He Made His Own Pasture Pipeline Plow

He Made His Own Pasture Pipeline Plow LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment 31-4-4 Rancher Wayne Hagen farms and also operates a manufacturing company so when he saw a need in the ranching community last year, he decided to fill it. Hagen designed a pasture pipeline plow and then rented it out to local ranchers and pasture managers who were being forced to pump water to livestock over longer distances. His tractor-mounted plow cuts up to 2 ft. into the ground as its reel lays in pvc water pipe from a spool. A maximum of 2-in. dia. pipe can be used, but Hagen says 1 1/2-in. pipe, which comes in 6,200-ft. rolls, was the most common choice. At the time, it cost between 42 and 45 cents/ft., but he says it's probably now closer to the 50-cent mark. "I made the plow's 3-in. wide beam from three pieces of 1 by 8-in. flat iron laminated together. On the rest of the plow, I mainly used 3/4-in. to 1-in. thick steel," he says. "The heavy construction allows it to cut through all types of tough ground." In some of the harshest conditions last year, he says one farmer's two-wheel drive tractor was spinning, so he switched to a 150 hp 4-WD and the plow held up. This year, Hagen continues to see demand for his plow, as many ranchers in his area are switching to cross-fencing for intensive grazing, and need to get water to all of the smaller pastures. "I've been charging $200 for the first day and the first half mile - after that it's five cents a foot, plus the cost of the pipe," he says. "I try to keep the price as reasonable as I can." Hagen will also build units if there's enough interest. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Wayne Hagen, P. O. Box 215, Lake Alma, Sask., Canada S0C 1M0 (ph 306 447-4721; whagen@sasktel.net).

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