Pto-Powered "Fence Sweeper" Chops Up Weeds That Collect Along Fences

Pto-Powered "Fence Sweeper" Chops Up Weeds That Collect Along Fences FENCING Miscellaneous 25-3-10 "I built it because there wasn't anything on the market that could do the job," says Ken Wolery, Billings, Montana, about the rotating brush and chopper-mower he built to sweep off weeds that collect on fences. The 2-wheeled machine is equipped with a flail-type chopper that measures 6 1/2 ft. wide, as well as a 32-in. dia., 40-in. high brush. The brush is operated by an orbital motor driven by a pto-operated pump. A hydraulic cylinder is used to raise or lower the brush on uneven ground.áThe brush rotates clockwise. As the driver moves forward the brush sweeps the weeds into the chopper, which then chops them up and blows them out the back. Wolery uses the rig to do custom work cleaning up dried tumble weeds and kochia that collect along pasture fences in his area. "It chops the weeds and shreds them up in a cloud of dust. The only manual work is in the corners where I use a pitchfork to clean out any weeds that the machine can't reach," says Wolery. "The chopper-mower chops up weeds along the ground as well as the weeds that are fed into it by the brush. The machine is offset behind the tractor so my total width, including the tractor, is about 16 ft. I don't go very fast. I average a little over 1 mph but have gone just over 2 mph. The speed all depends on the terrain and the straightness of the fence. In some cases where there are higher fences and bigger banks of weeds I might have to make two passes. The machine will chop up any green weeds, too. "It's a real fence friendly machine. If the brush ever picks up a broken wire the orbit motor that drives the brush will automatically stop so that the fence won't get torn up. A lot of people ask me if there's any problem with weed seeds. I always tell them that most of the seeds have fallen out before the dried weeds get blown into the fence, or they've already fallen out along the fence before I get to them." Wolery says he's willing to custom sweep fences for farmers and ranchers anywhere in North America. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ken Wolery, TyLco Enterprises, 108 Stillwater Lane, Billings, Montana 59105 (ph 406 259-2954; E-mail: nkwolery@qwest.net).

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