Towed Cultipacker Vs. 3-Pt. Lift Cultipacker - Advantages / Disadvantages?

[jeff9366]

I am going to the Sunbelt Ag. Expo in Moultrie, Georgia October 16-17-18, 2012. I will be there one of the three days.

At top of my shopping list is a CULTIPACKER.

There are a lot of TBN posts on Cultipackers but none comparing efficiency/effectiveness of Towed Cultipackers against 3-Pt. Lift Cultipackers.

It is evident most of the older Cultipackers were towed but a lot of the current offerings are designed for the 3-Point Hitch. Why this change in emphasis?

I am in North Florida. Sandy-Loam, only rocks soft limerock. My tractor is a Kubota B3300SU 33-hp / 1,800 pounds.

Using my 'Bush Hog' Rollover Box Blade there are some issues with the tool going UP when the tractor wheels encounter a LOW spot or a hole; and vice versa. Same issue probable with a 3-Pt. Lift Cultipacker?

(Ken? Ted? Are you out there?)

PLEASE MAKE ME SMARTER. ( Starting low; should not be too difficult.)

 

[kebo]

I think I saw a post where Ted said he would be there with his new implements? Or maybe I confused that with someone else?? I have only used my 3pt 5.5ft wide cultipacker for a month now and am very happy with it. For me, 3pt is the only way to go since I transport my stuff to the hunt club on a 7ft wide trailer. If you will never transport yours, then maybe pull behind is an easier solution? As far as which works better between towed and 3pt? Disregarding the weight difference, I would think there would be no difference between the two? Unless your land is perfectly flat, you will always have some low spots where the cultipacker will not be able to get down into and pack because it will be riding above the low spot. So, I wouldn't worry to much about that, especially knowing how flat it is in Florida anyway! Good luck. Oh yeah, there is a place in Savannah that I saw on Craigslist that custom makes cultipackers. They look really good in the pic's, but I haven't seen any pricing on them. Maybe I can get you the phone number and a link to pic's if you are interested in them.
Keith

 

[kebo]

Jeff, you have a PM.

 

[flusher]

It's easier on the roads to transport a 3-pt hitch cultipacker from field to field rather than a conventional towed cultipacker--unless, of course, the towed version has hydraulically operated transport wheels. My 10-ft wide cultipacker is the towed variety (cost $600). One of these days I may add the transport wheels just for fun.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

If you are working in small areas like food plots where turning area is at a premium, a 3 pt cultipacker is invaluable. If you are working in larger fields with plenty of turnaround room, a pull type will work fine. As mentioned earlier, the 3 pt model is much preferable if you need to drive from field to field on roads or other ground that doesn't need to be packed, not to mention the extra wear and tear on the wheels. For my money, I like the 3 pt kind. Not sure why most of the old ones are pull type. It's almost like nobody thought to make a 3 pt model back in the day.

 

[Agent Blue]

How do you turn a corner with a three point lift cultipacker ? Unless it swivals it is not going to work properly. It would sure be a pain to lift it with every turn. The best I have seen is the cultipacker you flip the hitch over to put it on its wheels for transport. A couple used tires and you have the best of both worlds.

 

[sixdogs]

A towed packer will do a better and smoother job but is somewhat difficult to transport. Its weight transfers well to the ground.
The three pt hitch model does transport easier but is too close to the tractor when in use and the weight does not transfer efficiently enough to do as good a job as a pull-type model. That has been my experience and I have used both types over the years.

 

[sixdogs]

How do you turn a corner with a three point lift cultipacker ? Unless it swivals it is not going to work properly. It would sure be a pain to lift it with every turn.

You just sort-of lift it and slide around the corner with it only touching the ground a little bit. In time, you learn to lay the field out in a pattern of mostly straight lines and it works fine.

 

[jeff9366]

Thank you for excellent information in early post replies.
Keep 'em coming. I can feel the smartness just welling up........

Sixdogs: Any reason I could not take floating Top Link hitch off my King Kutter rotary cutter (Bush Hog) and use it on a 3-Pt Lift Cultipacker? Wouldn't this improve ground contact? Any manufacturer tried this or some other "floating" solution?
THANKS!

 

[foggy1111]

If you are working in small areas like food plots where turning area is at a premium, a 3 pt cultipacker is invaluable. If you are working in larger fields with plenty of turnaround room, a pull type will work fine. As mentioned earlier, the 3 pt model is much preferable if you need to drive from field to field on roads or other ground that doesn't need to be packed, not to mention the extra wear and tear on the wheels. For my money, I like the 3 pt kind. Not sure why most of the old ones are pull type. It's almost like nobody thought to make a 3 pt model back in the day.

Just to set your mind right.....going back in time.....the only 3 point equipment were the little Ford N tractors or Ferguson models. These were small tractors that lacked the size and hydrualic lift capacity of todays tractors. Even horses didnt have a three point lift. Therefore MOST of the implements were pull type equipment until tractors got bigger and the Ferguson 3-point patents were "up".

 

[foggy1111]

If you are working in small areas like food plots where turning area is at a premium, a 3 pt cultipacker is invaluable. If you are working in larger fields with plenty of turnaround room, a pull type will work fine. As mentioned earlier, the 3 pt model is much preferable if you need to drive from field to field on roads or other ground that doesn't need to be packed, not to mention the extra wear and tear on the wheels. For my money, I like the 3 pt kind. Not sure why most of the old ones are pull type. It's almost like nobody thought to make a 3 pt model back in the day.

