This is NOT a coffee cup!

[MChalkley]

Harv - Very, very well done! And an excellent picture of your efforts, too. I predict great things for you, your tractor, and your cup!

Next time I do another one, I'm going to use a rubber ring more like the one you used, or real neoprene, as Matt suggested, if I can find some. The only reason I used magnetic sign material is that I started with that, and saw no need to peel it off the outer ring to install magnets in the center. I'd like to experiment with a couple really strong magnets mounted flush with the bottom of the cup and then covering the whole bottom, magnets and all, with neoprene for a more custom (and perhaps deceptive /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif) appearance.

As for tipping the cup first, you'll notice that I mentioned in my very first post after installing the hard drive magnet, that the cup was easy to pick up, as long as I tipped it first. And that's with one magnet - I'm sure yours is next to impossible to pick up without tipping it! Nice job!

MarkC

 

[MChalkley]

Harv - Two questions: I know you used magnet #41, but which three types of magnets did you buy, and which was the strongest of the three? Thanks...

MarkC

 

[MattB]

Harv ordered items #41, 42, and 43. #43 definetely being the strongest of the three. He actually used the smallest and cheapest of the three (item 42 is about the same size, but thicker and no steel bracket)

If you REALLY want that cup to stick, try bolting a couple of item #39 to the bottom of that cup. Of course, you'll want to bring your prybar along out in the field just in case you need a drink...

We are soon going to post a page of pictures of our customer's uses for the magnets (we already have a uses page, but no pics). Mchalkey & Harv's cup will be on there...I know y'all are a bunch of tinkerers, and several of you have ordered magnets recently. If you have some good ideas with pictures, we'd love to see them. Email them to us at matt@fieldlines.com. We love to see these projects!

-Matt B

 

[glennmac]

I'm not a tinkerer or gadgeteer, so I have zero interest in making a Chalkley Cup. But I would buy at least one if someone had it for sale. May be a bigger market than for tiltmeters.

Wouln't want 52 ounces, though. Much too big.

 

[bpence]

Mark, I knew it. We're in the wrong business. If Glenn and his fellow tractorers from the legal world would buy Chalkley Cups, that can only mean the sky's the limit. I can still see it....Orange ones, Blue ones, Green ones.........

Bob Pence

 

[glennmac]

Actually, I was being quite serious, and thought Rick might be interested in expanding his product line.

It is quite clear that tractor operators want cups and are fascinated by gadgets. I would volunteer to demonstrate them to the three tractor dealers in my area. Simple sales pitch: you have them in three different sizes and colors, fill them up, and walk over to a tractor and stick em on the fender, hood and sideways or upside down on the rops. Maybe the dealers would carry them. Get some more business for our magnet man, too.

Call them Tractor Cups. You know, "tractor" is from the Latin meaning "to pull". Tractors, magnets, cups --it all pulls together.

Muhammad, maybe we need another poll on how many of us would buy a magnetized cup if dealers had them available.

 

[Muhammad]

Maybe we need a lot of polls... see the feedback forum for my post about polls.

 

[glennmac]

Or maybe AtTractor Cups.

And sell them to to Deere, Kubota, NH, etc. head office marketing people, offering to put their logos on the cups. Like they do on other tractor incidentals such as caps, wheel spinners, etc.

 

[scruffy]

A thought to add to my original suggestion of ABS/PVC pipe (of proper dimension) with a cap, and slot down the side for a handle. Just add the magnets to the backside of the ABS/PVC pipe and stick it to the ROPS or ANY vertical surface, then you can use any type of container you desire in it w/o having to modify the container itself. Should even be able to slap a quart of J.B. in there for the fishin' hole.

 

[MChalkley]

So, whaddaya think, Rick? Interested?

MarkC

 

[Muhammad]

And that, Mark, is #20,000....

Party time. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Harv]

MarkC -

Wow! I said I used the "medium" magnets from my purchase, but in fact I used the smallest -- and they're still way strong! The ones I thought were smaller just looked smaller 'cuz they don't have the metal plate behind them.

The ones I bought were as follows:

#41 = 40-pound lift capacity
#42 = 50-pound lift capacity
#43 = 75-pound lift capacity

#41 is the best bang for the buck 'cuz you get a pair of magnets in a little assembly that you have to take apart yourself (2 - #8 or #9 torx screws). That's 2 magnets for $1.75!

#42 has the smallest profile just because they are raw magnets with no metal plate.

