Handy Devices

By Dan Miller, Senior Editor

TOOL HANGER (Editor's Choice):

Outdoor hand tools -- shovels, picks, rakes -- are hard to store. They take up a lot of room hung from a wall. Stored in a corner, they are a mess to untangle. F. Norbert Hector Sr., Browns Summit, North Carolina, created what he calls the "Farm Tool Rack Organizer." It's pretty simple. He attaches two 10-foot parallel lengths of 1-inch galvanized steel tubing between two walls. To hang the tools, he slides each one up between the tubing pieces then turns it at a 90-degree angle.

T-POST BUCKET:

Gene Belk, Winnsboro, South Carolina, wanted to save a little bit of manpower (his) when it came time to drive T-posts into the ground. He cut an 8-inch-long piece of 3 1/2-inch x 3 1/2-inch-square tube steel. He welded a similar-sized piece of plate steel onto one end of the tube. Next, Belk welded the assembly to the back of his front-end loader bucket with the capped side facing up. Now, when lowering the bucket, he easily pushes posts down into the ground.

RING PROTECTION:

Dana Watkins, West Paducah, Kentucky, has figured out a way to extend the life of hay rings and feeders. She applies a thick coat of black asphalt sealer 12 inches up on the sides and bottom of her rings and feeders. The sealer protects the metal from rusting through. One gallon covers about four hay rings.

WINNING IDEAS: Win $400 if your idea is chosen as the month's "Editor's Choice" Handy Device. Win $200 for other ideas used on this page. To submit a Handy Device, please send clear photographs, detailed drawings and a complete explanation of your idea. With each entry, include your name, address and telephone number. Send Handy Device entries to Progressive Farmer, 2204 Lakeshore Dr., Suite 415, Birmingham, AL 35209. Sorry, but we cannot acknowledge submissions or return photographs, drawings or documentation.

[PF_1119]

Copyright 2019 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.