BRANDON — The new 1,600 bushel Haul Master from Elmer’s Welding features a special rubber track and undercarriage designed specifically for grain carts.
Manager Mike Friesen said the growing demand in Western Canada is the main reason for diversifying into grain carts.
“Grain carts have been in general use in the States for years. Every farmer uses them,” Friesen said.
“Compared to the States, grain carts are just starting to catch on in Western Canada.”
He said many Canadian farmers are still taking grain off the field the old way. In the process, they’re getting stuck, rutting up their fields and breaking equipment.
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“We found last fall, with the 1,600 bu. cart on tracks, that the flotation was excellent,” he said.
“It allowed our customers to go out further into wet fields where a truck couldn’t possibly go. The other main reason for tracks is the capacity issue. In most cases, nearly all tires are (being used) beyond their stated limits. It’s not legal, but it still happens. Tracks have a much higher load capacity.”
Overloaded tires could have serious liability and legal implications, he added.
There are also engineering issues when carts get up into the 1,600 bu. range. They weigh 125,000 pounds fully loaded and require either tandem or tridem axles which, in turn, necessitates a complicated steering system.
Friesen said tracks handle the weight, reduce exposure to legal risk, increase flotation and eliminate the need for steering.
Elmer’s studied track systems on the market but decided they weren’t up to handling the abuse of hauling 125,000 lb.
Instead, the company designed its own heavy duty undercarriage system from scratch. Everything except the rubber belt is manufactured at the Elmer’s Welding plant in Altona, Man.
“The biggest failure we saw in other track designs was the rubber belt running off because they don’t have automatic belt tensioning,” Friesen said.
“When you’re turning tight with a heavy load, the tracks need to skid. If you don’t have automatic tensioning, the track rolls off the wheels and then you really are stuck in the field.
“We solved that with full-time hydraulic tensioning. You charge the accumulator with your tractor’s hydraulics, and then isolate it. It gives your belts constant pressure.”
The company’s undercarriage design relies on full-width idlers and pivoting mid-rollers to individually roll over bumps in the field and spread the weight for less compaction.
Extreme mud is the other situation that requires hydraulic pressure. Wheel diameter increases significantly when mud builds up on them, causing the rubber belts to tighten.
“If you don’t back off on the tension, you bend spindles and wreck bearings,” he said.
“Our hydraulic system keeps the tension tight enough to prevent mud from working its way into wheel surface. A loose belt lets a lot of mud get in there.
“Also, if mud does happen to get on our wheel, constant hydraulic press u re allows the belt to back off enough so you don’t damage spindles or bearings.”
Elmer’s designed the belt, with Camoplast, specifically for grain carts. It measures 36 inches wide and 378 inches long for a footprint of 9,200 sq. inches.
Friesen said it’s a carrying belt rather than a driven belt. Although the internal structure is similar to a tractor belt, the lugs are wide and low to provide a smooth ride. Tractor belts have tall, aggressive lugs for traction.
“We tried tractor belts, but they gave the cart a very rough ride, like a Sherman tank coming down the road,” he said.
“These tracks are designed for a very smooth ride and to minimize berming and soil ridging when you turn.”
Two-thirds of the carts that Elmer’s sells are on rubber tracks. They are standard equipment on all 1,600 bu. carts and optional on the 850, 1,000, 1,150 and 1,300 bu. carts.
The Haul Master cart also features a bolt-together grain tank.
“Repair is one reason,” Friesen said.
“Guys will hit their carts with the combine auger or something else. Same thing in shipping. Carts can receive a lot of bangs and dents before they arrive at their destination.
“Then they have to cut out big sections and weld in new steel and send it to the paint shop. Bolting in new painted panels is so easy.
“Export is the other factor. When we break them down, we can put two 1,600 bu. carts into one 40 foot shipping container. Or we can put three or four of the smaller carts in a single container.”
The 1,600 bu. Haul Master sells for $102,000.
For more information, contact Mike Friesen at 204-324-6263 or visit www.elmersmfg.mb.ca.
