My Experience With Woodward Crossing's 'Danish' S-Tine Tool Bar Cultivator

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My Experience With S-Tine Tool Bar Cultivator - Version 1​

Cultivator: An agricultural implement used in the tillage of growing crops, to loosen the surface of the earth and kill weeds.

Cultivating loose, residue-free soils is the forte of multi-sweep vibrating S-tine units. S-tines shake weed roots free from clinging soil.

Toolbar cultivators are mostly employed for cultivating row crops. Sweeps are available in a multitude of shapes and widths. Space between S-tines is easily adjustable after loosening carriage bolt nut connecting S-tine to toolbar clamp. S-tines may be added or removed easily.
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I use this cultivator for secondary/tertiary tillage, usually following a Disc Harrow with 20" diameter pans, after several sunny days. My object is to destroy weeds and grass surrounding a heavily used community burn pit (fire break), weeds and grass in woodland pedestrian trails and weeds and grass prior to planting game food plots twice per year. The toolbar cultivator leaves a smoother surface than the Disc Harrow, even with the Disc gang angles adjusted flat.

I purchased pictured 66" wide modular toolbar cultivator, equipped with 6 'Danish' S-tines, terminating in 6 X 9" sweeps in June 2015 for $490.10 delivered. The outside-to-outside width of my rear tires is 62". Toolbar is USA origin 2" X 2" square tube; tines, sweeps and hardware Italian, therefore nominally metric. PHOTO #1, #2

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Toolbar was unpainted steel. I had toolbar locally powder-coated Kubota orange subsequent to delivery.

Replacement parts are readily available. I purchase carriage bolts and plow bolts from Ace Hardware. I purchase 2" clamps, S-tines and sweeps via internet from Agri Supply. It is necessary to periodically tighten carriage bolt-to-clamp union and plow bolt-to-sweep union until bolts and nuts settle in and remain tight.

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Engineered fail points, in rank order of weakness:
1) Carriage Bolts: 7/16"-14 X 3-1/2" Grade 2 @ $4.50 (inch equivalent of metric carriage bolt)
2) 2" Toolbar/S-tine clamps @ $5.99 PHOTO #3
3) 14-1/2" HD S-tines @ $11.99

6 X 9" = 54" sweeps are evenly spaced across 66 toolbar with, perhaps, 63" space for clamps. Therefore there is approximately 1-1/2" space between sweeps, which is mandatory to avoid interference as sweeps load up with weeds and grass and S-tines stir randomly.

S-tine cultivators are designed to penetrate 2" to 4"-max in friable soil. If you attempt to cultivate deeper or attempt to cultivate hard dirt, you will soon discover the engineered fail points. Tillage depth is adjusted with tractor Three Point Hitch Top Link. A short Top Link delivers deepest tillage.

With experience you will seldom break engineered fail points.

If you need to till soil deeper, acquire a coil-spring protected Field Cultivator, AKA All Purpose Plow PHOTO #6. Coil-spring protected FC/APP will penetrate 12" in friable soil. Currently available Dirt Dog (brand) and Fred Cain (brand) FC/APPs are restricted to 2" wide points. Older, heavier FC/APPs ie: Ferguson PHOTO #7, #8, #9, Ford Dearborn PHOTO #10, and Leinbach brands accept points and sweeps interchangeably.


Tool Bars equipped with moderate strength 'Danish' S-tines are for working friable soil to 4" depth.

Additional photos to follow.​