Trans-Tiller Toolbar Lets You Gang Equipment

Trans-Tiller Toolbar Lets You Gang Equipment CULTIVATORS Cultivators (58C) 1-2-7 You can gang field cultivators, chisel plows, planters and other 3-pt. hitch equipment on a revolutionary toolbar introduced by Frontier, Inc., West Forgo, N. Dak. It can be equipped with up to five or more category II or III 3-pt. hitches and comes in 42, 44, 48, 50 or 60 ft. widths. You can buy the toolbar only and attach your own 3-pt. hitch tillage or planting equipment to it. Or, you can buy it with a companion field cultivator which Frontier calls the Trans-Tiller. It features a number of "firsts" in field cultivator design. For example, the widest (60 ft.) Trans-Tiller is made up of three 20 ft. cultivator sections. Each section hooks to the toolbar via a 3-pt. hitch (see photos). This independent hookup provides flotation of the individual sections for uniform cultivation on uneven terrain. Six inboard gauge wheels provide precise depth control, and eight flotation tires on the toolbar help maximize flotation and minimize compaction. The Trans-Tiller's three rows of chisels are spaced for "unexcelled trash clearance in field cultivators," according to Ralph Studebaker, marketing director. "On most field cultivators, 60% of the spacing is between the front and middle rows, and 40% between the middle and back rows of chisels. We reversed this to get the wider 60% spacing in back. Trash is partly torn loose by the front row and loosened still more by the second row. By the time it moves between the middle and back rows, it's all loose and most apt to cause plugging. With more spacing in this more vulnerable area, we've minimized plugging problems." For transport, the wings of the Trans-Tiller fold forward, narrowing the unit to only 16.5 ft. wide. Each section is raised hydraulically via its own 3-pt. hitch linkage to the vertical (90?) position. The entire fold-up operation is controlled hydraulically right from the driver's seat. "We think the Trans-Tiller, with its exclusive 3-pt. hitch linkage and foldforward features, represents one of the biggest-ever breakthroughs in field cultivator design," says Studebaker. "And, in addition to these features, you get the added flexibility of being able to use the revolutionary toolbar for other 3-pt. hitch equipment. "Last year, for example, we used the Trans-Tiller to prepare the seedbed, then removed the cultivators and mounted two 12-row 3-pt, hitch planters on the toolbar. We used Milton planters which are equipped with grain tight lids and can be tipped for transport without spilling any seed. After planting, we put two 12-row 3-pt. hitch row crop cultivators on the toolbar," explains Studebaker. He adds that the 3-pt. hitch toolbar, whether purchased alone or as part of the Trans-Tiller field cultivator, is about as versatile as you want to make it. "A lot of farmers parked smaller 3-pt. hitch chisel plows, rotary hoes and field cultivators in the trees as they moved up to bigger tractors and bigger equipment. Our toolbar offers a wide variety of alternatives for mixing and matching this abandoned equipment and putting it back in service without any retooling. Similar tillage units can be ganged in as wide a swath as you want to take. We used to think 50 ft. was the limit. Now, it appears that the only limit on width is horsepower availability." Cost of the 60 ft. Trans-Tiller, cornplete with toolbar and three field cultivator sections is $13,200. The 42 ft. model sells for $11,100. Or, you can buy the toolbar separately for $4,000 to $5,000, depending on width. For more details, contact; FARM SHOW Followup, Frontier, Inc., Box 795, 6th St. West and Main Ave., West Forgo, N. Dak. 58078 (ph. 701 282-2970).

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