Instead of driving a tractor with an implement behind that sways right and left, Ned Meier figured putting the implement between the front and back axles would give him the precise control he needed for ridge till farming. The Grand Island, Nebraska, farmer used his engineering education, more than 30 years of experience as a farmer, and help from others to build the Precision Trac.
It's not a tractor, Meier says. It's a tool carrier that he's used for two seasons, planting and cultivating corn.
"It takes GPS technology and puts it to the ground," Meier says. "I want to maintain 1-in. accuracy at 4 1/2 to 6 mph."
He explains that while GPS keeps a tractor on course, rear-mounted equipment moves side to side, often leaving uneven distances between rows, making cultivating difficult.
His 225 hp, 20,000 lb., all-hydraulic, all-wheel Precision Trac stays on course. The cab and steering are on the rear axle. Implements are locked in place on toolbars between the axles. Having the implements in front of him is an added bonus, Meier says, as he can detect problems right away.
| Features of the Precision Trac include: | |
| Three modes of electronic steering: front wheel steer for driving down rows; front and rear wheel steer in the same direction for crab steer mode, used especially for mounting 3 pt. hitch attachments; and front and rear wheel steer in opposite directions for circle steering to turn the machine at the ends of rows. Each wheel is individually controlled; there are no tie rods. | |
| With a tread width of 12 ft. and a wheel base 19 1/2 ft. long, two pieces of equipment can be mounted on the tool bars. Meier uses a row cleaner in front of the corn planter, for example. By adding a 1,000-gal. tank of fertilizer, he can do three jobs in one pass. | |
| The 225 hp diesel engine drives three hydraulic pumps: one to power the front wheels, one for the back wheels and the other to power everything else. | |
Meier shopped farm shows for parts for his Precision Trac. He used a Parker IQAN electronic system to control the hydraulics, for example.
"I've had a lot of help. I didn't build this myself," Meier says. "I built the thing for my own use. The thing we've done is make the equipment and vehicle one unit. If you can control the vehicle, then you can control the equipment. This vehicle has an application in any situation where precision control of any implement is beneficial."
Some people have expressed interest in buying a Precision Trac. Meier says he has a friend with a manufacturing firm who may be interested in producing them.