The ultimate power tool

May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jeff Ryan

It's a heavy-duty cargo truck, it's a tractor, it's a service vehicle. The Power Platform from Custom Chassis is everything in one package. The vehicle can pull a tillage tool, shuttle pallets of seed to the field, cut hay with a mower-conditioner attached to either or both the front and rear 3-pt. hitch, or apply fertilizer with a spreader mounted on the bed. It is a modern-day farmer's Swiss Army knife!

The Power Platform gets its power from a four-stroke, turbocharged, 260-hp Cummins diesel engine. It has a top speed of 32 mph, and an optional gearing package to reach 45 mph. A massive swing-arm suspension system with electrohydraulic load carrying and bounce control help keep the ride smooth.

The total vehicle and cargo weight can be easily measured via axle weights, which are displayed on the screen in the cab. Those load measurements also are used to make sure the machine is not overloaded. When the machine is overloaded, a warning light will come on and prevent the machine from being shifted higher than first gear.

The spacious cab sits directly over the front axle, allowing the operator to have a clear view of the work at hand.

A 10.4-in. color LCD screen provides a variety of information in four different screen arrangements. The operator can monitor everything from engine speed, to fuel remaining, to shifting information, to outside air temperature. A camera helps the driver hook up the drawbar or rear 3-pt. hitch to equipment.

The Power Platform is available with both a PTO and a Cat. III-N 3-pt. hitch on the front and the rear. The area over the rear-mounted engine can be used to hold a dump box, sprayer or flatbed. Two pins and two bolts are all that is required to change attachments.

The Power Platform comes standard with front steer, crab steer and coordinated steer to match operating conditions. In coordinated steering mode, with the front and rear axles steering in opposite directions, the machine will get down to a tight 16.5-ft. curb-to-curb turning radius.

Price of the Power Platform is $205,000 to $265,000, depending on options. Contact Custom Chassis, Dept. FIN, 21950 Gore Orphanage Rd., Wellington, OH, 440/647-6401, visit www.customchassisinc.com or www.freeproductinfo.net/fin, or circle 154.