This idea of the month is a great addition to your farm shop.
Have you ever had to deal with oil changes away from the shop? trailer spring bushings replacement
“Some of our farms are 15 miles from our shop, making oil changes a real hassle,” said Brian Ahrens of Owatonna, Minnesota.
Ahrens constructed a 20-gallon container to hold the waste oil. He installed a drain plug in the bottom to allow for easy drainage when back at the shop. At the top of the waste container is a spot to hold the old filters, which drain into the waste container below. He added a rubber seal to eliminate oil splashing when driving on rough roads.
Just underneath the oil pan is a long drain hose and funnel attached to a tripod. Gravity moves the oil into the waste container. To fill the tractor with clean oil, Ahrens mounted a 20-gallon chemical mixing inducer along with a pump and metering system. He added rectangular steel tubes underneath, and a bracket on top for easy loading in a truck with a skid loader or crane.
“This has saved a great deal of time and trouble when doing oil changes off-site,” Ahrens said.
Ahrens farms in southern Minnesota with his brother Marshall and two sons. They raise corn and soybeans, and contract production for peas and sweet corn. Ahrens has been married to Lisa for 44 years. They have two sons: Nolan (and wife, Misty) and Nate (and wife, Molly) and have eight grandchildren. Ahrens likes to garden and enjoys watching sports. Email: blahrens80@gmail.com
rubber spring bushings Successful Farming magazine invites you to share ideas with our readers. Submissions should be precise. Include a sketch or photograph when needed. If your idea is used in print, we pay $400 for the Idea of the Month, $200 for ideas that appear with drawings, and $100 for unillustrated ideas. All material submitted becomes the property of Meredith Operations Corporation. If your idea is used, you give Meredith Operations Corporation the right to use it in any manner. Enter idea(s), a daytime phone number, email address, and complete mailing address at Agriculture.com/ideaentry or mail to Successful Farming Magazine, All Around The Farm, 1716 Locust Street/LS257, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023.