If the force required to depress the clutch pedal on your tractor is giving you knee, hip or back problems, you'll be interested in a new electric-hydraulic switch that makes clutching as simple and easy as ringing a doorbell.

Developed in Sweden, the new Trim a Comfort Clutch (TCC) is an electrically operated hydraulic valve and actuator which, at the push of a switch, automatically controls operation of the clutch pedal, solving the "heavy clutch" problem.

A typical tractor TCC hookup involves installation of a standard foot-operated switch on the floor, and optional hand-operated switches mounted on hand-operated levers that require clutching.

Once one of the electrical switches is depressed, the clutch pedal immediately disengages. When the switch is released, the pedal rises to the "bite" position, then at a controlled rate to full engagement. You can immediately change from push-button control to normal foot clutching for maneuvers requiring precise "inching movement" -- hooking up to an implementor trailer, for example. When stopping for road traffic, you can use the switch rather than your foot to hold down the clutch.

"Spread over 10 or 15 years, the cost is minimal, especially for tractor operators who have knee, hip or other physical problems that make normal clutching difficult if not impossible," the manufacturer points out. Just introduced in Europe, the new TCC system is slated for marketing in the U.S. and Canada in the near future. "Meanwhile, we'd be happy to deal direct with interested FARM SHOW readers. Currently we can equip about a dozen makes of tractors, including Deere, Case-IH, Ford and Massey Ferguson."