My homemade beater

Ok, so I made it at the shop where I work.... but it's done. About $120 invested including 2 new 1 1/4" bearings and pressed steel flanges, and I think about 9-10 hours over 3 friday afternoons.

When I got home with it we spun it up with the tractor and it runs really smooth. I'm happy, and Dad is even more happy.



Now I'm working on picking up another H&S 220 that needs a little work as it hasn't been run in a few years. Hopefully the apron shaft isn't frozen up, but I guess we'll see once I get it.

So on this one, that just adds ot the list of what I fabbed up on it over the years.

About 10 years ago we did the steel on the sides. About 3 years ago I replaced the A frame hitch underneath it with one I fabbed up from scratch, along with some other minor fab work. The next year I built a new tailgate for it, and replaced the steel in the front, and then I painted the whole thing with some free paint from work. Last year it got a new apron chain. This year it was the beater.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Very nice. Very nice welds too. Jim

looking good, nice work.

Your ability to repair is remarkable! You have saved your Dad's farm thousands of dollars, in some of the repairs that you have done in the past. Keep up the good work! Bruce.

That reminds me of the USS Constitution or "Old Ironsides" which resides in Boston harbor. She has had many refits and at least two complete overhauls. They are pretty sure that they have one original plank in her keel.

Very nice job! If you get the H&S I have a
suggestion, in the front they use a slider rather
than gears on a shaft like most. Over time those get
bent, I've repaired several by putting a pipe all
the way across so they can't bend back anymore.
Otherwise they are a very good and simple spreader.

I know. Old joke, but, Do you stand behind your work?

You are a Son to make a Dad proud Don....nice job, again!

Good job on the retrofit. Basic components to work with, but still takes talent to envision and put it together. Many folks wouldn"t have a clue.

Not all H&S spreaders use those tensioners. This one does, but we have another 220 at home that is now a scrap hauler that has a solid shaft across the front with idler sprockets on it. I think the other one I'm going to buy has the same shaft and idler setup.

That one also has a home made beater in it and it's going to need some attention before too long. Probably just make up more mounts like I made and then weld those on the tube. We actually got the square tube from the same gentleman and I copied his home made beater for this one. He has 3 spreaders, all with home made replacement beaters in them. Each one was tweaked some and revised.

I like the challenge of repairing things most guys would give up on, and I'm very fortunate to work in a shop that allows me to use their equipment. I have just about everything at my disposal, including the machining center I usually run with a 70"x40" table and 50 taper spindle.

I've got a photobucket account with a file of my projects over the years, and I've gotta say there are some good ones in there. One of my next major projects is going to be replacing a bunch of shafts on our Gehl 920. It broke the shaft coming out of the gearbox for the beaters when the bottom one twisted off, and then the input shaft is also worn where the shear bolt goes and so is the other shaft that's on the other side of the shear tube. I'm also going to go with a beater out of our decommisioned Meyers wagon in place of the Gehl beater. That'll be all 3 in use in Gehl wagons, and only 2 more OEM beaters between the 920 and 970.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Hey Larry- You get that combine together yet?

And for the other question you guys have, I'll stand behind this one until he puts the first load in it. Then I'll step about 10'-20' to the left....

By the title I thought I was going to see a homemade car or truck. Have any of you heard old cars called "beaters"?

My old truck is a beater and I just can't bring myself to sell her. Dad bought it in 92 and have it to me in 01. I drive it all over the place and it'd just plain wore out, and not safe to drive anymore.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Nice work Don.

Did you actually take the whole spreader into work to make the beater? Looks like CNC controls in the background. My guys would have a fit if I brought my spreader into the machine shop...

The shop is dead on Fridays so I made sure nothing was clinging and went for it. I could have done the final fitment at the farm, but I wanted to make sure the paddles were spaced right before doing full welds on everything. It's been out of commission all winter so nothing too fresh was on it. otherwise I may have considered another way....

Donovan from Wisconsin