Custom Farm Vehicles Built From Old Trucks

Custom Farm Vehicles Built From Old Trucks TRUCKS Conversions Chris Lindstrom was raised on a large Wisconsin dairy farm but he wasn’t a guy who gravitated to cows “I was always tinkering with machinery as a teenager ” Lindstrom says “I started building custom manure trucks when our operation grew out of pull-type spreaders We needed something that was big tough and powerful I built my first truck-mounted spreader onto an old cab-over garbage truck that had more than 300 000 miles on it I replaced the garbage truck body with a big custom manure box and we were in business ” Lindstrom went on to build other custom rigs for his family operation then started Maxville Truck & Repair in 2002 His family still runs a large dairy but Chris and his Maxville crew have done more than 100 bumper-to-bumper restorations on used cab-over garbage and cement trucks They overhaul engines and transmissions refurbish the cab reinforce the frame and then mount silage boxes grain boxes or TMR units on the extra-strong vehicles He and his crew do the engine power train and frame buildups and a local metal fabricator builds the custom boxes “We produce whatever our livestock customers want in whatever price range they give us ” says Chris Normally they rebuild and strengthen truck frames for added carrying capacity When it comes to transmissions they can install large hydrostatic pumps so the vehicles have infinite speed control for bunk-feeding side-winding alongside choppers or applying liquid manure One of the hydros Lindstrom has installed produces 275 hp When the truck isn’t used for hauling it can spin a 540 rpm manure pump at 700 to 900 rpm’s In 2014 he’s building a larger pump that should push 400 hp and be able to fill a 6 500 gal liquid manure tanker in under 90 seconds The powerful hydrostatic vehicles can replace high-horsepower tractors at a far lower purchase price They’re also less expensive to operate “Manure handling efficiency is all about moving gallons per hour ” Lindstrom says “and the hydrostatic pumps have really helped us improve that We load and unload trucks and tankers really fast because volume produces revenue ” The 10 straight trucks in his custom application business all made from old garbage or cement trucks haul 4 500 gal Semi tankers that once hauled hot asphalt now haul 6 500 gal of liquid manure “If everything goes smoothly and efficiently we can empty a 1 000 000-gal pit in 5 to 7 hrs ” Lindstrom says “Tankers unload 6 500 gal in ditch boxes in 2 minutes and are back on the road for more In a good day we can load unload and spread 250 to 350 truckloads that cover more than 200 acres ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Chris Lindstrom Maxville Truck & Repair S460 State Road 25 Durand Wis 54736 ph 715 672-7867

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