Handy Devices

April 2020 Handy Devices

Tip Protector (Progressive Farmer image by Ray E. Watkins Jr.)

TIP PROTECTOR (Editor's Choice):

How many times have you come close to walking into a hay spear? That question comes from Fred W. Parker, Abingdon, Virginia. He shares his practical method for preventing such a hazard. With leftover pieces of PVC from a plumbing job, he quickly created covers for the spears. To ensure the tips of the spears remain covered, he also added a 90-degree elbow to one end of the plastic pipe. The fitting keeps the tip of the spear from poking out of the end.

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TOOL HOLDER

Claude J. Davis, South Mills, North Carolina, needed a place to carry hand tools -- shovels, rakes and the like -- on his tractor. He came up with a simple solution. He tied several lengths of PVC across the back of his tractor's roll bar. Now, he simply slides the handles of the tools into the pieces of plastic pipe. Davis offers one other suggestion: He recommends attaching the PVC lengths on a slight downward angle. He finds this keeps the tools from falling out while he is driving around his property.

POST TAMPER

Kyle Wilkins, East Haddam, Connecticut, was in the process of setting fenceposts. As he was backfilling the holes, he thought there must be an easier way to make sure the fill dirt settles tightly around the posts. With that in mind, he built this tamper. First, he cut two pieces of 1/2-inch steel into half-moon shapes. These are shaped to fit around the posts and serve as the top and bottom sections at the tamper end. He bent and welded a third piece of steel between the top and bottom halves of the tool end. A length of round bar welded to the working end of the tamper serves as a handle. To ensure good compaction, he purposely made this tool a weighty 21 pounds.

> 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.

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