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Unable to afford a tractor or a Tobata, a farmer from Presidente Getúlio, in Santa Catarina, transformed an auctioned motorcycle into an agricultural tricycle that carries up to 900 kilos of fertilizer. In five years, he has already sold eight to neighbors, and the newest invention is even a sprayer.
Those who work in the fields know the burden of carrying fertilizer uphill without a tractor available. This was the problem that a farmer from Presidente Getúlio, in the interior of Santa Catarina, solved in his own way, with creativity. The solution was an agricultural tricycle made from an old motorcycle, capable of carrying up to 900 kilos.
According to the Vale Agrícola program, the farmer Jeyson lives in the Rio Ferro neighborhood and has always lived off corn planting. Faced with the difficulty of transporting loads to the fields, and without money for machines, he bought a small motorcycle and mounted a simple trailer on it. It worked so well that the neighbors started wanting one, and in five years he has already sold eight.
Auctioned motorcycles that become work machines
It is there that Jeyson keeps the stock of materials and gives new life to the motorcycles that become agricultural tricycles.
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They are purchased at Detran auctions, already decommissioned and duly certified, which ensures the origin of the parts.
From there, the transformation begins.
Each motorcycle is practically dismantled and reassembled according to each farmer’s project.
In addition to recovering the structure, Jeyson reinforces the set to withstand the rigors of the fields. Nothing there comes ready-made from the factory; everything is handmade.
The secret is in the strength: Gol gearbox and five gears
In the beginning, Jeyson used chain transmission, but switched to a cardan system with a Gol gearbox to gain strength.
The explanation is practical: just the motorcycle engine on an axle wouldn’t handle the work in the field.
With this, the tricycle gains five gears, like a car.
The farmer combines the motorcycle gears with those of the car gearbox, almost like a reduction, and it is from this combination that the strength comes.
To complete, the tires were changed, a trail one in the front, for more safety, and two rear ones similar to Tobata’s, on 14-inch rims.
From transport to sprayer made from scratch
The fame brought new challenges. At the request of a grape producer from Rio do Sul, also in Santa Catarina, Jeyson decided to create, besides the trailer, a sprayer mounted on the agricultural tricycle.
According to him, everything was made from scratch, without copying anything, after some sleepless nights thinking about the project.
The inspiration came from tractors, but adapted to a 150cc motorcycle.
The equipment uses a pressure pump driven by the engine itself, a ventilation system to prevent overheating, and a 240-liter tank.
A 500-millimeter turbine with ten nozzles sprays the product upwards, and another line of nozzles sprays the ground. The height and amount can be adjusted according to the crop in the field.
Versatile, cheap, and easy to maintain
One of the insights of the agricultural tricycle is that the project is versatile.
The same base accommodates the trailer or the sprayer, just swap them according to the need.
And the big attraction, according to Jeyson, is the cost-benefit, since anyone can do the maintenance, unlike a tractor, which is expensive and complicated to repair.
All this without giving up farming.
Since he works alone and keeps agriculture as a priority, Jeyson takes an average of two months to deliver a project, although the work itself takes 15 to 20 well-dedicated days.
For him, seeing the invention working and helping other families who had no option is the greatest reward.
Jeyson’s story shows how necessity, combined with creativity, becomes a solution.
Without money for expensive machines, he created an affordable agricultural tricycle that is already in the fields of eight neighbors and now has a sprayer version. All from an old auction motorcycle.
And you, have you ever seen such an ingenious adaptation for work in the field? Do you think inventions like this should have more support to reach other farmers? Tell us in the comments, with respect for different opinions and experiences, and share this article with that friend who admires those who do a lot with little.
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