October 9, 2002
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
VR Specialist
Address
Dear XXXXX:
Garret Smith is a 39-year-old farmer from XXXXXX. Garret and his wife Leah and their three
children live in the town of XXXXX. Garret has a large quonset used for both machinery storage
and a shop, and two grain storage bins located about two miles outside of town. Leah has baked
wedding cakes for a number of years. This is their only source of income outside of the farm.
Garret farms with his Dad, Joe, who is 67, and his older brother Larry who is 45. They each own
their ground and share some of the equipment. Each farm is a separate entity. Garret farms 600
acres of corn, 200 acres of soybeans, 50 acres of milo, and 100 acres of wheat. These farms are
dispersed over an area of about 25 miles. Garret backgrounds about 150 head of calves in the
winter months.
Garret is a left arm amputee resulting from a grain auger accident in 1987. Garret’s stump is only
about 5” long, which makes the use of prosthesis quite difficult. Garret made the decision years
ago not to use prosthesis. A concern he cited was that he feared getting the prosthesis caught in
moving equipment, which may result in another accident. Garret also experiences chronic back
problems, which are secondary to his amputation. Garret has carpal tunnel syndrome in his hand.
According to Garret this is a result of repetitive overuse of this hand. He is scheduled for surgery
in December to correct this problem. Garret has 20% loss of his field of vision on his left side as
a result of an accident that occurred as a teenager. He has learned to compensate for this over the
years. Garret also told us he shakes severely when he gets too cold. The cause of this problem
has never been diagnosed. His only other physical problem is that his teeth are wearing very
thin. This is a result of using his teeth as a tool to hold objects to compensate for his not having
two arms. An example of this is holding a rope or twine in his teeth while tying a knot.
Garret’s physical limitations and the resulting problems he is having that affect his ability to do
his job are the following:
1. Lifting and handling heavy objects such as pivot gear boxes, tires, loading seed into the
planter, chemicals, fertilizer, moving bales, and buckets of feed and materials that need to be
lifted and moved in the operation of a farm. This limitation contributes greatly to Garret’s
secondary physical problems, and limits his ability to do his job effectively. Modification to
address this limitation would hold the highest priority in Garret’s vocational rehabilitation
process. The use of a skid steer loader would aid Garret in accomplishing this. A skid steer is a
small very powerful machine used in construction and agriculture to do a number of different
jobs. There are several different attachments that fit on the front of the machine that can be
utilized to do whatever job is at hand. In Garret’s case the three attachments he would use are
the bucket attachment, for lifting and moving heavy objects, and moving dirt and manure. This
attachment comes standard on all skid steer loaders, and is the one that is used the most. The
second attachment is the pallet fork. This attachment is utilized for moving, lifting, or storing
pallets loaded with seed corn, herbicide, oil, or any other material shipped and delivered on
pallets. This attachment could also be used to lift piles of pipe, and lifting and supporting
machinery for service or repair. The third attachment is a bale spear. This is used to “spear”
large round bales of hay or straw for feeding or loading on a truck or trailer. I have included
information about the skid steer loader and the attachments. In my research of skid loaders, I
found that the Mustang is the only loader that can be equipped with a T-bar option. The T-bar
option allows the user to operate the machine with one hand and both feet. Most skid loaders
require the use of both feet and both hands to operate and control the machine. Mustang is the
only manufacturer I have found that offers this option. This makes comparing bids between
manufacturers impossible. The T-bar option has been discontinued on the new models of
Mustangs loaders of the size and capacity needed. The bid I have included is for a low hour
used 2070 Mustang loader, which is still available as this is written. This bid is from ABC Co.
and includes the bucket attachment, the pallet fork, and the T-bar option. This machine has
about 250 hours of use and is in excellent condition. The bale fork attachment would have to be
purchased separately. This bid without the bale spear is for $21445.20. The bale fork bid is
$725.00 which makes the total cost for this item $22,170.20. The phone number and address for
ABC Co. is in the summary at the end of this letter. Scott is the salesman of record. Garret tried
out a Mustang loader of this type equipped with a T-bar. He was able to operate the machine
successfully with no problems using one arm and his feet to operate the controls.
2. Garret has difficulty holding and operating many of the tools used in the shop and around the
farm to repair and maintain machinery. Garret feels overuse of his right hand has contributed to
his secondary back and hand problems. The use of tools powered by compressed air can be of
great benefit to someone with an upper extremity disability. An example of this is the grease
gun. Most grease guns operate by holding the grease gun with one hand and pumping the handle
with the other. An air-powered grease gun forces the grease into the fitting with air pressure by
simply squeezing the trigger. This eliminates the need for a second hand to operate the grease
gun, and reduces repetitive motion and overuse of the right hand and arm. There are a number
of air-powered tools included with this request. In order to use these tools it is necessary to have
an air compressor. Garret has a stationary compressor in the shop, but he needs an air
compressor located in the back of his pickup to enable him to use air tools in remote locations.
