Jones said he developed his compressor when he was driving a hydraulic-brake tractor hitched to a trailer with air brakes when the brakes went out on a steep hill. "It was bloody scary," Jones said, according to the UK publication Farmers Weekly Interactive.
Along with a friend, Jones designed a compressor that fits on the back of any tractor and provides the 100psi pressure needed to power trailer air brakes. He is having it tested for production by a manufacturer in the UK, Farmer Weekly reported.
John Deere tractors are equipped with air brakes, but the farm equipment manufacturer advises that not any trailer should be hitched.
"Implements from some manufacturers may not be equipped with braking systems rated for the pressure developed by the tractor implement braking circuit," the company says.
John Deere's integrated implement/trailer brake systems are designed to a maximum operating pressure of 150 bar (2175 psi).
If a trailer does not meet this standard and needs to be connected to the tractor system, John Deere says, owners should contact the trailer dealer or manufacturer for an appropriate solution.
