Fertilizer Applicator Built On Tracks

Fertilizer Applicator Built On Tracks FERTILIZER APPLICATION Fertilizer Application (58f) 34-1-34 Andy and Tony Mulvihill are just a few years removed from their high school classrooms, but they're not afraid to tackle major repair or build-it-yourself projects. The Hampton, Minnesota brothers, with help from their father Tim, built a dry fertilizer applicator that rides on a custom-made frame and tracks. The base of the tank rides on a frame almost 4 ft. high so they can broadcast dry fertilizer on bare fields or side-dress urea in waist-high corn. The Mulvihills started their project with tracks and a custom frame built by Lyn Rosenboom, creator of LandluvrÖ track systems in Clifton, Ill. The tracks have a 20-ton load capacity and use 14 -in. belts. Rosenboom builds a similar version for grain carts and other heavy applications using Case-IH Quad-Track belts. For Mulvihill's rig he built a frame to their specifications so it would carry a dry fertilizer tank that had previously been mounted on wheels. Rosenboom also built a reinforced articulating hitch that allows the cart to follow in the tracks of the Mulvihills' Cat tractor as it turns, damaging less corn at the end of the fields. The brothers assembled the track and hitch components, then built an elevated frame made of 2 by 6 and 2 by 8 box tubing. That created a sturdy and tall platform for the 5-ton fertilizer tank. Weight is distributed 2/3rds on the tracks and 1/3rd on the tongue. The Mulvihills added a divider at the center of the Pro-Force so they could apply two different products in one pass if needed. They rigged up two hydraulic control gates to replace the old gear crank door. The old wheel-drive mechanism was replaced with a hydraulic motor that allows variable speed controls for the apron and the twin 30-in. dia. spinners. Andy uses a variable rate controller in the cab to accurately dispense dry products, matching field requirements and ground speed. Tracking through waist-high corn at speeds of 18 to 20 mph, the rig sends fertilizer flying across a 90-ft. swath. Their Cat tractor has auto steer and GPS mapping that allow precision application with variable-rate electronics and hydraulics. Tim is quick to say the brothers did a great job on the hydraulic and electronic calculations. After covering 120 acres of corn with side-dress nutrients on a warm June evening in 2009, less than 10 pounds of fertilizer remained in the tanks. When the tanks are empty, filling them takes less than 10 min. with a 24-in. apron elevator that slides right under the hoppers of their semi-trailer. The Mulvihills found the rig on an internet auction and knew it was just the ticket for loading fertilizer. After towing it home 400 miles, they renovated the frame, tuned up the motor and the hydraulics and it runs like a new one at 1/4 the cost. Their final touch of hands-free operation is a simple electric motor with a hand-held remote to open and close the hopper gate on the semi. In this age of speed, economy and precision, the Mulvihills have dry fertilizer application down to an exact science. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Andy and Tony Mulvihill, 25789 Northfield Blvd., Hampton, Minn. 55031 (ph 507 263-2641). For information on the track systems Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lyn Rosenboom, Landluvr, 129 East 3rd Ave., Clifton, Ill. 60927 (ph 815 252-2622).

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