The air compressor requested is a NorthStar 5.0 horsepower unit powered by a Honda gasoline
engine. This compressor is small enough to fit in the back of Garret’s pick-up. I have
included information on this compressor, which includes the price of $599.99. The tools that can
be run with this compressor are also included. A hose reel to wind and unwind the compressor
hose is also attached. Winding up an air hose is a very two-handed job. The use of a reel will
reduce the challenge associated with this task. The 24000 lb. capacity air jack can be used for
changing tires on center pivots, tractors, combines, and trucks. Garret is currently using a handoperated jack that requires several repetitive strokes to accomplish the task. This tool will
eliminate the repetitive motion required to do the job. The Lobster Claw Clamp is needed to
hold objects in position while soldering or welding. This task is normally accomplished by
holding the object with one hand while welding with the other. This makes it possible for Garret
to do this with one arm. Garret would benefit with the use of a vise for holding objects in
position while he works on them. A picture of this vise is included. The cost is $169. Steel pipe
wrenches are very heavy and difficult to handle with one arm. I am suggesting aluminum pipe
wrenches that are not as durable as steel, but are much lighter weight and easier to handle. The
challenge of holding and driving a nail is made easier with the use of a hammer equipped with a
magnetic head for holding the nail. A picture of this tool and the price is included.
3. The next limitation Garret is experiencing is his ability to wash his vehicles and equipment.
Farm equipment is very expensive and proper cleaning after use is essential to maintaining the
value and longevity of this equipment. Garret is currently using a garden hose and rags to do
this, and it is quite difficult and time consuming for him. This also exposes him to caustic
chemicals and potentially harmful insecticides. A solution to this is a hot water power washer
with an injector for adding soap or cleaning agents to the stream. Many models are available and
Garret looked at many of these. After eliminating many models the two that offer the
specifications necessary to do the job, and are priced reasonably are the Hotsy 555SS and the
Electro-Magic 1500-2DB. The Hotsy 555SS is a 2 horsepower, 2.2 gallons per minute,
@1300psi. unit. This model is bid at $2095.00. Major consideration was given to Garret being
able to handle the wand under this pressure. The wand Garret will require is the type that
streams straight out from the wand transferring the force directly back into the hand and arm. A
stream angled down at the tip would be very difficult for him to control. Both models are
equipped with this wand. Portability is also an important consideration. A four wheeled cart
with pneumatic tires aids with this. This model also has a detergent injection when soap is
needed to remove grease and chemicals from his equipment. The Electro-Magic has the fourwheel cart, soap injector, heated water, hose reel, the same warranty, has 300 more psi, and is bid
for $1677.00 which is $418.00 less than the Hotsy. The Electro-Magic appears to be the best
buy.
4. Climbing bins to check grain is a problem for Garret. Grain bins have a vertical access ladder
mounted to the outside of the bin, and another ladder mounted to the top of the bin to either go
inside the bin or to the peak of the bin where the fill lid is located. Grain needs to be checked for
quality and insects quite often. Currently Garret is climbing these bins by taking a step up the
ladder and removing his hand from that rung, and stepping up to next rung with his feet while
grabbing the next higher rung with his hand. He uses this motion in reverse to descend the bin
steps. The safety issues involved here make a correction to this problem essential. If Garret
misses, or his hand slips off the next ladder rung he does not have another hand to support him
and a fall will result. The solution to this problem is to install a spiral staircase on the bins. This
is essentially a stairway complete with handrails and a platform at the top for accessing the top
door. These would be installed on the two bins Garret owns located at the building site near
XXXXX. This job must be done with the bins empty to allow the bolts to be nutted from the
inside. The bids and vendor names for doing this project are included. The lowest bid is from
DEF Construction for $2180 per bin or $4360.00 for the two bins. Addresses and phone
numbers of vendors are included in the summary.
5. Agriculture today requires the use of many different types of oils to lubricate trucks, irrigation
engines, irrigation pumps, tractors, combines, and pickups. This oil is generally purchased in
either 30 gallon or 55-gallon drums. Oil costs less when purchased this way, and it is necessary
to have it available on the farm. Handling these drums of oil is quite a challenge for Garret. A
solution to this problem is the use of a bulk oil storage system. Information on this system is
included. AAA Coop, who is the current supplier of Garret’s oil, sells both the “Buddy Lube”,
and the Dura-Life oil storage systems. The Dura-Life system has the five compartments needed
and costs less.
