“Walkabout Mother Bins” is new adventure for “Aussie” Dave Hedt
November 2, 2016
Aussie Dave Hedt has done it again . . . with his new endeavor “The Walkabout Mother Bins”.
The bin is an innovative piece of farm equipment that economically and efficiently stores 4,000 bushels of grain in the field. It has split front and rear hydraulic gates giving it the ability to blend grain. It also has up to 900 bu. a minute unloading rate.
This idea is not new at Hedt’s home in Australia. During harvest last year Dave thought why don’t we see any Mother Bins in America. After a conversation with his father, Brian, Dave decided why not build some in America and find out if it works? This was a little over one year ago. Dave contacted a school friend who was an engineer and together they designed theWalkabout Mother Bin.
Back in South Dakota again Dave offered the manufacturing job to friend Kelly Melius of Common Sense Manufacturing. However, Common Sense wasn’t suited to build the product. Kelly helped Dave find six different manufacturers across four states who would be suited to build the bin. They settled on three different companies who would be right to bid on the project. The winning bid went to Anderson Industries of Webster, S.D. with Kory Anderson, being the CEO. Dave was very pleased the bid went to a South Dakota company.
The prototype was built and brought to Faulk County to test. Those testing the bin were Craig Mutsch, Deiter Farms and Steve Wik. “The testing went amazingly well in Faulkton and far exceeded expectations on performance,” said a pleased Hedt.
The bin is primarily used as a stationary storage in the field. It enables grain carts and combines to keep moving without delaying the trucks - a great time saver. It also allows you to keep combining once the elevator closes or if the forecast is for bad weather.
Last week Dave took the Mother Bin back to Webster, stopping in Brentford and Bristol for two area farmers there to also test the bin. Now back at Webster the bin is getting some minor adjustments.
Dave plans are to take the Mother Bin to the Minot, North Dakota Farm Show on Nov. 15-16.
Future plans are to produce 10 Mother Bins in the next 12 months with plans in the works for building 6,000 and 8,000 bushel bins also.
Aussie Dave Hedt came to America through a program by American farmers to help with harvest. Craig Mutsch was Dave’s employer that first year in 2003. Since that time Dave has become a real “Faulktonite”. In 2012 he invested himself in Faulkton’s new retail center on Hwy. 212, which opened in 2013. The retail center houses Homan Ace Hardware, Short Stop Bar, Farmers Union Insurance, Country Roots & Boutique and Stepping Stones Embroidery.
At the end of this interview Aussie Dave said (with a twinkle in his eye) “I plan to change the name of Faulkton’s Carousel City to ‘The Mother Bin City’.”