KANE, Man. – The biggest pull-type construction scrapers ever built by Caterpillar hold 34 cubic yards. Jack Fehr’s version of that popular scraper holds 40 cubic yards, runs on four rubber tracks, is fully laser-compatible and demands at least 500 horsepower to work effectively.
This 40-yard monster is a one-of-a-kind unit. Most of the field scrapers coming out of Fehr’s AgriCon shop are the more common 15-yard variety, requiring 250 to 350 horsepower.
When the Morden, Man., farmer bought his first used construction scraper in 1979 and converted it into a farm scraper, it was intended for his own use. He had no intention of starting a new business.
Read Also
VIDEO: Green Lightning and Nytro Ag win sustainability innovation award
Nytro Ag Corp and Green Lightning recieved an innovation award at Ag in Motion 2025 for the Green Lightning Nitrogen Machine, which converts atmospheric nitrogen into a plant-usable form.
“Somebody saw how we converted a heavy duty road construction scraper into a farm drainage scraper, and they wanted to buy it,” he said.
“So we sold it and then bought two more and did the conversions, and they got snapped right up. It’s just kept on rolling since then.”
Fehr said he sold about 100 scrapers in 1997, the year of the big Red River flood in Manitoba and estimates he has sold 750 to 1,000 units.
He buys most of the used scrapers in the United States.
“These are machines that were designed for road construction, so they were built to take a lot of abuse. The stress they’ll see in a lifetime of farm work is just a small fraction of what they were built for.”
Fehr said a rebuilt industrial scraper used for farm drainage will practically last forever. When they arrive in his shop, some need little metal work, while others require major repair.
All the work comes with a one-year warranty, which also applies to the full hydraulic conversion.
Farm tractors have no mechanism for working the original cable controls, so Fehr converts everything to hydraulic, using new parts that are compatible with agricultural tractor hydraulic systems.
This includes the laser-friendly hydraulic depth control, loading and unloading cylinders and hydraulic push-off gates.
To make them more suitable for farm use, he removes the two front castor wheels and fabricates a hitch system so the scraper mounts directly to the tractor. This transfers weight forward to the tractor, giving it the traction needed for drainage work.
Depending on soil moisture and soil type, a typical 15-yard AgriCon scraper, fully loaded, puts between 12,000 and 18,000 pounds on the tractor hitch. This optional hitch system generally costs less than $10,000.
Fehr said he has not found it necessary to double up the rear tires or increase their size. However, he does offer an optional set of rubber tracks for the tail end of his direct mount scrapers. The track units are fabricated in the AgriCon shop and a set of two, which are designed to run with used Quad Trac belts, sells for $15,000.
He starts with the axles from a semi trailer undercarriage.
“We shorten them up so each axle becomes one bogie wheel configuration. This gives you better flotation when you’re working in really wet conditions.”
He also builds track systems for air seeder carts, grain carts, honey wagons and other farm implements.
According to AgriCon, one of the more popular sizes is 30 inches wide and 8.5 feet long, with three bogie wheels and a 70,000 lb. capacity.
If you’re accustomed to watching three-yard scrapers working at three km-h, you can’t help but gulp when you see a 40-yard scraper rumbling down the field at 15 km-h.
Fehr said when he bought the big scraper, it had already been lengthened for the larger capacity. Since then, he made additional modifications.
Although rubber tracks are optional on his 15-yard direct mount scrapers, he said they are required front and rear on the big scraper.
“It absolutely requires tracks both at the front and the back. Without tracks, it has little flotation at all.”
Including the price for the two track sets at $30,000, Fehr said the big scraper costs about $60,000. He admitted he does not expect to sell many.
However, the more typical farm-sized scrapers carry more affordable price tags. Smaller scrapers in the 11 cubic yard range start at $10,000. Larger scrapers, in the 22 cubic yard range, cost about $25,000. These units have already been rebuilt by AgriCon and fitted with new hydraulics. Rubber tracks and direct mounts are extra-cost options.
