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Mini Baler Perfect In Every Detail
In today's busy yet compact world we have mini-this and mini-that. Mini-vans for economy, mini-cars for recreation, and now we have mini-bales.
Mini-bales? That's what scores of people said when they saw three Hoosiers sitting under a shade tree feeding wheat straw into a mini-baler at a recent Indiana antique t
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Mini baler perfect in every detail AG WORLD Ag World 10-5-20 In today's busy yet compact world we have mini-this and mini-that. Mini-vans for economy, mini-cars for recreation, and now we have mini-bales.
Mini-bales? That's what scores of people said when they saw three Hoosiers sitting under a shade tree feeding wheat straw into a mini-baler at a recent Indiana antique tractor show.
According to owner and builder, Robert Colson of Elwood, Ind., there is a lot of demand for his mini-bales of straw at local fairs, steam shows and other country events.
"Florists, churches, craft shops, funeral directors, heck of a lot of people want my bales of straw," Colson laughs. He built his 3/8 scale McCormick-Deering baler in 1982 following his retirement the previous year. With two heart attacks in his history, Colson had to find something to occupy his time. Assisted by friends, Colson displays his baling talents and his finished product and offers them for sale at shows April through December.
Born and raised on a farm, Colson is an admitted tinkerer who has also created a 3/8 scale-case thresher and quite a number of mini wagons.
Colson has produced four of the mini-balers. The other three are now at home in Illinois, North Carolina and Ohio. In his operation he is using the second baler he constructed.
Colson's baler is powered by a five-horsepower engine. He provides the manpower to feed the straw into the machine tying the 6-in. sq., 1-ft. long bales by hand with a pliers. All parts were built from scratch at exactly 3/8 scale.
"We've sold them for rat houses, dog houses, and even a few cat houses," Colson says.
He knows two of his bales have found homes a long way from home ù one in Japan and one in Honduras, taken by an exchange student staying in the area.
"I've given away as many bales as I've sold," Colson recalled. "You just can't let a little kid without a cent in his pocket walk away without one when you can see how much he wants one," he says.
For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Robert Colson, Rt. 3, Elwood, Ind. 46036 (ph 317 552-6097).
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