Farmer-Designed "Power Platform"

Farmer-Designed "Power Platform" TRACTORS New Tractors 32-6-29 Matt Tipple, who farms near Wellington, Ohio, worked with business partner, Mike Huhn, to design and build the new "Power Platform" tractor that was exhibited for the first time at the recent Ohio Farm Science Review near London, Ohio. The 4-WD, 4-wheel steer rig has a two-seat, front-mounted cab and is powered by a 260 hp Cummins turbocharged diesel engine connected to a 6-speed forward, 3-speed reverse powershift transmission. The truck-tractor can be equipped with front and rear 3-pt. hitch, front and rear 540 and 1,000 rpm pto, front and rear remote hydraulic outlets, a front and rear drawbar hitch, and a 12-yard rear dump box. It rides on 5-ft. high by 25 1/2-in. wide high flotation tires. Top speed is 32 mph; optional gearing bumps that up to 45 mph. The vehicle has two weight ratings. At high speed, cargo capacity is 26,000 lbs. At 5 mph or less, cargo capacity is 44,000 lbs. The machine has a 12-ft. long wheelbase and an overall length of 229 in. Tucked under the dump box is an engine-mounted air compressor along with a 16-gal. air reservoir, a 50-ft. air hose reel, and a locking toolbox. The cab has 14 work lights and can be tilted for service with a manual hydraulic pump or with air assist. Inside the cab you'll find a 10-in. LCD color display with all vehicle instrumentation include on-board scales, color backup camera, and hydraulic flow control adjustment. "We see it as a heavy duty tractor or farm support vehicle that can do many jobs normally performed by a tractor," says Tipple. "Once we tell farmers what it can do, they're amazed. It works great for hauling forage and grain, and it also makes a good corn and soybean planting machine. You can mount a 3-pt. planter on front to plant corn and fill the dump box with seed. A vacuum system would run from the box to the planter. To plant soybeans, you can mount a 30-in. planter on front and another one on back, offsetting the rear planter 15 inches to make a splitter planter. "It has amazing power in the field. I've used it on my farm to pull a 26-ft. disk and a 28-ft. field cultivator. It also works great with a fertilizer spreader or spray boom. We plan to build a dump-style flatbed for it. " The vehicle's suspension system features oscillating trunnion axle mounting, electro-hydraulic load carrying and bounce control. "The suspension system is tough enough to carry the heaviest load yet soft enough to smooth the roughest terrain," says Tipple. Total and individual axle weights are constantly monitored to determine if the machine is loaded, overloaded, or severely overloaded. When overloaded, a warning indicator will illuminate and prevent shifting higher than first gear. When severely overloaded, a warning indicator will illuminate and any movement is prevented until the weight is reduced. The machine comes with a three-mode steering system that provides excellent maneuverability and safety, says Tipple. "Front steering mode is the default setting. Coordinated mode steers the rear axle wheels in the opposite direction as the front wheels, allowing you to turn in a tight 16 1/2-ft. radius. And crab mode steers the rear axle wheels in the same direction as the front wheels." The Power Platform starts at $205,000 and goes up to $230,000 with front and rear 3-pt. hitch and pto, and dump bed. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Custom Chassis, Inc., 21950 Gore Orphanage Road, Wellington, Ohio 44090 (ph 440 647-6401; fax 440 647-3817; mttipple@customchassis inc.com; www.customchassisinc.com).

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