What is going to be the next "Big Thing"

jinman · Oct 24, 2010

Oh! I just thought of another thing that I'd bet would be a winner. How about a small lightweight 24" to 36" cutter that is driven by a right angle gearbox or belt and sits out to the side of a small tractor for mowing ditches and around ponds. Make a basic unit that sells for under $1k with options of hydraulic extension and tilt for extra $$$. I don't need a 7' sicklebar cutter, but something the size of a DR brush cutter out to the side of my tractor would be ideal.

nspec · Oct 24, 2010

Rob-D is right on. Look at the Europeans. They've had front mounted implements for some time. We're always so far behind them. Makes perfect sense. Are we just too stubborn?

Ken_CT · Oct 24, 2010

From reading another thread in the owning/operating forum, it may be a marijuana harvester.:laughing:

Huskerplowboy · Oct 24, 2010

leonz said:
As long as we are speculating,

and I am not making a total

"spectacle" of myself (insert A&* there)

as its still early I would think a mobile

hay cuber/bagging plant for bagging super

sacks of hay for all users being horse, cattle,

sheep, hay contractors, will be the winner take

all in the towed implement category which wil

reduce spoilage to almost zero.

Deere made a hay cuber (self propelled or a stationary one) back around the late 60s, early 70s...

YouTube - John Deere 425 cuber

radman1 · Oct 24, 2010

Electronics will be come more common. The IVT/CVT transmission may become the standard.

The front mounted attachments are more common in Europe. Partly because of their narrow roads. Will see front attachment, combined with foldable rear attachment in Europe to get a wider attachment that will still travel down narrower roads. They also tend to use wider single front and rear tires and less use of duals, again due to narrow roads.

Ken45101 · Oct 24, 2010

jinman said:
Oh! I just thought of another thing that I'd bet would be a winner. How about a small lightweight 24" to 36" cutter that is driven by a right angle gearbox or belt and sits out to the side of a small tractor for mowing ditches and around ponds. Make a basic unit that sells for under $1k with options of hydraulic extension and tilt for extra $$$. I don't need a 7' sicklebar cutter, but something the size of a DR brush cutter out to the side of my tractor would be ideal.

The already make that, it's called a batwing mower, but they miss your $1K price point

The road crews also have the fully articulated side cutters but again they miss the economy price point.

I agree, I would like something reasonably priced for cutting the overhanging stuff on field edges and trails.

I have drooled over the sickelbar skid steer cutters but they are too expensive and won't handle the occasional tree branch. I want a 4-6' bucket mounted chain saw!

Ken

buck12 · Oct 24, 2010

jinman said:
Oh! I just thought of another thing that I'd bet would be a winner. How about a small lightweight 24" to 36" cutter that is driven by a right angle gearbox or belt and sits out to the side of a small tractor for mowing ditches and around ponds. Make a basic unit that sells for under $1k with options of hydraulic extension and tilt for extra $$$. I don't need a 7' sicklebar cutter, but something the size of a DR brush cutter out to the side of my tractor would be ideal.

If this product was made I could use it. I only need it for a few banks so it would have to be cheap.

slaveToHorses · Oct 25, 2010

Diesel-electric, for the tractors for sure. Has always been a cost/benefit on the electric motors/generators and controllers. But all that stuff has been getting serious refinement in the last couple of decades. The system is way more modular than our designs. That would indeed help manufacturability, not to mention reliability. But it also allows much more freedom of design. I can envision all kinds of cool adaptions.

Then, instead of always the PTO, you could have electric motors on the attachments. Just as some are hydraulic now.

I would also like to see the front mounted attachments.

lhfarm · Oct 25, 2010

I thought Willys had the right idea with the "Farm Jeep." A multi-purpose truck and tractor. I've been watching the Toolcat, since it is a very similar concept, although the jeep was sold as a quarter ton pickup/highway vehicle too. I'd like to see a modern version of the Farm Jeep that combined the ideas of diesel electric 4WD and modern hydraulics with QA implements and electronic assistance.

By electronic assistance, I mean front/rear cameras. The biggest complaint farmers had with using the jeep as a tractor was not being able to easily see a plow or mower behind the bed, even with the tailgate removed. Lots of folks here have added cameras to their cabbed tractors for similar reasons.

There were FELs and BHs for Farm Jeeps, but they weren't QA. There was also the ability to have both front and rear PTOs. And it would travel up to 60MPH on the road. I use my jeep much more around the farm than my tractor and I'd like having fewer vehicles to finance and maintain.