what was this tool used for

[luvmexfood]

I can see that. I was figuring it had to be for something fairly light weight because when you spread your arms apart to close it you couldn't lift anything real heavy.

[sandhills]

I can see that. I was figuring it had to be for something fairly light weight because when you spread your arms apart to close it you couldn't lift anything real heavy.

By the picture I'd say it closes when the handles are closed, and Woodhauler I hear Magicman cooks a fine chicken dinner  ;)

[Jeff]

I would still hesitate to call it that simply because of the fact that Ron Wenrich's father had them at many auctions in the north. They don't grow peanuts in the North. I grew a couple plants one time in a protected area to see how they grew. A peanut is not a root plant. The plant sends "pegs" into the soil from the blossoms. From what I learned in my experiments, that tool would be next to useless for peanuts, but if it was, you would see it all over the internet.

[Woodhauler]

I would still hesitate to call it that simply because of the fact that Ron Wenrich's father had them at many auctions in the north. They don't grow peanuts in the North. I grew a couple plants one time in a protected area to see how they grew. A peanut is not a root plant. The plant sends "pegs" into the soil from the blossoms. From what I learned in my experiments, that tool would be next to useless for peanuts, but if it was, you would see it all over the internet.

Ok boss, old reg must be a lier. Maybe they had other uses but this is what he and his family used them for. He never even had a second guess!

[Jeff]

So why would you resort to that?  I didn't call him a liar, you did.  I had Tammy's 78 year old step dad a while back point up thirty feet in a hickory tree in his yard by the river to a ring in the bark and tell me that was from where the wire cloths line was when he was a boy. He had watched it rise as he grew up. I never called him a liar, but was he right?

[Ron Wenrich]

I wouldn't say there were many, but they did come up on occasion.  I think its simply another tool that had many purposes.  It's like a pitch fork.  It could be used for hay, straw, peanuts, or about any other thing that you would use a fork for. 

I looked at a lot of different harvesting tools and techniques.  Nowhere was there any old pictures of the tool.  I thought maybe it was used to bundle hay or straw and wrap a piece of binder twine around it.  But, the use of thrashers or balers were around for a long time.  What I saw about peanuts is they were picked by hand, so they could shake the dirt off.  Most of the work was done by children.  They stacked them on 10' high piles, then brought in a machine for harvesting.  Did they use the tool then?  Possibly.

Another thing that was produced loose was silage.  That could be used, but I thought the tines should be closer together.  Ear corn could be picked up, as well as corn cobs after putting through a shucker.  I don't think there is any one "right" answer.

[Woodhauler]

So why would you resort to that?  I didn't call him a liar, you did.  I had Tammy's 78 year old step dad a while back point up thirty feet in a hickory tree in his yard by the river to a ring in the bark and tell me that was from where the wire cloths line was when he was a boy. He had watched it rise as he grew up. I never called him a liar, but was he right?

one show of the picture and that was his answer. he is neaR 90 YRS OLD,  no reason to ? him.

[clww]

In our neck of the country around here lots of peanuts are grown and harvested. I have not seen any of these at the antique shops or any of the auctions we've attended, but I will keep my eye out for another of these. ;)

[BEEMERS]

I know where there is the mate to this..I mean identical in every way except that its much bigger. has 2 chains in place of those handles..chains hooked to what ever was running it. Its way to big for a man to pick up let alone use. Its her in central lower penninsula and the guy says he bought it at a local auction.
I don't know if this helps but there was a bigger version made.
If Hay/Wheat/Straw was cut and layed flat...would a man go down rows picking it and placing it in bigger piles to be lifted up and tied up in in a shieve? I don't know the word Im looking for..that may not be the right word...upright standing corn stalk wheat straw thing....Yeah a piler for that.

[beenthere]

Might be thinking of loose hay forks for grabbing and lifting loose hay off a wagon into a barn.
Push four individual forks down into the loose hay and the use a rope pulled by horses or tractor.

Also used to lift about 8 small hay bales with the same forks arrangement.

On the order of this link...
http://www.progressiveforage.com/forage-production/equipment/a-bit-about-hay-carriers


And then, might not. ;)

[sharp edge]

 


Ben
It was used to make 20' dia. pies. Every thing else is a joke.

SE

[terrifictimbersllc]

....to pick up the cash payment for another custom saw job ...

[redbeard]

Looks home made. Someone had a need and created this tool. I bet its a one of a kind original. It would be handy for picking Dungeness crab on a low tide wading out on sandbars  :laugh:

[BEEMERS]

I think beenthere is on the right track..the tool I saw looked exactly like what should have been hanging off that system for loading hay up in the top of the barn..and if that's the use for the bigger example of the posted tool...why not a smaller size  used by men to handle the same product in smaller quantities?