Solar-Powered Garden Creeper

Solar-Powered Garden Creeper ENERGY Solar 31-4-20 Planting, maintaining and harvesting a big garden can be a pain in the back and elsewhere. Chris Juel's quiet solar powered creeper has made all sorts of garden jobs easier and pain-free. "The 50-watt panel keeps the deep charge battery full, and the 12-volt, 1/6 hp motor gives me plenty of power, even on slopes," says Juel. "I can plant 100 strawberry plants an hour with it. Trays that hang underneath can be used to hold seedlings or to hold produce." The 36-in. wide creeper measures 7 ft. long. The Naugahyde covered, 3-in. foam padded bed rides 18 in. above the ground. The axles for the 26-in. wheels are mounted about 5 in. below the bed. "I made a jig to build the creeper," says Juel. "It is just a sheet of plywood with blocks screwed down to hold the lengths of square tubing. I lay them out and weld them in place." The frame is 1-in. square tubing. For axle bearings, Juel inserted a 3/4-in. pvc pipe inside a 1-in. steel pipe and runs the axle through it. A grease zerk inserted through the steel pipe and the pvc pipe holds the inner pipe in place and provides the once-a-year lubrication needed. Juel fabricated the gears himself and used a bike chain to transfer power to the rear drive axle. A foot pedal controls forward motion with a top speed of 1 mph. The solar screen and motor are all mounted on the front end of the creeper, which makes it easy to lift the back end. When Juel gets to the end of a row, he dismounts, picks up the rear end and walks it around for his return trip. Slight steering adjustments are made with a rudder attached to the front axle. "I can adjust it about 10 degrees, which is plenty," says Juel. The creeper is outfitted with an umbrella on the rear and can carry a radio or cassette player as well. Juel simply uses a cigarette lighter adapter to connect them to the battery. He's considering altering the headrest. Instead of laying the forehead on the pad, he is planning to build a net-style retainer to better distribute the pressure. The creeper was not cheap. He notes that the solar panel alone costs $400, and the electric gear motor costs another $300. He would be interested in building them for sale if there was enough interest. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Chris Juel, Box 162, Scobey, Montana 59263 (ph 406 487-5014).

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