Custom-Built Pedal Tractor Implements

Custom-Built Pedal Tractor Implements TRACTORS Miscellaneous 30-6-24 "Pedal tractor implements for the little farmer or collector. Miniature straw and hay bales for play or crafts. Custom made in Ridgeland, Wis." That's what you'll find on Josh Bergmann's business card. FARM SHOW caught up with him at the recent LeSeuer County Pioneer Power Show near LeSeuer, Minn. The pedal tractor implements he had on display included a pull-type John Deere discbine, flatbed hay wagon with a wooden bed, automatic kick bale wagon, round bale hauler, 2-wheeled grain auger, manure spreader with a ground-driven beater, and slant bar feeder wagon. All the implements are made entirely from metal, except for the flatbed wagon and manure spreader which have some wood parts. "I build these implements on a custom basis, according to the customer's wishes. They're built with close attention to detail," says Bergmann. Prices range from $100 to $300 depending on complexity of the model. "Implements such as the hay wagon and manure spreader, which require a lot of woodworking, take longer to make and are therefore the most expensive," he says. He also sells just the running gears for standard hay wagons - the tongue and frame minus the wheels. "It's my most popular item," he says. "Dad or grandpa can buy just the running gear and then have their son or grandson help them finish building the implement. They buy the wheels and bolt them onto the running gear, then make their own wooden bed and bolt it on, then varnish it and paint the running gear. There's no need to use a welder or metal fabricating equipment. The kids get to take ownership in it and come to feel like it's partly theirs." He built his own mini baler out of sq. tubing, mounting it on a 4 by 8-ft. sheet of 1/8-in. thick steel. The baler is powered by a 1/2 hp electric motor that operates at 1,725 rpm's. However, the motor is geared down via belts and chains so that the plunger operates at only 75 rpm's. The bales measure 7 in. long by 3 1/2 in. wide. They are tied with baler twine that's fed up through the bottom by "twine needles" that are connected to a foot-operated pedal. "People are amazed at how real the bales look. Some people use the bales as decorations, some use them to feed their rabbits or as bedding for pets," says Bergmann. At shows he sells the bales for $2 apiece. He also sells them wholesale. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Josh Bergmann, P. O. Box 142, Ridgeland, Wis. 54763 ph 715 556-4769; jkbergmann@ gmail.com).

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