Cultipacker vs Pulverizer

[N80]

I need something to help prepare my corn seedbed. I plow and then I disk but I'm still often left with lots of clods. The clods make it hard to push my hand planter along (its one of those Earthway type planters). This led to a lot of bouncing and fits and starts that in turn led to uneven seed depth and even a lot of gaps.

I think something live a cultipacker would be ideal for this job but I can't really afford one. But, I know a guy with a pulverizer who might be willing to let it go cheap. It is sort of like this:

But, its a Landpride (not a Leinbach) and it is in decent shape although it is only 5 feet and my rears are at about 6 feet.

Anyway, would a pulverizer function in this capacity? Or would it pack the soil to tightly? And what would a 5' Landpride pulverizer be worth?

I do realize that it probably wouldn't function the way a cultipacker does in regard to pulling it over clover or grass seed that you just spread.

Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

2 different animals..... The pulverizer is more of a grading tool. (finish grading) To use the pulverizer in the "farm tool" mode, you'd need relatively "clean" ground. ie, no stalks, clumps of sod, crop residue, ect. That'll clog it up in a hurry.

But....Pulverizer has many other uses. Could be a value later on too... They're GREAT for grading gravel roads by the way. In a pinch, I suppose you could use it for your intended purpose, but a real compromise. If it's cheap enough, buy it, use it, and then re-sell later if you don't like it. They generally sell fairly good.

 

[foggy1111]

OK....I'll give a shot at a response. For your purposes (corn) I think that the machine shown would work fine for leveling and breaking up clods and such....maybe he will let you have a test drive?? Generally the implement shown is used by contractors prior to seeding for lawns. I believe these are generally much more expensive implements that an old cultipacker....so if you can get it for a good price I think you should go for it. However it wont be much value for packing seeds....such as the cultipacker would.... IMO.

 

[N80]

Thanks guys. I think Leinbach even calls it a "yard tool". In any case, I checked today and it was gone.

It sounds like a cultipacker is exactly what I need but I can hardly justify the cost of one. If I find one cheap I might pick it up. Got any home brewed ideas for busting up tough clay clods?

 

[Peej]

leinbach makes a cultipacker that is 3ph you might look at. Also either this site or QDMA had a make your own cultipacker post that was economical.

 

[flusher]

I need something to help prepare my corn seedbed. I plow and then I disk but I'm still often left with lots of clods. The clods make it hard to push my hand planter along (its one of those Earthway type planters). This led to a lot of bouncing and fits and starts that in turn led to uneven seed depth and even a lot of gaps.

I think something live a cultipacker would be ideal for this job but I can't really afford one. But, I know a guy with a pulverizer who might be willing to let it go cheap. It is sort of like this:

But, its a Landpride (not a Leinbach) and it is in decent shape although it is only 5 feet and my rears are at about 6 feet.

Anyway, would a pulverizer function in this capacity? Or would it pack the soil to tightly? And what would a 5' Landpride pulverizer be worth?

I do realize that it probably wouldn't function the way a cultipacker does in regard to pulling it over clover or grass seed that you just spread.

Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks.

I'd rig up some type of heavy drag (big log, heavy piece of metal pipe, etc) and hitch it to the disc--kill 2 birds with one stone.

 

[foggy1111]

I put a WTB on Craigs List for a cultipacker. After a few weeks I got one call with a for sale....bought a 7 footer for $175. I have heard of quite a few people buy 'em for $100 to $250.

Also if you do a search....there is a new hollow plastic type cultipacker being made for about $250. plus shipping. I saw it at QDMA.com Looks to be a fair unit which would stand up to moderate use....but if you can find an oldie made from iron.....they are still better IMO.

 

[N80]

I've tried the log (6x6 post) and the chain link fence. They work fine as harrows for covering seed, but not too good on the clods.

What I have done, which works modestly well, is just to run over the whole plot with the tractor tires. Its tedious, wastes fuel and isn't practical for large areas, but works in a pinch for a small plot.

 

[ChuckinNH]

Don't laugh at the size of my operation here, but I did find that my chain harrow broke up clods better than I thought it would.

 

[N80]

I would not laugh at the size of the operation, but I sure wish I had your dirt. My dirt has a lot of clay in it and those clods are very hard to deal with even after a good many passes with the disk....which starts to compact things a good bit so I try not to do too many passes.

