Changing farm tires is time consuming at best and dangerous at worst.
“It’s always a challenge changing tires here on the farm,” says Al Hubbs, general manager for Vale Solutions, the name under which the former Conserva Pak owners near Indian Head, Sask., manufacture agriculture equipment.
“It’s dangerous and it wastes a lot of manpower.”
Last year, engineers and welders at Vale decided to address their tire-changing problem. The first prototype Wheel Wrangler they came up with seemed to fit the bill.
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“It used to take three or four guys about three hours to manhandle the wheels and do the tire change,” Hubbs said.
“Now, two guys can do the job in a very short time and it’s much safer.”
The original Wheel Wrangler was designed to fit a skid steer loader or a yard tractor.
Equipment dealers and tire shop operators who saw it at this year’s Farm Progress Show in Regina asked if it could be modified to fit the fork lifts they typically have in their shops.
That change was easily incorporated into the design and the Wheel Wrangler is now available exclusively through Viterra at a list price of $2,750. Viterra has already ordered 50 machines from Vale.
The Wrangler handles tires between 42 and 82 inches in diameter, 28 inches in width and a maximum weight of 1,700 pounds.
A tire locked into the Wrangler can rotate and move up and down for precise lug bolt alignment.
Vale Solutions is now developing a hydraulic jack for high clearance sprayers that will complement the Wrangler. It is expected to be ready within a year.
“The problem with servicing high clearance sprayers is those axles are so high up in the air. It’s really hard to know how to safely jack it up so you can work under there,” Hubbs said.
“I think we’ve come up with a design that lifts the sprayer and still keeps it stable. We’ve built one prototype so far, and it’s in the testing stage right now.”
For more information, phone Hubbs at 306-695-2460.
