Man goes viral after using a Tesla Cybertruck for farming
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REXBURG, Idaho (eastidahonews.com) — When most people think of Tesla Cybertrucks, they don’t usually picture farm work, but a local farmer is thinking outside the box.
Braden Smith’s unique approach to farm work is making waves on TikTok, where he posts videos of his Cybertruck powering various electric work tools.
Smith has a 2,000 acre potato and wheat farm in Rexburg. Part of the work includes handling power tools in the fields like a welder, plasma cutter and compressor. Before, he had to bring a generator out to the fields to power the tools, but now, those days are over.
The Cybertruck has a 50-amp 240 volt outlet, which Smith says is more than enough to charge any power tool he uses.
“That’s the type of plug you plug in when you’re in a shop,” Smith said. “So when I saw that, I was like, ‘Holy cow, I could run something really large out of the back of this.’”
Smith’s Cybertruck TikTok videos have garnered millions of views for his innovation. He answers questions about its features and explains how he uses the truck to weld pipes and haul equipment.
Many have strong opinions about the Cybertruck, both positive and negative. Smith sees it first hand whenever people recognize him.
“I’ll be driving down the road and I’ll get a middle finger or a thumbs up,” Smith said. “There’s no in between.”
Unbeknownst to Smith at the time, in late July and early August, several media outlets wrote stories about his Cybertruck use, including Teslarati.com, thecooldown.com and International Business Times, which was posted on X.
Soon, people started reaching out to Smith on the social media platform.
“I’ve had Tesla themselves ‘like’ my stuff,” Smith said. “It’s been interesting.”
Now, Smith often receives comments from other farmers who want to incorporate a Cybertruck into their work. He also participated in an “Ask Me Anything” livestream on X.
While it might appear that Smith set out to debunk critiques, he just wanted to grow his TikTok account.
“It was something unique that people hadn’t seen and something that I felt would get good engagement, and it did,” Smith said.
Smith is frank in his videos about the trade-offs of a Cybertruck, but overall, he is happy with it.
“If I had sat down and wrote an itemized list of all the features that I want in a truck, this truck would have fit the majority of that list,” Smith said. “It just happens to look like a stainless steel fridge, unfortunately.”
For more information, follow Smith on TikTok and X.
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