The corn grows very well in my soil so that really isn't the main problem. The problem is pushing that hand planter through the rocks and clods. Maybe the solution is just to buy a 3pt planter! Of course, I'm not sure how a real planter would handle the clods either. Planting by hand worked just fine last year, but talk about a tedious two man job!

I think a big part of my problem is also timing. If it is too dry the clods are like rocks and hard to break up. If it is too wet that are like lumps of clay. The disk might slice them, but doesn't really break them up. From past experience it seems like when the moisture content is just right the disk breaks the clods up a lot better. I just don't have a good sense of when just right is. Learning that will probably be more valuable than a cultipacker or harrow.

 

[taborekle]

I'd look at a tiller for this sort of application. Tillers can gind up the soil to remove clods of dirt. I have a small Land Pride reversing tiller and it's amazing how fine it grinds up the soil.

My father-in-law has been a tabaco farmer for 30 years, and never had one. So when I bought my tractor and tiller, he wanted to take it for a test drive. He's been very pleased with it.

Check out these videos at the Land Pride site. The competitive one shows how finely ground up the soil is.

LP Media Library

 

[N80]

I think a tiller would do a nice job. the amount of rocks I have concerns me a bit but I know there are lots of folks using tillers in the area. I'm afraid that a tiller isn't in the budget right now though. Again, maybe if I found a used one cheap I'd go for it.

 

[taborekle]

I think a tiller would do a nice job. the amount of rocks I have concerns me a bit but I know there are lots of folks using tillers in the area. I'm afraid that a tiller isn't in the budget right now though. Again, maybe if I found a used one cheap I'd go for it.

Speaking of tillering and rocks, the tiller that I bought had a sacrificial bolt in it's top end that was only 6mm. I bought a dozen of them and found that they broke quite often in my rocky soil. It got to be quite a pain to break bolt, stop tillering, raise tiller, get off, put in new shear bolt, tighten, and then restart. I complained to my local tractor dealer and they agree'd to upgrade my tiller to a slip clutch model. I would pay for the parts and they would supply all the labor for free to make me happy. I just tried it yesterday and think it works great. If you -do- wind up looking for a tiller, try to get one with a slip clutch built into it.

 

[ChuckinNH]

I would not laugh at the size of the operation, but I sure wish I had your dirt. My dirt has a lot of clay in it and those clods are very hard to deal with even after a good many passes with the disk....which starts to compact things a good bit so I try not to do too many passes.

The corn grows very well in my soil so that really isn't the main problem. The problem is pushing that hand planter through the rocks and clods. Maybe the solution is just to buy a 3pt planter! Of course, I'm not sure how a real planter would handle the clods either. Planting by hand worked just fine last year, but talk about a tedious two man job!

I think a big part of my problem is also timing. If it is too dry the clods are like rocks and hard to break up. If it is too wet that are like lumps of clay. The disk might slice them, but doesn't really break them up. From past experience it seems like when the moisture content is just right the disk breaks the clods up a lot better. I just don't have a good sense of when just right is. Learning that will probably be more valuable than a cultipacker or harrow.

Clay based soils sure can be a challenge to work with at times. I agree that timing is very helpful. Actually, the soil in my pictures was / is clay based, but I've put hundreds / thousands of bushels of organic material (mostly leaves, and green crops like the rye in the pictures) in there in the past 20 years, or so, and it sure has made a difference. It used to get pretty hard, and crack when it dried out any. I've been in your part of the country, and do know that you have more of a problem with that than I did / do!

 

[charlz]

Maybe something similar to the back end of this unit:

See these around here sometimes. Seems like it might be pretty easy to build

 

[MMagis]

Based on my experience with cultipackers and that style of planter, I don't think a cultipacker will be the best answer. They help, but those planters really need a perfect seed bed. The only way I can get a seed bed that nice is multiple passes with a disk, but it takes more time than I like. A tiller would work too, but is much more expensive. I think the easiest solution would be to get another style of planter. I think you could get a one or two row planter for no more than a cultipacker, maybe less. Certainly less than a tiller.

 

[clutchcargo]

Try the cultipackerstore.com they have cultipackers and parts

 

[N80]

I thought you were joking. That's a site, thanks. Here is the actual link to it:

OMNI Mfg