Over-the-Engine Topside Creeper
An Over-the-Engine Topside Creeper, the top portion of which adjusts up to 65 inches, fits over the engine of most autos and pickups. (For bigger trucks, it may need to be on a platform.) The steel-tube-frame device usually includes four caster wheels, wide access steps, and a cushioned chest pad. It’s load-rated up to 400…
Read MoreUnder-the-Dash Creeper
An Under-the-Dash Creeper is designed for accessing hard-to-reach areas beneath a vehicle’s dashboard (or steering wheel) while providing a relatively comfortable work position over extended periods. It consists of a cushioned lay-on board (about 40 inches long, 15-20 inches wide), at one end of which is a height-adjustable, two-legged steel frame fitted with lock-brake or…
Read MoreHomemade Metal-Pickup Tool
With this Homemade Metal-Pickup Tool, David Wilhelm (Cedar Grove, IN) can more easily retrieve nails, screws, nuts, or any other small metal objects, whether on his shop floor or work bench. The devise is simply a 6-inch-long piece of 2 x 4 into which are screwed (on the 6-inch edge) a line of four strong…
Read MoreColor-Coded Hydraulic Hose Couplers
Color-Coded Hydraulic Hose Couplers are intended to ensure that the hoses on one’s implement match up with the correct function on the tractor. Additionally, they’re designed to be more easily gripped and connected/disconnected-even if the hose ends are slippery, oily, and/or dirty.
Read MoreFingerprint-Enabled Door Lock
With a Fingerprint-Enabled Door Lock, the only one with a “key” to your farm shop is you-or trusted persons (e.g., family members) with whom you share access. Besides reducing the chance of break-ins, this technology can also benefit those with limited hand strength and visual limitations. To function, the lock requires the user to enter…
Read MoreTertill Weeding Robot
Intended for home garden use, this solar-powered Tertill Weeding Robot doesn’t pull weeds; instead, it prevents them from growing all season long. The 12-inch-diameter device has a solar panel on top and four special “scrubbing” wheels plus a string trimmer underneath. With the push of a button, the robot travels back and forth through the…
Read MoreWire-Soldering Clamp
A Wire-Soldering Clamp holds in place and in alignment either two different wires to be united or one wire that needs to be reconnected. The tool clamps down onto the wires from either side, enabling easier soldering. It can be used for different gauges of wiring and protects the wire covering from abrasion, cuts, or…
Read MoreHomemade Floating Greens Bed
A Homemade Floating Greens Bed can allow one to grow lettuce and other leafy greens without having to stoop over or kneel. The approximately 1-foot-deep hydroponic growing beds, made of wood frames and heavy-rubber sheeting, are filled with water containing a small amount of fertilizer then covered with thin sheets of foam insulation. The greens…
Read MoreMonarch Electric Autonomous Tractor
Utilizing artificial-intelligence (AI), the Monarch Electric Autonomous Tractor (known as the MK-V) is equipped with 3-D cameras and sensors that allow it to be operated with or without a driver. Its AI capabilities also collect data that analyze crop health/performance and various other management-related functions, plus activate safety practices (e.g.. collision prevention, PTO protection, and…
Read MoreSmartphone Endoscopic/Borescopic Camera
A Smartphone Endoscopic/Borescopic Camera can be a valuable yet relatively inexpensive tool around the farmstead (workshop, garage, home). With this technology, one can inspect small or otherwise hard-to-access areas that need repair or maintenance, e.g., vehicle engine, equipment undercarriage, electrical wiring, HVAC, sewer drainpipe. In addition to the smartphone app, some kits consist of a…
Read MoreIllumiladder Ladder-Attached LED Light Strips
Illumiladder Ladder-Attached LED Light Strips can illuminate a work area with the flip of a switch (no floodlights, cords, or outlets needed). The dual, 2-foot-long, battery-powered lights, which affix to the upper portion of a ladder’s legs, will reportedly produce over 3,000 lumens. The strips have a bank of LED bulbs on the front and…
Read MoreGPS Fence Dog Collar
For livestock producers who use herding or guard dogs, a GPS Fence Dog Collar with its companion mobile app provides for invisible fence-type containment of the animal (via collar-emitted vibrations), sends alerts when it “tests” the containment area’s pre-set boundaries, and reveals the dog’s precise location. This GPS collar-and app system utilizes machine learning for…
Read MoreVisual-Interpreter Services
Visual-Interpreter Services are designed to provide anytime/anywhere assistance to people with vision impairments by delivering information regarding a wide range of everyday tasks or special challenges about which they have questions. Two sources of such assistance are Aira and Be-My-Eyes. Both are globally accessible and both are accessed via a smartphone camera and free app…
Read MoreRemote Sap-Harvest Monitoring System
With a Remote Sap-Harvest Monitoring System, via smartphone or other digital device, the maple syrup maker (1) is kept informed, at pre-set times, of conditions at the harvest site (e.g., temperature, sap flow, pump status, tank level); (2) is alerted instantly of any problems (e.g., loss of vacuum, pump failure, tank full); (3) can initiate…
Read MoreTag-and-Scan System for the Visually Impaired
This Tag-and-Scan System for the Visually Impaired allows for any item (e.g., tools, container contents, clothing, medicines) to be identified, described, etc. then audibly ‘read back’ every time one needs to utilize it. The system involves three components-an iOS or Android smartphone, the free WayAround mobile app, and a WayTag near-field communication (NFC) chip-enabled sticker-,…
