"The OX Push 60 was developed to breeze through 60'-wide pole tent installations. A formerly unsafe task that used to take four people and more than a half hour now requires half the number of people and a lot less time."
Design
OX Push 60 connects to a custom bracket mounted on end of the machine's boom (photo below, with a stake sitting in the bracket opening, for reference).
Once the attachment is mounted, take a stake or rod and push it through the hole near the bottom of the center pole while it is horizontal. (photo below).
The loader operator then aligns the boom holding the the OX Push 60 so the stake fits into the bracket opening until it is seated.
Once seated, the tip of the center pole can be lifted up 2' while rotating the tool back about 3 degrees. The center pole tip should never be raised more than 4 feet off the ground using the rotation, as it serves no purpose. When the tip end of the pole is in the fabric, the machine then pushes forward allowing the rod to rotate in the seat of the bracket.
The operator should not try to lift the fabric by rotating the tool. It is not designed for that. Instead, the operator should move forward simulating the movement of 4 crew members pushing the center pole up by hand, with the OX Push 60 attachment 2-3 feet off the ground.
Tricks and Techniques
The Tent OX™ makes it possible to install a 60' wide pole tent with as few as 3 people, but 4 people are recommended for the highest crew efficiency. When installing poles on twin center pole tents, the operator pushes he first pole with the OX Push 60, while a 3 man crew works along side to push the twin mate part way forward. Because the OX Push 60 is lifting the weight of the fabric to full erection, the second twin pole can usually be pushed 80% of the way by hand. While the operator repositions the machine to finish pushing the second of the twin poles into place, the three crew members who were pushing it can move onto other tasks such as getting the next set of poles ready, or tensioning down the tent.
Ground Guide for Safety
When using the OX Push, the ground guide plays a critical role by:
1. Handling the tip end of the pole for the operator - guiding it into the fabric.
2. Directing safe practices by surrounding crew members, making sure they stay at least 10 feet horizontally clear of any part of the machine or pole when a push is underway.
3. Leading the machine operator in all movements, from a location where he can see everything.
All communications and commands to the operator are funneled through the ground guide. The ground guide should use hand signals, as the operator may or may not hear voice commands in a noisy environment. All other crewmembers should communicate through the ground guide, not directly with the operator.