FARGO, N.D. – Steering rear wagon tires and big brakes make a lot of sense when pulling a 96,000 pound manure wagon.
They were the two main engineering factors featured on a new manure spreader at Big Iron last month.
The prototype Artex RW25, with a volume capacity of 25 cubic yards, is the smallest of the new series introduced by Redwood Farmers Union Industries in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, the manufacturing division of the Redwood Falls Farmers Union.
Priced at $66,000 US, it is designed to carry 20 tons in the box.
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At the top end of the new line, the RW45 is 30 feet long and carried by a triple axle system. It is also equipped with the self-steering feature. The RW45 hauls 45 cubic yards of manure in the normal configuration, or 90 cubic yards of silage with the silage extensions. The basic price is $122,000.
Both wagons have a self-steering back axle, which can be locked into the solid straight mode for highway transit. With highway rated super single tires and highway semi-trailer brakes, the Artex wagons can legally travel at 90 km/h.
“When you steer your tractor, the back axle turns itself so it follows the tractor. This lets you make very tight turns,” said Artex representative Dave Haase.
“When you want to back up or travel on the road, there’s a lever in the cab to lock up the steering cylinders straight so there’s no problems.”
Haase said the back axle steering hydraulics plug into one circuit of the tractor’s hydraulic system and require little flow to do their job.
Artex is one of a small group of companies that offer self-steering back axles, he added.
Vertical beaters
Haase said vertical beaters are the only way to go if maximum horizontal spread with good uniformity is desired.
“With dry material, we have good uniform spread over 35 feet. With heavier material, we get good uniform spread up to 60 feet.
“Not much material actually gets to the very top of the flighting. The augers bring the material in and up at the same time, so it feathers out as it runs up the augers.
“The only way you get this kind of uniformity is with a vertical auger system.”
Inside the wagon box, the poly floor is seamless front to back and side to side. It’s 3/8 inch thick on the smaller wagons and half inch thick on the longer wagons. An apron chain drags the material into the vertical augers at the back.
Haase said Farmers Union Industries bought Artex two years ago and has been moving the company from British Columbia to Minnesota. It still has dealers on the Prairies.
He said a spreader wagon is a logical low-cost alternative to truck-mounted spreaders because it makes better use of the farmer’s tractors. It takes full advantage of the power take-off, hydraulics and horsepower that producers already have in their tractors. There are also fewer problems in wet soil.
“These super single wide flotation tires make a difference in your overall plan. They give you better flotation in the field than duals and they let you run down the highway at normal highway speeds.”
For further information on spreader wagons, contact an Artex dealer or call Dave Haase at 888-644-2893 or visit www.redwoodmetalworks.com.
