Power Tarp For Combine Grain Tanks

Power Tarp For Combine Grain Tanks COMBINES Accessories 20-2-3 Keeping combine grain tanks covered is as easy as flipping a switch with this new "power tarp", introduced at the recent MATE show in Montana by Lars and Anton Borg, of Fairview, Mont. It consists of a heavy duty vinyl tarp and a steel frame that bolts to the top edge of the grain tank (or tank extension). Each side of the tarp has a strip of webbing sewn to it that attaches to a pair of steel shafts, one on each side of the frame. The shafts are driven by a pair of 12-volt gear motors that are activated by a 2-way switch inside the cab. Flipping the switch one way pulls the tarp over the tank; flipping it the other way pulls it back off. "It eliminates the need to crawl up onto the combine to put a tarp on or to shovel out wet grain," says Lars. "The tarp rides up over a peak so it easily sheds rain. Trying to manually put a tarp on top of a combine grain tank isn't an easy job. There are a lot of sharp corners that can tear the tarp and there's no place to hook bunge cords so the wind can easily blow it off. Also, most tarps lie flat so you get a lot of puddles whenever it rains. "The steel frame extends 6 to 10 in. above the top of the tank or tank extension. How-ever, by removing a bolt from each corner you can fold the frame down inside the tank so that it won't interfere getting into ma-chine sheds. The frame adds up to 50 bu. of capacity to the tank. "Visibility of grain inside the tank is no problem because the tanks on most of today's combines have perforated screen windows. However, rain can come in through these windows so we're now developing bolt-on sheet metal æawnings' that will keep rain out." The tarps fit most popular combine brands and models and sell for $1,695 to $1,895. A manually-operated tarp that uses a crank mounted next to the cab sells for about $250 less. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, L.A. Borg & Co., Rt. 2, Box 2651, Fairview, Mont. 59221 (ph ph 406 747-5847).

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