Our Story
Our journey began as a group of Oklahoma farmers who were tired of constantly replacing their farming equipment. When we made the switch to no-till cotton farming, we loved the efficiency and positive impact on the environment and crops. However, the machinery simply wasn’t living up to our standards. We had tried urethane tires, but were still experiencing significant damage issues and having to replace our wheels annually.
So, in 2011, we created a gauge wheel (or planting tire) that did its job and withstood the elements. We contacted our machinist friend, Jake Hunter, who worked with us on creating an indestructible tire that stood the test of time.
And now, we’ve been using those tires for over a decade without damage or having to replace them. The quality is unbeatable!
After using our gauge tires for several years, and with no-till farming becoming more popular, our farming neighbors began requesting tires of their own. Thus, we became agricultural machinery manufacturers, and 4AG was born!
We now offer a variety of farming supplies, helping you run your farm with efficiency, dignity, and confidence. As Oklahoma farmers ourselves, our mission is to bring back simplicity and focus on farms. Our tires and other products provide the exceptional longevity, durability and dependability you need to get the job done.
Spencer Smith
Director of Operations
Spencer Smith is a fifth-generation no-till cotton farmer in western Oklahoma who grew up farming with his dad Jimmy and grandfather Clarence Smith. After high school, Spencer worked a part-time sales position while attending college, where he graduated with a business degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
He then returned to work on the family farm in 2011, where he is now a Smith Family Farms partner. In 2017, after five years of testing the 4AG gauge wheel tire on Smith Farms and Danny Davis’s no-till operation, Spencer contacted Jake Hunter and Jimmy Smith to introduce the notion of distributing the product to an agricultural market. 4Ag Manufacturing was established, and Spencer now works as director of operations. Spencer oversees the company-wide sales and daily operations, as well as maintaining dealer relations.
He continues to farm with his dad, where they still use the same 4AG gauge wheel planter tires created in 2012.
Jake Hunter
Co-Owner & Director of Engineering
Jake Hunter began working out of high school as a farmhand for local farmers and eventually worked for Davis. While working for Davis, Jake purchased machine shop equipment and started doing machine work for friends. In 2004, after working for local machine shops, he began his operation, Hunter Machine. Jake became an engineering student, and soon companies began hiring Hunter Machine to perform engineering and prototyping. In 2012, Hunter designed the now 4AG tire for Davis and Smith. He presently leads 4AG in engineering and quality control measures. Jake continues to operate Hunter Machine and farming rye and grain sorghum with his brother in Roger Mills County in western Oklahoma.
Jimmy Smith
Co-Owner & Director of Finance
Born and raised on the family farm, Jimmy Smith is a fourth-generation western Oklahoma farmer on Smith Farms. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in business administration, he returned to the farm of primarily cotton, wheat and rye. Rye was used to plant a cover crop into the cotton for erosion control, and then they would plow underneath. As years progressed, Smith Farms started raising mostly cotton and rye, but still conventional tillage. In 1998 they switched their operation to continue planting cover crops and strip-tilling. In 2010, they began no-tilling in both cotton and rye, and have continued this process, only strip-tilling in bad compaction zones like turn rows and module storing locations.
From harvesters blowing cotton behind the tractor into a trailer to basket strippers, cotton modules, and now to round-bale harvesters, Jimmy has seen significant developments in the cotton industry in his 42 years of full-time farming. The cottonseed improvements such as yield increases and chemical resistant varieties have also impacted cotton production, especially in no-till conditions. Ever-changing advances in technology within the agricultural industry continue to contribute to success in farming, leaving Jimmy to say, “I don’t miss having to drive equipment manually in the field.”
Danny Davis
Partner
Danny Davis was a third-generation farmer in western Oklahoma. After graduating from high school, Danny attended college and came back to the farm. He had a passion for farming and was one of the first western Oklahoma farmers to begin no-tilling cotton. Danny, his dad, and Jimmy Smith were partners in Progressive Ag Services. It was the last working cotton gin in Elk City, OK.
In 1996, Danny received the Outstanding Oklahoma Young Farmer from the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 2000, he received the Conservation Award presented by the Oklahoma Chapter Soil and Water Conservation Society. In 2001, Danny was the Southwest Cotton Winner presented by Southwest Farm Press. From 2002-2005 he served on the National Cotton Council. In 2002, he received the Master Agronomist Award presented by the Oklahoma State University Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. He was the National Conservation Tillage Cotton and Rice Conference Cotton Farmer of 2003. He served on the National Cotton Council again from 2011- 2013.