Read MoreOnTrak GPS Guidance System
The OnTrak GPS Guidance System is designed to guide one in following straight lines, radius, or contour routes with an accuracy of about 7 inches according to the manufacturer. The system consists of a battery-powered, wireless device having seven bright LED lights (affixed magnetically to the hood) that operates off and transmits data to an…
Read MoreAlphaVision Bovine Insemination Gun
The AlphaVision Bovine Insemination Gun is a video-assisted insemination system. Being equipped with a camera, this tool assists in determining the best time to do so. With it, one is reportedly able to confirm heat by visualizing the presence and quality of mucus in the tract, to locate the cervix easily and safely, to insert…
Read MoreSkid Steer 3-Point-Hitch PTO Adapter
With a tractor, most implements are attached behind the machine, which means that one has to constantly twist around to check on their proper operation. With a skid steer, however, the implements are positioned in front of the machine, thus eliminating having to look behind. A CAT I- and II-compatible Skid Steer 3-Point-Hitch PTO Adapter…
Read MoreROPS-Mounted Rearview Mirror
A ROPS-Mounted Rearview Mirror allows for a clear view of what’s behind the tractor without having to turn head/body to do so. Often when doing field work, one must look behind the tractor (or off-road vehicle) to check on the towed implement or other piece of equipment. This constant twisting of head and body can…
Read MoreLoader Bucket Hitching Blocks
South Dakota farmer Darren Wipf’s Loader Bucket Hitching Blocks (simply two parallel concrete blocks) not only keep the bucket up out of the mud/snow/dirt, but also make it easier to see when hitching/unhitching. Straps bolted onto the backs keep the bucket from falling off the blocks when it’s pushed ahead. A similar strategy is to…
Read MoreHomemade Chicken Tractor Mover
Pulling a chicken tractor (especially one on skids) to a new location in the pasture can be a problem for several reasons: (1) It may snag on growing vegetation or dig into wet ground; and (2) the chickens, if they don’t respond quickly, may get caught under the framing. One inexpensive option is this Homemade…
Read MorePainted Wrench Identification System
With his Painted Wrench Identification System, Pennsylvania dairyman Rodney Byers is able, at a glance, to find (and put back) the ones that he needs. Assigning the various common sizes a specific color, he painted each in that group that color-e.g., all 1/2-inch wrenches (and sockets) are red; all 9/16-inchers are green, etc
Read MoreWireless Soil Moisture Sensor
A Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor measures and reports soil moisture to a mobile device for irrigation management. This allows workers with mobility, visual, or other impairments to start and stop irrigation without going to the field to check soil conditions. It provides real-time soil moisture measurement for agriculture, horticulture, nature restoration, and landscaping. Compatible with…
Read MoreMoore Bin/Tank-Level Proximity Sensor
Farmers with vision impairments or difficulty climbing can use the Moore Bin/Tank-Level Proximity Sensor (MA-135). Mounted on the structure’s exterior (usually at two or three different heights), it monitors fill-level of the incoming contents. When that level reaches the sensor, its relay switch activates an audio alarm and a flashing light, and/or shuts off the…
Read MoreWelding Helmet-Mounted LED Light
Lightweight and AA-battery operated, a Welding Helmet-Mounted LED Light is designed to emit an ultra-bright, focused beam to illuminate the precise area to be welded. This allows one to locate the torch where needed before striking an arc. Although varying as to where and how mounted (depending on make/model), the light reportedly comes with all…
Read MoreHand-Held Domed Herbicide Sprayer
A Hand-Held Domed Herbicide Sprayer is designed for weed control particularly in situations where protection against spray drift is important (e.g., ground fruit, vegetable, or flower crops, orchards, vineyards). Concentrated chemicals are sprayed in a fine mist to kill weeds directly under the dome without damaging other plants in close proximity. This can be particularly…
Read MoreAccuBreedTM Cloud Estrus Detection System
The AccuBreedTM Cloud Estrus Detection System notifies the beef or dairy producer (via any internet-based device) when a cow is in standing heat and ready to be bred, by recording the date/ time/duration of all mounts-all from a rechargeable radio frequency transmitter affixed to the tailhead. The system’s components include transmitters (capture and send data…
Read MoreSlap Shot
The Slap Shot is a clear, flexible vaccinator hose that connects syringes to needles. It’s a convenient tool for giving shots through gates or to jumpy animals.
Read MoreExtension Pole Medication Injectors
An Extension Pole Medication Injectors allows livestock workers, via intra-muscular or subcutaneous injection, to vaccinate, medicate, tranquilize, etc., from a safer distance, eliminating the need to first isolate and restrain the animal. Made of aluminum or fiberglass (weighing approximately 3 pounds), the device is 31/2-41/2 feet long but telescopes out to about 8 feet. It…
Read MoreWelding-Area Protective Curtains
Available as solid, tinted, or combination solid/tinted, Welding-Area Protective Curtains, which are made of materials that block harmful UV rays as well as being fire retardant, provide a safety barrier between the metalworking area and the rest of the shop. They to protect others from flying sparks and arc flashes as well as blocking welding-generated…
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