Weight Transfer Converts Pull Type Tigs To No Till

Weight transfer converts pull type rigs to no till HITCHES Hitches 11-6-3 A new, hydraulically-operated weight transfer system from Yetter Mfg., Colchester, Ill., lets you inexpensively convert pull-type drills, planters and anhydrous ammonia applicators into no-till implements. It ties into the center link of the 3 pt. hitch and transfers up to 3,000 lbs. of the tractor's weight to a rear-mounted toolbar equipped with coulters that cut through heavy trash ahead planting or fertilizing equipment. "Our new weight transfer system represents a low-cost alternative to buying new no-till equipment," says Mitch Romer, di-rector of marketing. "Many farmers want to go no-till, but they don't want to pay the money for a new drill, planter, or ammonia applicator. Many of them would prefer to use the pull-type implement they already have, and add a toolbar and no-till coulters, or fertilizer openers, in front. However, in many cases, the tractor's 3 pt. hitch can't exert enough down pressure to keep coulters from riding on top of the surface. Extra weights can help, but they can also stress the implement's frame and a bigger tractor may be required to pull them." Yetter's new weight transfer is a substitute for those weights. To describe how it works, Romer compares it to a big prybar: "One end of the prybar is attached to the 3 pt. hitch's center link. If you're on the other end pulling down on it, over the top of the toolbar, you'll push the toolbar into the ground and it will try to life the back of the tractor. "Instead of using a prybar, we're using hydraulics. When the hydraulic cylinder is actuated, the weight transfer linkage col-lapses, exerts pressure on the toolbar, and tries to lift the back of the tractor. That's where you get the weight transfer. Because the tractor out-weighs the toolbar, it presses down on the toolbar to force coulters attached to it into the ground. The tractor doesn't have to lift or pull any heavy weights so there's no need for a bigger tractor," Romer points out. By watching a hydraulic gauge mounted on the linkage, the operator can adjust down pressure to varying field conditions. The system sells for 51,995, without coulters or toolbar. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Yetter Mfg., P.O. Box 358, Colchester, Ill. (ph 800 447-5777; in Ill., call 800 325-7165, or 309 776-4111).

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