Motorized Shovel

Motorized shovel MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 9-1-35 "It's a cross between a jackhammer and a barless chain saw," says Ken Lanter, Swannanoa, N.C., of his company's amazing new motor-driven shovel called the "Dyna-Diggr". The device digs trees and shrubs, cuts trenches, bores postholes, peels off old shingles and floor tile, breaks up old concrete, and a lot more. The Dyna-Diggr is powered by a two-stroke, horizontal mounted Tecumseh engine. Here, according to Lanter is how it works: "A centrifugal clutch on the engine shaft belt-drives a pulley mated to a second parallel shaft that rides in bearings mounted within the steel housing. An eccentric moves a connecting rod which, in turn, transfers its linear motion to a guided yoke-and-plunger rod that passes through the base pillar. "The 18 in. long digging blade moves in and out (at the rate of 2,000 times per minute) 3/8th's of an inch, which is just enough to transfer movement to the blade rather than the operator, and just enough to get the job done and yet keep the machine from hopping around," Lanter points out. "Operating it is similar to a Roto-tiller. Once you get the hang of it, you learn to simply guide the machine and let it do the work." The device weighs 47 lbs. and is available with a variety of attachments, including a 6 by 8 by 16 in. steel spade, a chisel point for breaking up concrete, and a posthole digger in 4, 5, 6 and 8 in. diameters. "It's great for digging postholes. The standard unit will dig holes up to 22 in. deep, and deeper with optional handle extensions. After digging the hole, the device can be used to tamp the soil around the post," explains Lanter. He adds that tree farmers and nursery operators are finding the Dyna-Diggr especially handy for planting and transplanting trees and shrubs. "In most types of soil, one person working alone can lift out a 7 ft. tree in less than a minute," says Lanter. Will it split wood or rocks? "It'll split wood but its splitting action is so slow it really isn't practical as a wood splitter," explains Lanter. "It does better as a rock splitter, although this isn't a primary use for the tool. We've used it to split rocks just to show it can be done," Lanter told FARM SHOW. Sells for $995, including the 6 by 8 by 18 in. steel spade attachment. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ken Lanter, Brisco Mfg. Inc., 251 Buckeye Cove Road, Swannanoa, N.C. 28778 (ph 704 298-1510).

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