RcFarmArm demos wireless PTO retrofit
- RcFarmArm, the Alberta farm-tech brand from Pawlutions Ltd., is pitching a wireless tractor controller that lets operators start engines and engage PTOs from the ground. - The company says the unit installs in minutes without rewiring, uses armrest-mounted actuators, and sells current tractor-specific kits for about $8,800 each. - The system targets stationary jobs like augering and grain bagging, not autonomous driving. (thunderstruckag.com)
Power takeoff, or PTO, is the spinning shaft that lets a tractor run equipment like augers and baggers while the tractor stays parked. RcFarmArm is selling a wireless add-on that moves those controls from the cab to a hand-held remote. (agrability.org) (rcfarmarm.com) The Alberta company says its system overlays the tractor’s armrest controls and ignition key instead of tying into factory wiring. Its website says installation takes minutes and uses the tractor’s accessory power port. (rcfarmarm.com) That means the operator can start or stop the engine, change throttle, engage or disengage the power takeoff, and control up to two hydraulic functions while standing beside the job. National AgrAbility says the unit uses mechanical actuators and includes emergency shutoffs in the cab and on the remote. (agrability.org) RcFarmArm and dealer Thunderstruck Ag both describe the product as a tool for stationary work, not a self-driving tractor kit. They list grain unloading, augering, bagging and extractors as the main use cases. (thunderstruckag.com) (rcfarmarm.com) The pitch is simple: fewer trips up and down the cab ladder during repetitive jobs. Thunderstruck Ag says the system is meant to keep the operator on the ground, near the auger or bagger, while staying in control of the tractor. (thunderstruckag.com) The company says the controller works across a wide mix of brands, including John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Claas, Fendt and Versatile. Its online store lists many tractor-specific kits at $8,800, plus add-ons including a $300 cool-down timer and $250 extra remote. (rcfarmarm.com 1) (rcfarmarm.com 2) Independent farm publications have been tracking the product since 2022, when founder Vincent Pawluski said he built earlier hard-wired versions for his own operation near Grande Prairie, Alberta. Grainews reported the removable wireless version took about five to 10 minutes to install and was developed after the 2020 harvest. (grainews.ca) National AgrAbility, which catalogs assistive farm tools, lists the system at $6,450 to $7,200 in its directory, showing that published pricing has shifted since earlier versions. RcFarmArm’s current storefront now shows higher list prices for most model-specific packages. (agrability.org) (rcfarmarm.com) RcFarmArm’s latest demos are less about inventing a new category than about widening access to a retrofit it says can be removed when field work starts again. The closer that claim matches real farm use, the more this product lives or dies on fit, safety procedures and whether farmers will pay thousands to save cab climbs. (rcfarmarm.com) (thunderstruckag.com)