Danny has been recognized in many articles in Cotton Magazines. He has shared his knowledge through speaking at several no-till conferences on his passion for raising cotton and conserving the land. In 2012, Danny and Jimmy contacted Jake to help assist in creating what is now the 4AG tire. Danny passed away on September 9, 2016. Although he was never able to see 4Ag, he is still very much a part of who we are and makes up the fourth farmer in our company name. Danny is tremendously missed in the farming community and as our friend.
Intentional Oklahoma Farmers
We are intentional about making sure that most of our products are designed and manufactured in the United States. All of our wheels and interseeders are made in America, and while the pieces of our Catch Alls are not made in America, they are assembled here. We value 100% transparency, and using Oklahoma manufacturing as much as possible.
Our mission is to provide you with transparent, attentive service and a durable, transformative product made in America for you to use on your farm.
Our Values
Durability
Our products are made to last. That’s where this all began! We found a long-term solution to our problem and are proud to share it with others. You no longer have to worry about frequent and expensive replacement parts!
Transparency
We’re open about our Oklahoma manufacturing practices. We vet every product dealer we supply to. We value maintaining transparency as we grow our business because we know transparent practices matter.
Simplicity
We stick to our guns and run with the products we’re good at. Our products are simple and they simply get the job done. We focus on helping you get the job and get it done right!
Locality
As Oklahoma farmers ourselves, we value working with locals first. We maintain a small-town mindset even as our business grows, hoping to help farms across the country feel supported.
Our Products
We offer a number of no-till equipment products. Designed by Oklahoma farmers and primarily manufactured and made in America, you can trust that each of our products are high quality, long lasting solutions to your no-till farming needs.
Catch All
Designed by farmers for farmers, the Catch All is a woven nylon net that keeps net wrap and feed stacks from blowing off of pickup beds during transportation. The Catch All keeps net wrap out of your fields, protecting your crops and preventing hangups in your tires. It’s easy to install with convenient magnets and a high-quality rubber coating to keep it on and protect it from the elements.
Gauge Wheel
We’ve designed and manufactured a gauge wheel (or planter tire) that is designed to last and allow you to plant straight back into your existing crop.
Our gauge wheels are durable to sharp stubble and rocks, have no lip wear to keep dry spilt out of the seed trench, and are made from a patent-pending tough proprietary composition. Plus, they are easy to install and made to fit all old and new style planters.
Our gauge wheels come in 3” and 4.5” wide.
Closing Wheel
Once your seed is planted at the correct depth with the help of the gauge wheel, it’s important that you have a stellar closing wheel to close the trench. Our unique design includes added tiller tines that till roughly the top quarter inch of the soil leaving the ground surface loose to prevent baking in wet conditions while also eliminating the need to add additional equipment such as a harrow or drag chain.
Our closing wheels are also made from the patent-pending tough proprietary composition. These wheels come with a bolt kit with spacers to provide easy installation with multiple adjustments, accommodating a variety of planting conditions.
Interseeder
Improve soil health and your crops by using an interseeder to plant over your existing crop without disturbing it. This means that once your primary crop is harvested, another crop has already started growing!
Our interseeders have a 3 point attachment to be pulled behind a tractor. Each is specially built and are quoted individually.
100% Oklahoma Farmers
If you give us a call, we’ll more than likely be on the farm.
This work is truly our passion. We’re right there with you when it comes to overcoming challenges on the farm. As Oklahoma farmers, we’re in this work day in and day out.
So, not only are we providing products that fellow farmers could use, but we’re also using them, always on the lookout for ways to innovate and improve the farming experience.
Reviews from Our Ranchers
Our products are built with farmers in mind. Take a look at what our customers have to say!
Us vs. The Other Guys
We’ve been farming no-till cotton in western Oklahoma for years. Unfortunately, the other guys’ products just weren’t cutting it. We were replacing wheels annually, and our equipment was damaging our crops.
We took matters into our own hands, became agricultural machinery manufacturers, and built products that are meant to last.
We’ve been using our own gauge wheel tires since 2012 (before we ever made them commercially available) and have not replaced them since. We’ve had no issues!
Now, it’s up to you to decide whether the investment is worth it, but we think the results speak for themselves.
Bring simplicity and focus back into no-till farming by investing in durable products made in America from agricultural machinery manufacturers that care.
Join our community
Want to see what we have coming down the pipeline? Interested in seeing our tools in action?
From behind-the-scenes to events for Oklahoma farmers and more, we give you an inside look to 4Ag over on Facebook.