hay wagon

cbd · Mar 22, 2013

Good morning all.Im going to look at a
hay wagon this weekend. What should i look for?
Never brought a haywagon before.any advice would be appreciated.thanks.

Bret4207 · Mar 22, 2013

Broken welds or rusted through metal, decking condition and, these days with high tire prices, tire condition.

Zachary Hoyt · Mar 22, 2013

Pick up the tongue and see how far it moves from side to side before the wheels turn. The more slop there is the more it will hunt from side to side as you pull it down the road. I also like to grab the top of each wheel and rock it toward and away from you, if the wagon is empty and the wheel bearings are loose or worn you should be able to feel the wheel tilt.
Zach

showcrop · Mar 22, 2013

What Zachary says about the tongue is really important. If it has more than about two inches free play at the end it will tend to dance down the road when loaded. A fab shop can repair them by welding in bushings or drilling for a larger pin. When checking tires, one of my wagons has tires that look nice on the outside but on the inside there are big cracks.

cbd · Mar 22, 2013

Ive learned over the years if you dont know what youre doing,you will most likly do it wrong. never thought about some of the things brought up. Thank you guys so much

Gene Dotson · Mar 22, 2013

Check condition of main sills and cross ties. Floor boards can be replaced rather easy, but a rotten sill beam can lead to problems if they break in transit. Tongue and front end condition will depend on how it is used. Short trips to the barn from the field at slow speed won;t cause problems, but if taken on the road you will want it to be tight like the previous posts.

Gene

Dave H (MI) · Mar 22, 2013

I've brought home several gears in the last ten years and you have some good advice here. Check the tires and bearings first. Used to be used tires were cheap but not so much now and a wagon is not a deal if the tires need replacing and a bearing going on the way home is not fun. The tongue issue is relative. Most of the really old gears will hunt if driven too fast on the road. If it is a distance and you want to drive speed limit then that is a problem. You can stop the weaving on most implements with a diagonal strap but on a wagon with a swinging tongue that is a problem also. Buy one close to home and drive slowly and you will get it home just fine. If it has implement tires they are not really rated for pave road/highway speed anyway. Something in the 20-30 mph range is as fast as we pull them. Make sure it is built properly. The best have two large lengthwise beams with heavy cross beams and 1" rough decking on that. Tongue and groove doesnt shed water and modern deck boards are slippery. Deck alone can cost most of $200 if done right so make sure it is right and solid.

hay wagon

cbd

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Bret4207

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Zachary Hoyt

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showcrop

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cbd

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Gene Dotson

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Dave H (MI)

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