Wallaroo towed cart, electric tractor and front loop package

• Price: Price on application

This arrangement is operated by a single person but does require assembly/disassembly of the towed cart and front loop and drivers’ assembly – this takes about an hour. The weight of the front loop and driver’s cradle is cantilevered over the tractor by the weight of batteries and motors.

The full-size transmitter loop is towed, by the electric tractor, on a very lightweight cart rigged to transfer all forces back to the tractor tow-ball and mounted in a manner that allows limited travel gimbal type movement but also clamping to allow lifting into a vertical plane to pass through narrow gaps. The trailer uses extremely low-pressure polyurethane balloon wheels that are non-metallic. These wheels roll over some thorns without puncture, due to low tyre pressure. Addition of tyre sealant ‘goo’ leads to withstanding of thousands of small punctures but leaves tyres slowly deflating. Large punctures are fixed using a soldering iron to plastic weld. We also supply solid plastic tyres for this cart, yet these create a rough ride and noisy data.

It takes 1 to 2 hours to set up or pack up this system from a form, including the electric tractor, that fits on a dual cab ute.

 Having the driver walk in a cradle in front of the tractor means they have great control, can stabilize movement of the receiver loop actively to reduce noise, and can oppose tractor torque easily upon acceleration, deceleration, climbing and descending bumps and hills. Steering and braking is by either the driver pressing against the actuated cradle sides and back or by thumb controls. The driver can even press down on the cradle with their arms such that they get pushed along by the cart, relieving fatigue.

The tractor battery, when fully charged, achieves around 6 hours of survey before requiring either swapping, or charging from the loop power batteries. Minimization of batteries on the tractor is important for reducing jolting torque forces on the operator when travelling over bumps.

A second or third receiver loop can be towed behind the transmitter loop on a separate skid steer trailer.