schedule 40 pvc hay rings

[preston39]

Has anyone experimented with making hay rings out of schedule 40 pvc thick wall 2" tubing? If so did you do them in an octogon/pentagon design rather than round?

The metal ones are expensive and it seems only last 3-4 years because of the environment they sit in.

 

[jt]

Has anyone experimented with making hay rings out of schedule 40 pvc thick wall 2" tubing? If so did you do them in an octogon/pentagon design rather than round?

The metal ones are expensive and it seems only last 3-4 years because of the environment they sit in.

never tried pvc... just curious about it .... doesnt the uv rays of the sun break pvc down? and looks like it would be easier for the cattle to break them?? what do you think it would cost you to make one? all those fittings could get expensive too.. jmo...

i made a few out of 3/4" sch 40 black pipe... bent on 45 degrees every 38" or so and made an octagon.... at the time they cost me about $130 a piece plus about 4 hours of bending and welding..
made 3 rings out of the pipe and spaced them out with some 3/8" by 2" flat bar.

good luck

jt

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Has anyone experimented with making hay rings out of schedule 40 pvc thick wall 2" tubing? If so did you do them in an octogon/pentagon design rather than round?

The metal ones are expensive and it seems only last 3-4 years because of the environment they sit in.

never tried pvc... just curious about it .... doesnt the uv rays of the sun break pvc down? and looks like it would be easier for the cattle to break them?? what do you think it would cost you to make one? all those fittings could get expensive too.. jmo...

i made a few out of 3/4" sch 40 black pipe... bent on 45 degrees every 38" or so and made an octagon.... at the time they cost me about $130 a piece plus about 4 hours of bending and welding..
made 3 rings out of the pipe and spaced them out with some 3/8" by 2" flat bar.

good luck

jt

Around here we're paying between $185 and $225 for heavy duty hayrings (Applegate Steel or Tartar Gate brands). I'd think that even the real thick wall (Schedule 80) pvc would still bee too fragile. PVC pipe becomes brittle in real cold weather (below freezing).

For the person making the octagon rings ($130 each + 4 hours fabricaing)... well, trade off here. Figure your welding time is worth at least $25 an hour...welders around here charge $35 to $50 an hour.

Yes, PVC pipe exposed to sunlight will breakdown in several years. For the steel ones that were not holding up to the weather, might want to periodically re-paint them with a good "fence pipe" rust inhibiting oil based paint.

 

[Bez]

Never work in my part of the world - cows would have them all busted up in a couple of days.

Regards

Bez

 

[Bama]

The cost of the pvc and fittings alone would not be worth it. The cows would break it even in warm weather. Cold weather would be much worse. Setting in sunlight you may get 2 years without any cows using it. In the long run go for the heavy duty steel pipe. You will save over the long run. I have been thinking about building some of the newer types that go under the bale. They can be moved with hay forks.

 

[preston39]

Has anyone experimented with making hay rings out of schedule 40 pvc thick wall 2" tubing? If so did you do them in an octogon/pentagon design rather than round?

The metal ones are expensive and it seems only last 3-4 years because of the environment they sit in.

never tried pvc... just curious about it .... doesnt the uv rays of the sun break pvc down? and looks like it would be easier for the cattle to break them?? what do you think it would cost you to make one? all those fittings could get expensive too.. jmo...

i made a few out of 3/4" sch 40 black pipe... bent on 45 degrees every 38" or so and made an octagon.... at the time they cost me about $130 a piece plus about 4 hours of bending and welding..
made 3 rings out of the pipe and spaced them out with some 3/8" by 2" flat bar.

good luck

jt

Around here we're paying between $185 and $225 for heavy duty hayrings (Applegate Steel or Tartar Gate brands). I'd think that even the real thick wall (Schedule 80) pvc would still bee too fragile. PVC pipe becomes brittle in real cold weather (below freezing).

For the person making the octagon rings ($130 each + 4 hours fabricaing)... well, trade off here. Figure your welding time is worth at least $25 an hour...welders around here charge $35 to $50 an hour.

Yes, PVC pipe exposed to sunlight will breakdown in several years. For the steel ones that were not holding up to the weather, might want to periodically re-paint them with a good "fence pipe" rust inhibiting oil based paint.

====
running arrow,

Good thought...we have applied the oil based paint after a thorough cleaning of the bottom ring...but I am not sure it helped any. I don't think metal will stand up in that acid enviroment...no matter what is done...even the heavy duty ones.

That 5 month exposure...nov - march...is heavy on metal. We have tried adding 10"pedistal extensions(4 on the bottom ring) with a 1' square base to raise the bottom ring up off the ground. It would appear that extended the life about 25%. These are easy to change...just fixed with 2 u bolts around the bottom ring.

We are spending a lot of bucks on the ones needing replacement each year so we are trying to find an answer.