6. As with most farmers weeds growing and getting out of control around the buildings and bin
sites is a problem for Garret. Musk thistle and other noxious weeds in pastures is also a problem.
When these weeds get out of control the only option is to let them grow to maturity, mow them
with a tractor mower, if you can access the area where they are growing, or chop them by hand
which is difficult for Garret to do considering his disability. A solution to this problem is the
use of a 12 volt sprayer, which hooks up to the battery of a pickup or 4-wheeler. Hand sprayers
are also used but these require two hands to operate. The use of a 12-volt sprayer would allow
Garret to access these areas and control the weeds early before they get out of control. It was
obvious on our farm visit the weeds around the building site and bins were out of control and this
is a problem for Garret. A picture of this sprayer and cost is included.
7. Equipment modifications that can be made to help Garret cope with his disability include the
following:
A. Garret operates a 1660 Case IH combine. The unload lever is located to the left of the drivers
seat which causes Garret to reach across his body to pull the lever up and unload the grain. A
solution to this is to have a local fabricator weld a rod extending it behind the seat and forward to
a position on the right side of the seat. This modification can be done for less than $150 dollars.
The other modification to the combine is to add a foot operated header height control switch.
Currently this switch is located in a joystick on the control panel. When Garret needs to adjust
the height of the combine header it is necessary for him to take his hand off the steering wheel.
This often causes him to get off the row losing valuable grain. A copy of this switch design is
included. I called John Smith, the farmer who designed the switch, for more specific instructions
and forwarded those instructions to Garret. His local welder can build this and Garret and his
Dad will install it for less than $100. As we discussed at our August 20th meeting Garret will
provide the bill for materials for these modifications upon the completion of the project.
B. Garret’s grain truck is a tandem axel Chevrolet with a 20-foot grain box. Garret was required
by the Department of Transportation to have an automatic transmission in his truck. This is one
of the modifications Garret has done in the past. While Garret is dumping grain it is necessary
for him to climb into the cab several times to raise the box. This is done to control the flow of
the grain into the auger. A modification to the hydraulic system will allow Garret to operate the
dump control on the box with a control from behind the truck. This will reduce the number of
times Garret is required to enter and exit the cab of the truck. Improved safety is also a
consideration with this modification. This can be done for $225.00 by MMM Truck Equipment.
This bid and MMM’s address and phone number are included.
C. Garret’s tractor is a Ford New Holland 8770. This tractor is five years old and is in excellent
condition. Garret traded for this model because it has several features that accommodate his
grasping limitations. It has good access, and the controls are located on the console to the right
of the driver’s seat. It also has a hydrostatic transmission, which makes shifting gears easier. We
discussed the use of a wide-angle mirror to compensate for Garret’s loss of field of vision but he
did not think that was necessary at this time.
8. An important tool used by farmers and ranchers today is the All Terrain Vehicle. The use of
these machines has become as commonplace on the farms of today as the horse was in years past.
The ATV and the utility vehicle are a tremendous aid to farmers and ranchers with disabilities.
They provide the ability to transport tools and parts to areas all over the farm. In Garret’s case
an ATV would not be used so much for mobility, but for transporting tools and materials to
places not normally accessed by his pickup. An example of this would be accessing a center
pivot in need of repairs. An ATV has the mobility to go through a muddy irrigated cornfield
transporting the parts and tools needed to complete the job. The ATV is used for irrigating,
repairing and building fence, cattle work, weed spraying, moving tools and repairs to places
difficult to access, and for general daily farm chores. Transporting multiple items has been a
problem for Garret, and this item would help him with this. Garret has the ability to operate an
ATV safely with his disability. The throttle is located on the right handlebar, and the model I
would suggest for Garret has an automatic transmission so no shifting is required. It also has 4wheel drive for situations where increased traction is essential. The 2003 Kawasaki 360 bid by
WWW Cycle is the most competitive bid. This price includes the standard government discount.
Garret travels quite a distance between his farms so I would suggest he have a heavy quality
pick-up ramp so he can load the ATV in the pickup to travel long distances. The ramp bid by
SSS Power Center is for $160. Because Garret is limited by his ability to carrying and transport
tools and repairs I would suggest the use of a strap-on toolbox and small utility trailer.
Illustrations of these items are included.
