$200 Double Your Money Winner: Power Sweeper Makes Cleaning Easier
For $200 I made a power sweeper to clean the floor of our tiestall barn. Using an old pull-start snow blower, I cut off the auger and chute assembly but left the drive system. I attached a gearbox from an old auger so the snow blower’s clutch could still engage. I ran a shaft from the center of the gearbox and attached the brush using tubing, pipes and bearings. A belt drives the brush. The shield is made from 15-gal. buckets cut in half and bolted together. Jacob, a high school junior, farms with his dad at Hillview-S-Holsteins.
Jacob Schroeder, Fergus Falls, Minn.
Tool Simplifies PTO Hook Up
I found it difficult to line up the splines, pull back the retainer ring and push the heavy PTO shaft forward while hooking the baler PTO to the tractor. I simplified this task by making a small U-shaped fork out of 1/16"x5/16" flat iron. The fork is bent to fit securely over the PTO shaft so the retainer ring remains in the unlocked position.
Tom Cook, Decatur, Texas
Engine Block Heater Indicator Light
During the winter months, plugging in my tractor’s engine block heater is a must. Forgetting to unplug the block heater on the tractor often resulted in broken extension cords. So I mounted a 120-volt light to the dashboard of my tractor and wired it to the block heater’s power. Now when I start the engine, I can see if my tractor is still plugged in.
Simon Hofer, Sioux Falls, S.D.
