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FREEDGUY 
Orange Level Access
Joined: 15 Apr 2017
Location: South West Mich
Points: 5396
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 Topic: Pivot ??
Posted: 11 Apr 2021 at 4:44pm |
What is the life expectancy of a pivot? Seems like every 15 miles of road travel, 2 out of 3 pivots are getting dismantled and brand new units are installed  ? What (if anything) makes them go bad ? Thanks
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 33857
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Posted: 11 Apr 2021 at 4:52pm |
Water remains Corrosive, leave it sit wet but empty for a length of time and corrosion begins, every moment water then passes removes some corrosion products or pipe wall until burns thru. At point of fail easier to replace than repair.
Have helped swap out tired pivots around Mid MO.
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Lars(wi)
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Permian Basin
Points: 8028
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Posted: 11 Apr 2021 at 5:06pm |
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That, and the development of new spray heads, better operating pivots, etc.
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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 24646
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Posted: 11 Apr 2021 at 5:21pm |
curious am I .... WHAT is a 'pivot' ??
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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FREEDGUY
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Joined: 15 Apr 2017
Location: South West Mich
Points: 5396
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Posted: 11 Apr 2021 at 5:34pm |
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Thanks guys, my initial thought was "inferior" water quality with GOBS of iron that acted like sandpaper in the tubes, but that might also lead to pump fails also ?
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Lars(wi)
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Permian Basin
Points: 8028
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Posted: 11 Apr 2021 at 5:46pm |
 jaybmiller wrote:
curious am I .... WHAT is a 'pivot' ??
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It is a style of irrigation system used on crop land. The ones that go around in a circle real slow
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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 33857
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Posted: 11 Apr 2021 at 6:37pm |
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Encircles a "Pivot Point". Iron deposits from shallow wells or surface water can be a problem where only increases corrosion issues. Piping is Galvanized originally HOWEVER that is a Sacrificial Surface where as it ages dissipates more rapidly and the steels still corrode.
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
Points: 87582
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Posted: 11 Apr 2021 at 8:47pm |
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sounds like a good place for stainless ?
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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SteveM C/IL
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Shelbyville IL
Points: 8612
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Posted: 11 Apr 2021 at 10:22pm |
steve(ill) wrote:
sounds like a good place for stainless ? |
Im sure they thought of that....bet it's not cost effective. Cheaper to replace a few times? Someone will know. Tons of em in Manito area.(can you say "seed corn"?)
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 24646
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Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 5:20am |
ah ha ! THAT's what them 'big wheel waterers' are called !!! GREAT, I'm a happy camper this morning..learned something interesting. Of course now I'm thinking about how they're made and why they leak. Kind like the home water hose reels or high pressure water hose reels...magically rotate and deliver water.
If they leak at the joinery, maybe teflon gaskets would work or is it the actual 'wall' of the pivot that's being destroyed ?
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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Thad in AR.
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Arkansas
Points: 9647
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Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 6:42am |
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I grew up with 7 center pivot irrigation systems.
Every part suffers from moisture. Motor, sensors and structure.
Once they become a maintenance/ repair nightmare it’s time to replace.
We originally had Valley water drives. They proved to be troublesome. We switched to Olson electrics.
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 33857
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Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 6:03pm |
Nearly any used in MO are Electric Drive, tried SS piping LONG ago, as it flexed during use it work hardened and would crack fail, 404 SS. Then 304 Austenitic SS was tried, ANY Iron in the water started corrosion points internally and any chemicals applied to the fields caused galvanic corrosion externally, MAJOR Flop.
As noted as become maintenance heavy are scrapped and replaced.
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shameless dude
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Joined: 10 Apr 2017
Location: east NE
Points: 13607
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Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 9:37pm |
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around here...most are aluminum piping, but sand and iron water still take them out, along with wind storms and scum buckets that tear the copper wiring out of them. now it's a big thing to steal the wheels and tires off them and put them on auctions!
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FREEDGUY
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Joined: 15 Apr 2017
Location: South West Mich
Points: 5396
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Posted: 13 Apr 2021 at 5:53pm |
Thad in AR. wrote:
I grew up with 7 center pivot irrigation systems.
Every part suffers from moisture. Motor, sensors and structure.
Once they become a maintenance/ repair nightmare it’s time to replace.
We originally had Valley water drives. They proved to be troublesome. We switched to Olson electrics. |
Thad, I wondered about the "A" frame, drive motors/wheels. Is the main panel still usable, or are they "outdated" to run the new system ? Thanks
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Thad in AR.
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Posted: 13 Apr 2021 at 9:25pm |
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Parts are usable. A couple irrigation service places kept a few towers out back for parts. They have 2 gear boxes and a motor and sensors on each tower.
Each tower consists of a coupling to accept pipe from either direction.
At times they would wreck or one tower get stuck while the others still move and bend things up.
I can remember helping dad change a tower once or twice.
Don’t recall if they were used or new.
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FREEDGUY
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Posted: 17 Apr 2021 at 6:45pm |
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Are the "spans" the same length between A frames, or can they be customized ?
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
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Posted: 17 Apr 2021 at 7:29pm |
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Set length of Bridge, will have a adjustable length Tail piece for size of Circle.
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FREEDGUY
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Location: South West Mich
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Posted: 17 Apr 2021 at 7:34pm |
Thanks Dmiller  . It's just unbelievable the amount of NEW installs are going in (I hope the water table can tolerate it) and the tear-downs/replacements in the lower SW corner of Mi/NC Ind.
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DMiller
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Posted: 18 Apr 2021 at 5:14am |
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Locally the farms use waste treatment releasable water or shallow well(river bottoms) water
Know the farms in KS and CO that use these are on deep wells where they are having to lower pump heads periodically.
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Thad in AR.
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Posted: 18 Apr 2021 at 5:45am |
DMiller wrote:
Locally the farms use waste treatment releasable water or shallow well(river bottoms) water
Know the farms in KS and CO that use these are on deep wells where they are having to lower pump heads periodically. |
Exactly. Our farm was in Eastern CO. When I was a kid you couldn’t go anywhere in that area without hearing irrigation motors running. Our neighbors had the first section machine in that area. It was a circle that covered a section minus the corners. It was rough land for the area and they had lots of problems with that sprinkler. I’ve often wondered how much they’ve dropped the water table. I remember my dad buying some Minneapolis Moline LP tractors at an auction. He pulled the motors and used them for irrigation motors. They were quite clean and quiet compared to the Detroit’s we had before them.
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Ray54
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Joined: 22 Nov 2009
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Posted: 18 Apr 2021 at 5:58pm |
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Had crop science teacher in 76 to 78 who's dad was farming E Colorado almost all with pivots. At that time water table was going down and he said his area new wells where hard to get because of regulations already then. I have wondered how the water table would be today, in his area.
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