Tank Caddy Makes NH3 Application Easier

Tank Caddy Makes NH3 Application Easier FERTILIZER APPLICATION Fertilizer Application (58f) 18-3-17 It saves horsepower, time and labor, say the farmers who came up with a "nurse tank caddy" to carry an anhydrous tank between tractor and chisel plow. Before coming up with their tank caddy idea, Minnesota farmers Steve Eickhoff and Wayne Hebrink carried anhydrous in a 500-gal. tank that mounted directly on the frame of the chisel plow. It took about 45 min. to fill the tank and it took two fills to empty a nurse tank. "It put a lot of extra weight on the chisel plow which was creating some mechanical failures on the plow," says Eichoff. "And when the tank was full, it was heavier in the center, causing a deeper cut in the soil so it wouldn't run evenly across the field until the tank got empty." Hauling the nurse tank on a caddy in front of the chisel plow takes considerably less horsepower than towing a tank behind the plow because of drag caused by loose soil behind the plow, and it shortens up the entire rig, making turns easier. It also eliminates wheel tracks behind the chisel plow. Before building the nurse tank caddy, the men built a model out of cardboard and tested it out with a toy 4-WD to get the right dimensions. The real thing is 10 ft. long with a 6-ft. tongue. The ramps the wheels back up onto are about 7 ft. apart. Eickhoff estimates total cost of building it came to about $2,000. The men figure they increased productivity 30 percent and they now do a better job. They also changed to a larger, 1,500 gal. nurse tank. It takes about 15 min. to switch tanks by flipping down two ramps and hooking a winch onto the back of the tank frame. The winch runs off a wired remote control so a person can stand in front of the wagon and steer it a little bit to help guide it up. Once on the ramps, the wheels can't roll off because there are sides on them. The first year the cart was fitted with just two 16-in. wagon tires. Last year, they added a pair of terra tires for extra support. They also had to reinforce the axles, which had begun to tear apart due to pressure on sidehills. If they were doing it again, they would build it so the tank pulled up from the right side because when going down the highway with a loaded tank, the tongue sticks out into the roadway. Other than that, the men say they're pleased with the caddy's performance and strength. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steven Eickhoff, Rt. 1, Box 63, Fountain, Minn. 55935 (ph 507 352-2462 or 5681).

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