 

[dun]

I've seen the ones made from heavy gauge balc gas line pipe. They seem to hold up well. I have several of the metal ones that are 5-6 years old. Last year I retired one because the skirting came loose and replacing it was going to be within a couple of bucks of the cost of a new one. When we aren;t using them we store them upside down on a gravel/rock/none weed and grass area. Haven't had any issues with them rusting out.

dun

 

[jt]

i am on my third year with some i made... they are holding up well... and if the bottom ring does rust out, all i have to do is replace it... lot easier to weld to 3/8" plate than those thin store bought ones... i figure these things will last many, many years with an occasional bottom ring replacement... and they are a lot heavier duty...

jmo...

running arrow bill... i was told you dont get paid for your labor in the cow business... :?: :lol: do i owe myself $100 a piece for these things?? :lol:

seriously, that is a good point... if you had to pay to get em made, it might be a toss up... unless you considered replacing the bottom ring and keeping them for much longer than the store bought ones will last... i wouldnt be afraid to say that they will last 20 years... might have to replace the bottom 2-3 times, but the rest should be ok. i get 6-8 years out of the store bought ones..


jt

 

[ChrisB]

So back to Preston's original question; has anybody ever used them? The one's I've seen have a pretty good quarentee, something like 15 years, not that that's worth anything. I've been curious about them myself. The one's I've seen were pretty flexible and supposedly that is what would keep them from breaking. I've never considered the cold before though. The reason I never treid one though was they cost over twice as much as a heavy duty steel one.

Most people just assume they won't hold up. Maybe that's the case, but if not, the manufacturerers should let some people use some for a while just to get the word out about them. But maybe that's what they are afraid of.

 

[jerry27150]

around here they sell them for over 300 bucks & people that have them say they are better & ruggeder than anything they have used

 

[dun]

around here they sell them for over 300 bucks & people that have them say they are better & ruggeder than anything they have used

For that kind of money with my luck a plastice eating termite would evolve

dun

 

[jt]

around here they sell them for over 300 bucks & people that have them say they are better & ruggeder than anything they have used

For that kind of money with my luck a plastice eating termite would evolve

dun

or... my luck would be... i move my rings with my tractor... i can just see myself busting em up with my forks...

jt

 

[preston39]

around here they sell them for over 300 bucks & people that have them say they are better & ruggeder than anything they have used

==========
jerry,
which ones? (maybe I missed a post!)

 

[preston39]

I've seen the ones made from heavy gauge balc gas line pipe. They seem to hold up well. I have several of the metal ones that are 5-6 years old. Last year I retired one because the skirting came loose and replacing it was going to be within a couple of bucks of the cost of a new one. When we aren;t using them we store them upside down on a gravel/rock/none weed and grass area. Haven't had any issues with them rusting out.

dun

dun,
..."heavy gauge balc gas line pipe"....homemade? Is that metal..or?

Storage for the non use period Is important. On tops...sides..off the grass helps. Seems I am the only one around here with that attention in mind. That is my job in the spring...to position the hay rings. :roll: If I don't it never gets done.

 

[preston39]

around here they sell them for over 300 bucks & people that have them say they are better & ruggeder than anything they have used

For that kind of money with my luck a plastice eating termite would evolve

dun

dun,

:shock: ..don't need any more nusiance types..thats for sure.

 

[preston39]

So back to Preston's original question; has anybody ever used them? The one's I've seen have a pretty good quarentee, something like 15 years, not that that's worth anything. I've been curious about them myself. The one's I've seen were pretty flexible and supposedly that is what would keep them from breaking. I've never considered the cold before though. The reason I never treid one though was they cost over twice as much as a heavy duty steel one.

Most people just assume they won't hold up. Maybe that's the case, but if not, the manufacturerers should let some people use some for a while just to get the word out about them. But maybe that's what they are afraid of.

=========
Chris B,

You have seen pvc types? What part of the country? Were they schedule 40 or 80...did you notice?

 

[Farmhand]

I was talking to hubby about this and he also says he has heard of pvc hay rings. They're schedule 80. I just shook my head. I just can't imagine them being any good. Maybe I'm wrong but I know what our cattle can do to a ring and they're pretty docile. Can't imagine pvc holding up.

 

[jerry27150]

preston, the ones i have seen look to be about 4 inch black plastic. they made a drinking bucket years ago out of plastic,claimed you could take a 20 lb maul & hit them & never bother them. so i have no doubt these would be almost as rugged

 

[dun]

preston, the ones i have seen look to be about 4 inch black plastic. they made a drinking bucket years ago out of plastic,claimed you could take a 20 lb maul & hit them & never bother them. so i have no doubt these would be almost as rugged

I was told by a company that makes them that the 4 inch black stuff was gasline pipe. Wonder if it's the same stuff.

dun

 

[ChrisB]

I bet those are the ones I've seen also. I've only seen them at FarmFest in MN and Husker Harvest Days in NE, I haven't actually saw them in a pen of cattle.

The dealer of course had "a neighbor with one in a pen of bulls and it's stood up better than the steel ones." I can't remember if he showed pictures or demonstrated how you could practically fold the thing in half without it breaking, looked basically indestructable. I move mine with the tractor also and have some that are bent up pretty good, I thought the PVC ones would move around much easier, both manually and with a loader. Plus they would never rust. I wouldn't be afraid to try one if they were priced the same as a steel one, which by looks of steel prices shouldn't be long.