MINOT, N.D. -- Four years ago, Greg Grengs, a Sherwood, N.D., farmer and inventor, studied the electric remote-controlled swing auger movers on the market and decided he could do better. So he built his own.
Today, the Auger Jogger is sold across much of the country.
"It's very simple, very basic. Anybody can set it up, and it works with every auger," says Ian Thomas, Grengs' son. Thomas exhibited the Auger Jogger at the recent KMOT Ag Show in Minot, N.D.
Grengs has a bad back, so pushing the heavy grain hopper by hand was difficult for him. Thomas has allergies, so he wanted to reduce his exposure to grain dust. That led Grengs to invent the Auger Jogger.
"He saw how well this worked and decided to make things easier for every farmer by spreading it out to the world," Thomas says.
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The company describes its product as allowing farmers to "Work Smarter Not Harder."
The device, which costs $1,950, comes with a light kit and two remotes, and takes 15 to 30 minutes to set up.
It allows the operator to push a button from up to 100 feet away and move the auger under the trailer without starting the tractor. The Auger Jogger moves backward and forward and runs on 12-volt DC power that doesn't require running a tractor.
If there's a problem with tires or the electrical system, removing one pin provides emergency manual override.
Auger Jogger is a family business that sells both through dealers and directly to customers. Family members build the device.
Sales were good even in 2011, when an extremely wet spring prevented many fields from being planted, Thomas says.
The device is particularly useful for older farmers nearing retirement, but can help producers of all ages, Thomas says.
"You really don't think you need one of these until you get one, and then you think it's one of the greatest things you've ever bought," he says.
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Information: 701-263-7397 or augerjogger@hotmail.com .