9. Another task Garret is not able to do effectively is the use of a hammer and chisel or punch to
loosen rusted fittings, or to apply a great deal of pressure to objects that need to be pressed or
pounded. A primary use of this shop tool is bearing repair. Currently Garret either has to take
the object needing repaired to the repair shop, or has his brother or dad do it for him. This often
causes down time, and the additional expense of having someone else do the work for him. The
shop press quoted will apply 40 tons of pressure, and has the capacity to perform most jobs that
occur in the operation of a farm. The quote for this shop press is $599.99.
10. Tire repair is an issue for Garret. There are many tires in use on the average sized farm.
When you consider pickups, trucks, tractors, a combine, center pivots, and other equipment the
number of tires in use could easily exceed 100. The harsh use required of these tires to operate a
farm makes on-site tire repair essential. A normal charge to have this done commercially is
around eight to ten dollars for a normal sized tire, and over twenty dollars for truck and pivot
tires. In most cases farmers have tractor and combine tires repaired commercially because of the
high cost of the equipment necessary to do the job. The tire changer quoted would give Garret
the capability to repair tires up to the size of a pivot tire. This will save Garret a lot of money in
repair costs, and allow him to do the job on-site thus saving time. The tire repair kit quoted is
$410.00 + $14.90 S&H.
SUMMARY OF BIDS AND ESTIMATES
1. Mustang Skid Steer Loader and attachments-FOB ………..…………………………..22170.20
2. North Star air compressor…………………………………………………………….. 599.99
3. Hose Reel for air compressor………………………………………………………….. 159.99
4. Air powered ratchet wrench…………………………………………………………… 119.99
5. 2400 lb. Air-Manual Hydraulic Jack…………………………………………………… 139.99
6. Air Powered Grease Gun………………………………………………………………. 20.00
7. 3-piece Aluminum Pipe Wrench Set…………………………………………………… 60.00
8. Air Chuck with Chuck Clip…………………………………………………………….. 4.99
9. Lobster Claw Clamp…………………………………………………………………….. 59.45
10. Wilton Vise…………………………………………………………………………… 169.99
11. Magnetic Hammer ……………………………………………………………………..69.99
12. ElectroMagic Power Washer………………………………………………………… 1677.00
13. Bin Steps for two 34’ diameter Chief bins………………………………………… 4360.00
14. Dura Life Oil Storage System……………………………………………………… 1637.00
15. 15 Gallon Spot Sprayer………………………………………………………………. 129.99
16. Grain Truck Dump Remote Control………………………………………………… 225.00
17. Combine Header Control Switch…………………………………………………….. 100.00
18. Kawasaki 360 ATV………………………………………………………………… 4800.00
19. Pickup ramp for ATV……………………………………………………………….. 160.00
20. Utility trailer for ATV ………………………………………………………………...229.95
21. Rear tool box for ATV……………………………………………………………
159.95
22. 40-ton Shop Press…………………………………………………………………
599.99
23, Tire Changer Kit……………………………………………………………………
424.90
24. N Tool ……...Shipping and Handling for items 2,3,5,8,10,15,22 (674 lbs)………… 312.62
All other items except for Northern Tool include shipping and handling.
Total…………………………………………………………………………………… $38390.98
Vendor List and product number supplied:
1. ABC Co
NE.
Phone #
Item supplied from list: #1
2. N Tool and Equipment Co.
MN.
Phone #
Items supplied from list: #’s 2,3,5,8,10,15,22
3. HH Equipment Co.
NE.
Phone #
Item from list: #12 (High bid)
4. Nebraska Equipment
Nebraska
Phone #
Item supplied from list: #12
5. J H Construction
Bx. 93
Phone #
Item supplied from list: # 13
6. Hinrichs Construction
NE
Phone #
Item from list: #13 (High bid)
7. AAA Coop
1140 So. Lincoln Ave
NE.
Phone #
Item supplied from list: #14
MMM Truck Equipment
Bx. 217
Ks
Phone #
Item from list: # 16
9. Duluth Trading Company
WI
Phone #
Item from list: #11
10 VV Value
NE. 68642
Phone #
Items from list: # 4, 6, 7
11 MFF Farm
Wyoming
Phone #
Item from list: # 9
12 WWW Cycle
Ne.
Phone #Item from list: # 18
13 SSS Power Center –
NE
Phone #
Items from list: 19,20.21 & (High bid on #18)
14 GGG’s WI.
Phone #
Item from list: #23
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call me at: 800-471-6425 ext. 5
Thank you for considering this request.
Sincerely:
Rod Peterson
Rural Rehabilitation Specialist