Features Of A Nursery Wagon

We at Mitchell Ellis products make a standard 8 x 20 foot nursery wagon. However we can make other sizes like 7 x 16 foot and even for some customers make 8 x 24 foot for special applications.

We can actually fabricate any sizes that the customer wants on request. We offer the wagon tops made of both 11 gauge steel multi sheet and 3/16 one piece steel plate flooring. Some customers are budget conscious and decide to spend their money only for the 11 gauge which is about 1/8 inch thick.

Twenty four years ago we made 10 wagons for a nursery in Semmes Alabama with the 11 gauge solid tops and we made 10 wagons for a nursery down the street with the 3/16 steel solid one piece tops and after about 12-14 years or so the 11 gauge started rusting around the edges and in some of the seams where the 4x10 sheets were joined. The latter customer that spent a little more money in (steel cost) has been using the 3/16 solid one piece wagon tops since day one and they still look good.

The 2 main runners supporting the wagon top are 5 inch channel and the top cross members are 3 inch channel placed on 24 inch centers. The outer edges of the tops are 5 inch x ¼ inch flat bar notched on the corners . At any one time the wagon is not perfectly level , water can drain to the lowest point on the corner when plant material is being watered. This being the case when plant orders are pulled days ahead before the truck arrives to pick up the orders.

Another problem with some wagons is that many farm equipment manufactures make the running gears in a production run at the end of a season using up left over materials (drops). Most make the tongues from 11 gauge material and then formed into a channel in a press brake. When the employee is trying to back the wagon in reverse which is very difficult, the tractor tire will usually roll over the tongue and damage it. We repair these for local nurseries frequently. We use a 2x2x3/16 square steel tubing in this application which will be much stronger. The way that the tongue attaches to the front of the running gear is important . Many manufactures simply drill holes in flat bar where they attach the tongue and in time the bolts wear and the connection becomes sloppy. We at Mitchell Ellis Products use a 2x2x3/16 square tubing welded to the front running gear. Then we use a mechanical tubing inside the square tubing so that the bolt has much more support. When this is done it has a positive pulling point spread over a 2 inch area instead of ¼ inch flat bar cutting into the bolts. A much stronger and longer lasting design.

We use 1725 pound spindles and 5 on 4 ½ inch lug patterns on our hubs which are the same as a small Ford lug pattern. In this way rims can easily be found in the future and not restricting the customer to an agricultural rim that are sometimes difficult to find. We can also offer a variety of tires and sizes to fit the needs.

Many companies use 5th wheel plates and pins for the steering mechanism. Some companies use this design and then add support by rolling a support ring made of 3 inch channel to help and keep pressure off the pivot pin usually made of 1¼ inch cold rolled round steel .We made a serious improvement by incorporating our pipe in pipe pivot point from our tracking wagon design and using 5th wheel plates. This gives better vertical and horizontal support. We put grease fittings on both the pipe and the 5th wheel plates. The rear of our wagons come standard with a rear hitch so that they can be pulled in tandem or triples. The framing of the running gear itself is made of 3x6 inch rectangular tubing. The paint is usually our trade mark yellow that is quick dry enamel. This design should outlast other common designs in the market. Our big nursery wagons can even be made tracking if there is a needed application.

Most nurseries that have bigger roads can use the larger wagons where real estate is not a problem . But when this is the case many customers usually use the 6x12 tracking wagons.

We a confident that after building wagons for the nursery and greenhouse industry since 1977 that we can provide your growing operation with what you need that will save you time and money.