Soybean Topper

Soybean topper CROPS Weed Control 13-3-16 Vincent Kramper, Dakota City, Neb., built a 3-pt. mounted "corn and weed topper" equipped with rotating blades that clip off volunteer corn and tall weeds just above the tops of his soybeans. "This mower works faster than spot sprayers and I don't have to depend on outside help," says Kramer, who built the unit three years ago. "It really works great for clipping velvetleaf and cocklebur." The 10-ft. wide mower is equipped with five 30-in. knives which turn at about 700 rpm. The blades, made of 2-in. wide mild steel, are sharpened about 4 in. on each end and are mounted on shafts with 5/8-in. steel bolts. A pair of pillow block bearings on each shaft is bolted to a frame made from 4-in. channel iron, scrap pipe and 1/2-in. re-rod. A hydraulic motor and chain drives the center shaft. Rubber "V" belts off the center shaft drive the other shafts. Kramper says the iron framework around the blades keeps anyone from walking into them. He used belts to drive the blades so that they'd slip if they hit any object. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Vin-cent Kramper, RR 1, Dakota City, Neb. 68731 (ph 402 987-3560).

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