How to determine when rolling baskets should be replaced

Apr 30, 2025

Rolling baskets are an essential part of your tillage equipment, playing the vital role in soil finish and field preparation. But how do you know when it is time to replace them? These step-by-step instructions, we will outline the key signs to watch for as well as provide some additional tips to help you maintain the optimal performance of your rolling baskets.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Look for Movement in the Bars

One of the most noticeable signs that your rolling baskets are reaching the end of their lifespan is if you can wiggle one of the bars in the middle of the basket. Over time, repeated contact with soil causes the metal bars to wear down, becoming thinner and eventually loosening.

2. Check for Metal Wear

The constant contact with soil and debris can cause the metal on your rolling baskets to wear down. If you notice that the bars are thinning, it may be time to replace them.

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Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

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