“Crop Chaser” Dump Cart Handles It All

“Crop Chaser” Dump Cart Handles It All WAGONS/TRAILERS Miscellaneous Michigan farmer Brian Karg says that his need for better crop handling efficiency was the reason he spent several years designing his “Crop Chaser” dump cart before building a prototype in 2017 “Our farming operation is all about efficiency and when we went to a self-propelled beet harvester one cart couldn’t keep up with the machine Two carts could handle a decent flow of beets however they were often waiting to dump on the same truck and it was challenging to control topping off truck loads without spilling The 40-ton cart we built can receive an entire truckload from the harvester in about a minute drive to the truck at the end of a field and unload in a minute then get back to the harvester by the time the machine’s is getting full Scales on the cart insure the proper amount for each truckload and prevent hauling excess beets back to the harvester It’s peak efficiency for our operation and nobody’s waiting ” Karg’s Crop Chaser uses an 8 by 20-in tube frame reinforced by an extensive X brace frame to lift the 2 200 cu ft box without deflection The frame is supported by a Camso track system that puts under 13 psi of pressure on the soil when loaded The lift system uses a 7-in bore master cylinder and a slave cylinder to evenly lift up to 80 000 lbs of cargo The tip cylinders are 6 by 72-in and can be mounted in 3 different locations The top position can be used to dump the box faster with lighter crops and the bottom position is used when working with loads that weigh more than 34 tons The cart can dump off either side by switching the tongue to the other end of the frame and switching the tracks Karg says they used the prototype for 3 years without any problems pulling it with a Deere 8320R It’s now the only cart their farm uses to harvest sugar beets edible beans wheat and corn Word got around about the cart and it drew the attention of Riverview LLP a dairy operation in Minnesota which asked for a cart just like it to haul chopped forage Karg and his manufacturer MTW industries from Mount Pleasant Mich built the first production model that Riverview tested in Arizona for their spring wheat silage harvest They were so impressed that they ordered 4 more All 5 carts were used in Minnesota for corn silage then for sugar beets beans and corn Karg says other key features make the cart unique and efficient The huge box is divided with a strong center support and the loading side is low enough so beets and other crops don’t have a long drop that causes bruising Controlled dumping is achieved in part by the patented large adjustable baffle inside the tank and four chain conveyors on the sidewall The baffle extends the length of the box to hold the load while the chain conveyors move material out “The baffle and chain conveyors are really the keys to efficient and controlled unloading ” Karg says “As the cart driver pulls ahead the chain conveyors deliver only enough crop to fill empty space in the truck The baffle and chain conveyor work together to prevent overfilling because the crop stalls out even though the conveyor is still running ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Amity Technology 2800 7th Ave N Fargo N Dak 58102 ben sander@amitytech com

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