Chick Watching
Two old retail units from the 1970s have found new life in the fields of one Indiana grower.
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This 1976 liquid unit has an 1,800-gallon product tank and 60-foot booms.
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The 1974 on the right, sporting the name “Dempster Flagship,” has a 10-ton stainless steel truck bed.
In 1993, Indiana grower William “Chick” Bugher needed a couple of pieces of Classic IRON to help out on his 2,500-acre farm in Gibson County, near the city of Princeton. Since his property is located in the bottom area between the Patoka and White Rivers and he primarily applies 28% nitrogen, Bugher needed some reliable and durable units.
That same year as fate would have it, nearby Russellville Co-op was in the process of selling two of its older dry and liquid units from the 1970s. Recognizing a bargin when he saw it, Bugher purchased both units.
Machine Specs
The dry truck Bugher purchased is from 1974 and features a 10-ton stainless steel bed. The liquid unit dates from 1976 and has an 1,800-gallon stainless steel product tank and 60-foot booms. Both machines have Dickey-JOHN controllers, 3208 Caterpillar engines, Allison automatic transmissions, Caterpillar rear ends and John Deere hydraulic pumps.
“I use these units all the time,” says Bugher. “Right now, I’ve been running these machines both spring and fall without a problem.”
