Tree Weeder Mounts On Side Of Tractor

Tree weeder mounts on side of tractor MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 16-5-11 Keeping weeds out of shelterbelts is an easy job for North Dakota farmer Milo Buchholz of Fingal who uses a small 3-pt. mounted cultivator together with a hydraulically-controlled weeder arm that moves in and out between trees. "It's the `cat's meow' for keeping shelterbelts clean. Makes it possible for me to plant more trees because I can easily take care of them," says Buchholz, noting that while commercial side-mounted tree weeders sell for thousands of dollars, he built his weeder arm out of scrap parts. "The only thing I bought was some short hydraulic hoses. Everything else I had on hand, including the cultivator which was originally a trailing model that I converted to 3-pt. mount." The base of the weeder arm attaches to a bar that extends out to the side of the tractor from the 3-pt. cultivator. Buchholz put an automotive universal joint at the base of the weeder arm which allows it to move in any direction. A hydraulic cylinder, which is anchored to a bracket on the 3-pt., bolts to the weeder arm at a spot about 1 ft. from the base. This cylinder moves the arm in and out from the tractor. A spring and chain, which run from a mast at the base of the weeder arm to a point about halfway up the arm, controls depth of the cleaning fork on the end of the arm. The fork consists of a plow lay welded at an angle to the cleaner arm with five 3/ 4-in. dia. teeth welded perpendicular to the old plow lay. Teeth are about 3 in. long and spaced about 3 in. apart. "It's easy to watch the cleaning fork since the arm extends up alongside the tractor. The hydraulic cylinder moves it in and out real fast so it's easy to dodge trees and if debris gets stuck on the fork you just shake it bark and forth real quick and it'll come off," says Buchholz. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Milo Buchholz, 12329 45th St. SE, Fin-gal, N.Dak. 58031.

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