Remote-Controlled F-250 Helps Ranches Feed Cattle

Remote-Controlled F-250 Helps Ranches Feed Cattle LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment Ken Myers and David Anderson took the engine out of a Ford F-250 pickup and converted it to electric power Then they went one step farther to create the only remote-controlled pickup we ve ever seen It makes one-man cattle feeding fun they say     Anderson is an all-natural beef rancher Besides saving energy the all-electric truck eliminates the diesel engine noise and smoke and the remote controls save him the cost of a hired hand     The $15 000 he spent on the conversion wasn t just for fun He also uses the truck for fencing and laying out irrigation pipe among other things     The remote controls attach to a lanyard Anderson wears around his neck As he unloads hay into feed bunks he hits a button on the remote to move the truck ahead With several relays and four buttons on the remote he can steer brake and even blow the horn to warn cattle in front of the truck The remote works up to 500 ft from the truck      When I go through a gate I only have to get out once Anderson says noting the remote saves him a lot of time just getting in and out of the pickup doing chores around the ranch     Myers made the conversion with a 42 hp electric motor out of a delivery truck Other than adding an adapter to connect it to the manual transmission changing to electric wasn t that difficult      A lot of the time involved figuring out all the relays for the remote But we did it Anderson says Friend Ken Myers a former high school shop instructor and auto repair shop owner has experience with electric conversions He has driven more than 100 000 miles on a 1965 Volkswagen Beetle he converted to electric in 1992     Twenty 6-volt deep-cycle lead-acid batteries stored under the pickup bed power Anderson s truck The charge plug is on the back of the passenger side of the cab A plug outlet attaches to a headache rack Anderson uses the electricity for grinders or drills and even an electric frying pan to cook a meal while out working     Anderson s F-250 charges up in 3 hrs or less and when driven at 40 to 50 mph it lasts up to 50 miles - for less than the cost of a cup of coffee With 5 000 to 6 000 rpm s the truck has out-pulled an F-250 diesel truck Batteries start losing recharging power after 5 to 7 years As lithium batteries evolve Myers believes they will be more affordable and efficient He adds that some states offer tax credits for electric vehicles     He and Myers sell DVD s $19 99 each and they plan to put together a packet detailing how to build your own remote-controlled electric pickup     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup David Anderson 15027 S Rock Creek Lane Haines Ore 97833 ph 541 519-3030; andersonfarms_97833@yahoo com or Ken Myers ph 541 403-0725

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