Cultivator for garden

[wmonroe]

Anyone out there using a cultivator behind their tractor in the garden? I would like to make my garden significantly bigger and maybe plant a separate sweet corn plot but don't have time to weed a garden bigger than what I have (about 30x30). My thought was to build or buy a cultivator that I could use behind the tractor to clean up the weeds. So who out there is successfully cultivating their garden?

 

[jeff9366]

Woodward Crossing is in Aaronsburg, Pennsylvania, possibly near where you are.

You can buy just the Wunderbar Cat 1 3-Pt Hitch, then buy any length of Toolbar (2" X 2" X 1/4" square tube) from your local welding shop or steel supplier, then select cultivating components you desire. You may want a 72" toolbar for your L5240.

They can ship max 48" Toolbar by UPS. UPS shipment in three packages is MUCH cheaper than LTL shipment on a pallet.

Woodward Crossing claims 85-hp rating for their 3-Pt hitch. It is massive.

In my purchase the hitch/tool-bar-holder component came well painted.

The 48" Toolbar was stock raw steel, and had a lip on one end, which disappointed me somewhat. I filed off the lip, then painted toolbar with spray Rustoleum. (I would have been willing to pay for Zinc Chromate dip.)

My Wunderbar S-tine cultivator is pulled by a friend's Kubota BX. It makes the BX look puny. The Wunderbar implement cultivates beautifully. It does not strain the BX 2230.

The Woodwards are nice people to deal with. Very helpful on the telephone.


LINK: Single Row Cultivator Bundle w/(4) S-Tines, 7" Sweeps, 3 Pt. Hitch & Toolbar

 

[paulharvey]

Agri-Supply Co (ASC) has something called a Keulavator Keulavator Frame, 3-Point Cultivator, Garden Plow | Agri Supply, 51946 that is basically a simple frame that can quickly swap hillers, sweeps, etc onto. I don't have it, so I can't comment on durability or if it works, but sounds like generally what you want.

Edit; I'm thinking you could fab up the basic frame fairly cheaply and then use there add on tillage attachments on your frame and save a lot of money (assuming of coarse you weld, and have access to cheap scrap metal)

 

[jeff9366]

The Woodward Crossings modular tool bar cultivator is more versatile.

There are a large number of modular tool bar components, from multiple venders, including Agri Supply, which fit 2" X 2" tool bars. You can buy any length 2" X 2" tool bar desired from a welding shop or steel wholesaler. With a fifth "S' tine and fifth 7" sweep we cultivate 48" rows between old Blueberry bushes in a single pass.

Tool bars lengths (2) of Keuvalator have combined length of 32"; 16" center gap is designed in, which limits its usefulness except as a single row cultivator. To me, clamping components on Keuvalator 1-3/8" diameter ROUND tool bars will be inherently less stable than clamping components on a 2" X 2" SQUARE tool bar.

I considered the Keuvalator before buying from Woodward Crossings. (Possibly on your suggestion, paulharvey.)

LINK: Keulavator Frame, 3-Point Cultivator, Garden Plow | Agri Supply, 51946

 

[jeff9366]

Another supplier for Tool Bar Cultivators and bolt-on components is BUCKEYE TRACTOR in Ohio. For some in mid-west freight would be less.

#31211 Tool Bar 3-Pt frame may have a welded-to-hitch, fixed length tool bar; I do not know.

LINK: Buckeye Tractor Online Catalog Page 20-02 Toolbars & Hitches


{Perhaps sole USA supplier of Chisel Plows built for 30-hp to 40-hp tractors.}

 

[jeff9366]

I recently took delivery of a 66" Dirt Dog Field Cultivator. I am researching cultivator Sweeps to occasionally substitute for standard 2" X 10" Chisel Points on five 1/2" width tines. I want to use the Field Cultivator with sweeps, probably 5 X 10", for 2" secondary tillage food plot preparation.

Note 1" tine spacing holes. Photo #2

Note Sweeps in Photo #7.

NICHOLS TILLAGE TOOLS LINK: Nichols Sweeps

 

[nybirdman]

I purchased one from Tractor Supply;removed the center two and made a "hiller/cultivator".Works nicely.
The disc's are bolt on so removed easily to reinstall the center two cultivators.
I also added "peanut"shares on the ends.Great all around tool,can be used as a chisel plow also.
Note: I did reverse the disc after this picture was taken(they are backwards in the pic)

 

[flusher]

I tilled my garden (50x75 ft) with a Yanmar RS1200 rototiller (48" wide) and my 2005 Kubota B7510HST. Tiller cost $250 from my local grey tractor dealer.



I also used a Bolens GT1453 garden tractor with a 32" rototiller for that job after I sold the 7510. Found it on Craigslist for $600 including a 48" mowing deck.



Good luck

 

[countrybumpkin]

I have a old ferguson sko-20 my grandpa used on small crops , it was set up for two row with side dresser but I switched it around for a single row , works really nice.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Stevens Tractor in Louisiana also sells a combination cultivator, bedder and middle buster (a/k/a potato plow) implement in 60" (6 shank) and 48" (4 shank) lengths.

Garden Package

 

[wmonroe]

Thanks everyone, lots of good info here. I'm going to continue researching and probably make a purchase this fall/winter.

 

[wmonroe]

Jeff9366 - I'm going to check out Woodward crossing, they look to be a couple hours away from me. I like their modular tool bars and they look to have a great place in general.

 

[wmonroe]

I tilled my garden (50x75 ft) with a Yanmar RS1200 rototiller (48" wide) and my 2005 Kubota B7510HST. Tiller cost $250 from my local grey tractor dealer. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/attachments/426086-cultivator-garden-kubota-rototill-1-jpg"/> I also used a Bolens GT1453 garden tractor with a 32" rototiller for that job after I sold the 7510. Found it on Craigslist for $600 including a 48" mowing deck. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/attachments/426087-cultivator-garden-bolens-gt1453-rototiller-2-jpg"/> Good luck

I have a 72" tiller that I use to prepare the garden that works very well. I've thought about getting a walk behind type tiller for cultivating but it would be harder for my wife to use versus a 3 point implement and I'm trying to avoid another small engine to keep up.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Cultivators only work when the plants are small once they get to a certain point you have to switch to a way to do just between the rows. I have a six foot 3pt tiller and on some stuff I make rows far enough apart I can use it between them, but it takes a lot of room for a garden.

 

[countrybumpkin]

P I C T U R E S ?????

Sorry I just seen this, I'll get some pics and post them.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

Cultivators only work when the plants are small once they get to a certain point you have to switch to a way to do just between the rows. I have a six foot 3pt tiller and on some stuff I make rows far enough apart I can use it between them, but it takes a lot of room for a garden.

My gardens are set up to cultivate between the rows with a Dearborn 13-2 Springshank. The rows are hilled to plant on the ridges. The hiller leaves a small furrow on either side of the ridge, which is perfect to irrigate the row. When the plants are small, the cultivator is set up for one row and straddle the row. As they grow I space the shanks to cultivate the entire width between rows. It does take up room, but it simplifies weeding and harvesting within the row.



This picture shows the furrow left by the disc hiller. The furrow makes quick work of irrigating. It's easy to keep between the rows weed free. This year as an experiment I drilled buckwheat in between the rows of melons, cukes, zuchinni, and squash(s). When they start vining in between the rows there's no cultivating. Mark

 

[countrybumpkin]

Yep that's basically the same thing I do , I lay off the rows with hippers and allows for easy row irrigation and planting.