Just to set your mind right.....going back in time.....the only 3 point equipment were the little Ford N tractors or Ferguson models. These were small tractors that lacked the size and hydrualic lift capacity of todays tractors. Even horses didnt have a three point lift. Therefore MOST of the implements were pull type equipment until tractors got bigger and the Ferguson 3-point patents were "up".

 

[sixdogs]

Thank you for excellent information in early post replies.
Keep 'em coming. I can feel the smartness just welling up........

Sixdogs: Any reason I could not take floating Top Link hitch off my King Kutter rotary cutter (Bush Hog) and use it on a 3-Pt Lift Cultipacker? Wouldn't this improve ground contact? Any manufacturer tried this or some other "floating" solution?
THANKS!

I don't see how that would help but you could try it. While each has disadvantages and advantages, some of this is subjective. I actually have both a pull-type as well as a 3 pt model and use one or the other depending on the situation.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

You're getting some great advice here. The demand for 3pt attachments today is MUCH greater than pull type for the reasons mentioned already. I think the main reason is transport convenience. In the old days when farms were at one location for the most part, the farmer could pull his attachment from field to field and not worry about transport but that isn't normally how it works today. It is so convenient to just lift up your attachment and drive on and off of a trailer and there's no comparison when you need to get into tight areas. You may compromise a little by having a 3pt cultipacker on really uneven, rough ground but I think it will be minimal. The main thing to pay attention to is WEIGHT in a cultipacker and we definitely have that covered along with a quick-hitch compatible design with skid stands for an easy hook-up. Check them out here on our website.
We will be at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, GA Oct 16-18 booths B-9-700 thru B-9-703 showing off all of the attachments that we build so be sure to pay us a visit!

 

[GPintheMitten]

For better float on a 3 pt. cultipacker, couldn't you disconnect the top point while in the field?

 

[sixdogs]

I'll add another thing I have been thinking about and the deep thinkers can figure out why this happens.
If the ground is soft, say tilled or whatever, a 3-pt packer will often leave tire tracks and tire impressions showing when done packing. With a pull-type packer you can see the bar marks from the tires but almost never the settled-in tire impressions. In other words, the pull type does a smoother job. I believe it's the weight transfer issue. As noted, I use both types and use them a lot. Most often I'll use a pull type if there are not many obstacles to dodge and weave around.

Here's another thought. Somewhere on this website is a photo of a pull-type packer that someone turned around and added a 3-pt hitch to for ease of transport. He left the tongue long but it could easily be hinged or made extendable/compressionable to shorten and lengthen. Wheels on a flip-over model don't work because a packer needs to be heavy to to the job and it's not posssible to flip 1000 lbs by hand. A hydraulic cylinder to lift wheels is better.

 

[jenkinsph]

Thank you for excellent information in early post replies.
Keep 'em coming. I can feel the smartness just welling up........

Sixdogs: Any reason I could not take floating Top Link hitch off my King Kutter rotary cutter (Bush Hog) and use it on a 3-Pt Lift Cultipacker? Wouldn't this improve ground contact? Any manufacturer tried this or some other "floating" solution?
THANKS!

Not sure of what you feel the problem is with the "floating"? If you lower the 3PH fully you should have enough slack in the hitch to ride over the ground without any dips or bumps having an effect on the hitch.

 

[sixdogs]

Thank you for excellent information in early post replies.
Keep 'em coming. I can feel the smartness just welling up........

Sixdogs: Any reason I could not take floating Top Link hitch off my King Kutter rotary cutter (Bush Hog) and use it on a 3-Pt Lift Cultipacker? Wouldn't this improve ground contact? Any manufacturer tried this or some other "floating" solution?
THANKS!

I'd like to re-think that floating hitch thing and say it might be worth a try. I could see the rigidness of the top link as a problem especially as the front wheels dip and rise. Good thinking.
Now, a tractor with draft control might help but a pull type, I feel, is the right answer if the land is open enough.

 

[jeff9366]

I'm learning.....learning....learning.

Good, inspirational points, everyone.

THANKS. KEEP POSTING!!

 

[HCJtractor]

My plan is to build one with all the features I want. It will be an 8' pull type but with hydraulic lift wheels like on an offset harrow. The hitch will be interchangeable so I can use a Clevis or ball, so I can pull it with a tractor but more likely with a truck. This way someone can be disking or broadcasting while another drives around cultipacking from the comfort of a truck. The hydraulics will be driven with a 12 V hydraulic pump. It will be highway transportable by towing for short distances, like I transport my harrow behind my truck. I have gathered all the parts except the packer wheels (will get them from Everything Attachments) and plan to build it this winter. For my needs, that's the ideal packer. And I do think a pull type is more effective than a 3 point, unless you are in tight places or need to transport it, so it is a trade off. We try to make turn arounds at the end of all our plots so the harrow and packer can be turned without doing a 3 point turn.

 

[sixdogs]

Here's a photo of the pull type that I use. It's a bit different in that it is a "cultimulcher" with cultivators in the middle of two packers. Works like a charm. In this pic it's actually hooked to my truck for towing somewhere. The two weights (55 lb each) strapped to the front are to increase tongue weight so it doesn't fishtail while towing. It's 8 ft wide.
These are more expensive than a basic packer but I needed the extra weight (2500-3000lb) and needed the leveling aspect of the tines. It gets pulled with an MX5100 Kubota 4wd with weights up front. If I plan on cultivating deep, which is rare, I use a bigger tractor.