Welcome to Modern Agriculture!
Former cattle producer Gary Nonamaker still uses his bale bed truck. He grows alfalfa and uses the bale arms to lift tractor and combine tires. Now those big arms pick up the frame structure for his portable air compressor, and they place it squarely on the truck bed.
He says the tricky part was determining where to put the upright supports so the frame would balance properly. More bracing was added later for better rigidity.
Inspired by a cart Nonamaker once used in a high school welding class, the trailer has just three wheels. “It’s easier to maneuver,” he says.
Nonamaker says he used all recycled materials. The metal components are tubing from a spring-tooth harrow and angle iron from used hay equipment. The tires came from a neighbor’s used implement.
“I don’t need a service truck, but I do go between two farmsteads,” he says. “After using a neighbor’s compressor in the field, I had to have one of my own.”
Three Wheels
A compact, nimble trailer repositions easily within the shop.
Subframe Fits Neatly in Trailer
The compressor and hose reel are mounted to a separate frame that sits within the frame of the three-wheeled trailer.
Farmer and Kansan: The third generation on the family farm near Cedar, Kansas, Gary Nonamaker grows wheat, milo, and cash alfalfa. His brother, Thane Nonamaker, helps with wheat harvest. The one-time cattle producer now rents his grassland.
Family: Nonamaker and his wife, Amber, have two grown daughters who are both teachers.
Avid fans: The couple regularly attend football and basketball games at Ft. Hays State, the college their daughters attended.
Current project: Nonamaker is building a cover to protect his wood-pellet grill from the weather.
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