! Great pictures.

 

[Tom OConnor]

Hi Dave,
If I knew that the truck was going to be that dependable I would have given you a warranty with it. I think that I was the only person that ever drove it and I knew that it was never abused. I will show a picture of a nice switching tractor so when your operation grows you will know what is coming. It has been a great winter out here.

 

[Dave H (MI)]

Glad to hear things are nice there. Not so much here!

I could use that truck now. The elevator around the corner shut down and the next nearest is a good 20 miles. I need a way to make fewer trips. I'm working on it, take care!