Knife Style Tiler

Knife style tiler TILING MACHINES Tiling Machines 13-1-35 "No one believes it'll work until they see it in action," says Tom Gallagher, Anoka, Minn., about his amazing new "Sneaky Pete" tiler that slices through the ground to lay tile, cable or plastic pipe with virtually no disturbance to the soil surface. "We can even lay cable or pipe in a sodded yard without having to re-seed or sod." The 3-pt. mounted "Sneaky Pete" is available in three models to cut 14, 24 and 28-in. deep. A larger model that will work deeper to lay drainage tile is in development. The new-style tiler has two 2 I/2-ft. long steel plates which are welded together and rounded at the bottom to form a "V". The leading edges of the "V" plates are equipped with small cutting teeth and run about 4-in. deeper than the rear, so that the bottom slants upward toward the back. The ma-chine lifts the soil in a rippling motion. A worker walks alongside to hand feed cable or pipe into the hole created briefly by the rising soil. The soil then falls back into place, leaving the surface undisturbed. "In the future we'll install a side-mounted tubing guide system right on the rig," says Gallagher. "That way you'll be able to lay tubing as fast as you can drive." The unit's slicing action is so efficient that even the largest 28-in. deep model requires only a 30 to 35 hp tractor. "It's the simplest machine you ever saw. There's no moving parts or digging apparatus," says Gallagher, who has patented the rig and found a manufacturer for it. "No one believes that we can use a 30 lip tractor to lay 4-in. dia. cable or pipe almost 30 in. deep. The secret is that `Sneaky Pete' slices and lifts the ground instead of digging it out, which requires far less horsepower. It works fast. Cutting at a 14 to 16-in. depth you can safely go 400 ft. per minute, depending on soil conditions." According to Gallagher, "Sneaky Pete" works great for installing lawn sprinkler systems on a sodded yard. "You can lay hose and sprinkler heads simultaneously and barely disturb the sod. You don't have to make a second pass to dig holes over the main line to attach the heads." Gallagher says his larger model for installation of field drainage tile will be less expensive and require far less horsepower than conventional tiling machines and cause less damage to tile while installing it. "Most conventional tiling machines cut straight walls and leave a hole with a flat bottom for the round tile. Backfill soil can collapse down the sides, creating unequal pressure that can crush the pipe. Sneaky Pete makes a round hole that matches the radius of the tile, supporting it equally all the way around." The manufacturer is currently building "Sneaky Pete" on a custom order basis. The largest model sells for under $3,500. Dealer inquiries welcome. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, M.J. Dunn, 1501 101st Ave. N.E., Minneapolis, Minn. 55434 (ph 612 780-2598).

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