2005 - Volume #29, Issue #3, Page #02
[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story
| Read this issue]
Wheel-Mounted Hole Puncher Helps Plant Trees
![]() |
"It punches holes in the ground at exact 10-ft. intervals," says Zenz.
He used 3 by 3-in. angle iron to make a frame that bolts onto the tractor wheel using holes already in the wheel. He welded a metal pipe onto the frame, then inserted a 2-in. dia. solid steel shaft that's pointed at one end inside the pipe. The shaft is held secure by a steel pin.
As the tractor drives down the field, the pointed shaft makes a 2-in. dia., 8-in. deep hole every 10 ft. Tree seedlings are then inserted by hand.
"I can't use it on fields with a lot of stumps and rocks, but on open fields it works perfect," says Zenz, who operates a tree farm. "The wheel measures 37 in. in diameter and happened to be just the right size for spacing the holes 8 ft. apart. We had been stepping off the distance between holes and then using a shovel-like device to punch a hole in the ground. Using a wheel-mounted device is a lot faster and simpler and also more accurate. If the ground is in normal condition the device punches a hole without raising the tractor at all. However, if the wheel hits a rock or tree stump it can really vibrate the tractor.
"When I'm done using the device I just pull the pin out of the shaft and pull it out. The angle iron bracket stays on the tractor."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Larry Zenz, HC 60, 5779 E. Hwy. 28, Parks, Ark. 72950 (ph 479 577-2677).
![](/img/download-story.png)
Click here to download page story appeared in.
![](/img/entire-issue.png)
Click here to read entire issue
To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.