#43 is the priciest ($4.50 each), but I think these allow you to stick your tractor to the ceiling of a steel barn. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I got extra 'cuz I'm sure I'll be wanting to stick other items to the tractor and/or implements. Stay tuned ...

As for the rubber material, I know we all seem to have different stores in our various regions, but Orchard Supply has various rubber and vinyl materials in bulk rolls and sell them by the foot. I have also seen plyable plastic sheeting up to shower curtain thicknesses in fabric stores.

What was I doing in a fabric store? /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif Well, uh..., you see... I'm..., sort of, ummmm.... married! Just a warning here -- when you're taking the kids out for burgers and the wife says, "I'll drive!", beware!!! You are then captive and have no choice but to go wherever she takes that car. It's different when I drive, of course -- everybody likes hardware stores, don't they? /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[bpence]

I can see it now....The original Chalkley Cup could be known as "The Big Jobber". The smaller version could be known as "The Little Jobber." Both just right for the guys out on the job site all day or someone bush hogging 10 acres of back country. I guess the size you choose would depend on how much extra weight your tractor could carry, or, most probably how big a job you have to do. I personally think everyone would need both sizes. The market seems endless.

Bob Pence

 

[MChalkley]

Muhammad - Yippee! I think I'll have a cold one to celebrate. Thanks for making it all, not just possible, but fun!

MarkC

 

[MChalkley]

BTW, I'm very disappointed that none of you guys noticed that the L4310HST in my signature is pulling that monster cup safely - by the drawbar! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

MarkC

 

[DVerbarg]

MarkC,


Actually did notice the Chalkley cup dragging behind the tractor but not from the safety perspective. For the last day I've been thinking about building a dozen or so of those cups and dragging them behind my tractor (but I need blue ones /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif) around my new house construction site. Two purposes would be served: 1- grade and pack the dirt for seeding 2- remove all the construction nails and screws as the magnets draw them out of the dirt.

Now that I'm thinking, I wonder how many would fit inside of each rear wheel rim? How much weight is each cup filled? I'm seeing easily removable Chalkley wheel weights! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

DaveV

 

[bpence]

Seriously. I think there is an real opportunity for someone here with the concept of a cup designed for tractor use. (probably other applications,too) I'd be willing to bet that a lot of the folks who frequent this forum would pony up for a cool cup, colored to match their brand of tractor with a logo and maybe a tractor image on it.

I've heard Muhammad talk about 25,000 unique users per month visiting TBN. That's a heavy duty potential customer base as this is a site that probably draws a majority of that 25,000 from people who either own a tractor or have some interest in tractors. This forum itself could be a ready made advertising opportunity. There's also the Compact Tractor Board. I don't know what TBN's ad rates are, but probably competitive. I've got to believe a customized cup with magnetic attachment has a retail value in the $10-$15 range, potentially more for the larger sizes, with a reasonable profit margin built in. Maybe Muhammad and company might even be interested.....maybe a joint venture between R&B and TBN. Maybe Steve Carver could go into the cup business on the internet, too. All it will take is a little cash and some drive for success. I've already got a full time job and a moderately successful sideline business, so I'm not the best candidate. I like to see entreprenuers make it.

In the interest of helping someone somewhere pursue this, I'll do some checking and find out what these cups can be purchased for in volume at wholesale. I have a contact with a supplier here in SE Michigan that deals in trinkets & trash and all sorts of ID materials and I have to talk with them later today, anyway. I know they've provided my company with these types of cups for internal promotions and events. I'll post whatever I can find and hopefully someone will grab on to an opportunity. It'll probably be next week, mid-week, but I'll pursue some costing on this.

Like I've said before, I can just see it. Orange ones, Blue ones, Green ones. Big, medium, small. The only thing I really know for sure.......I'd buy an orange Kubota cup. But then I'm an easy sell.


Bob Pence

 

[MChalkley]

Bob - I'm serious, too. Serious about looking into it, at any rate. It's worth checking out, that's for sure. Let me know what you find out. Meanwhile, I'll see what I can find out next week.

MarkC

 

[scruffy]

Don't see why Aladdin wouldn't produce the cups in quantity, with logo's and color coding, for a reasonable price. (They already do for 7-11) It would be a matter of adding rubber pad, and magnets to each cup and repackaging to suit desired needs. The use of the individual Logo's would have to be negotiated with each manufacturer, and I am sure a fee would have to be paid, or a percentage per sale, or even a combination of the two. Sounds doable. Heck, if you are very persuasive, you might be able to charge 'THEM' for advertising space! or at least add more advertising on backside (i.e. - Tractor dealership) and charge them for the advertising.