Help with OLD wire wheel hay wagon.

[jdmar]

I got this when I went to pick up a newer wagon a couple years ago...saw it in the weeds and threw it on top of the main wagon for a few more bucks. Now I am finally getting around to fixing it. I am not looking for original...just running! I may use it to haul kids around on hay rides (less likely) or as the base to a roadside stand for my children's crops (more likely). I got lucky and replaced the main spread pipe with on old oil line pipe I had-and it was heavier than original anyway. I still need to do a lot of little fix-it welds and some minor straightening of some parts.

Now for the questions:
1) What make is it? any idea on the years they made these? The guy I got it from thought it might be an old New Idea running gear...but was not sure.

2) Any idea where I can get parts? Primarily I need bearings for the front. I am sure the rears are bad but at least they are intact and turn...I can deal with that (lots of grease over and over!). I doubt I will ever take this on any extended trips...just to the road-barn-and back. But I would like to not be grinding old metal on old metal.

Any help/details would be greatly appreciated. I thought this might be a better spot than the AG section but let me know if you think I should move this (not sure I know how though).

Thanks for all your help.
Peter

 

[riptides]

I don't have a clue as to model or make, or what made it work......

But I just want to say, I really like it. Nice find!

 

[jdmar]

Thanks, I bought it cuz I thought it look cool too. I think its best use will be as a quaint roadside stand for sweet corn then pumpkins.
Peter

 

[ToadHill]

I have no idea of the manufacturer. As for the bearing question, they all come in "universal" sizes. If you take one to a bearing distributor they can find the number on it and find a replacement.

What I did with an old wagon that only moves a few 1000 feet per year, I found a piece of fine grained hardwood, and turned a "bearing" on my wood lathe, greased it up well and put it in place. It's survived this movement for the last 15 years.

The settlers crossed the USA with wagons that rode on wooden bearings with a lot of grease to eliminate friction.

 

[jdmar]

I just pulled the loosest front one apart. It has an essentially smooth about 2.5" bore in the wheel. About a 2 inch smooth axle. Then a pipe between.

My bet is it should have bearings/rods in between the wheel and axle. I think someone put the pip in there to act as a sacrificial material and loaded with grease. I will take a pic when I can (work the next 5 days). I will try to pull apart one of the other "good" ones and see what's inside. They all wobble a bit. Then I will take my parts to a bearing place and see what they recommend. Since I do not want to put much money in this I may end up with some wood in there after all!

Peter