Cultivator for weed control

[Mearntain]

I've been struggling at finding the info that I'm looking for, so figured I'd make a post here. I've recently got some ground ready for planting, but now can't seem to decide what size rows to plant. I know it will depend someone on what will be planted.

I've got approximately 42 inches between the inside of my 2 rear tires. My question mainly is coming down to me wanting to use a cultivator down the road for weed control, but I don't currently own one yet. If I can't find one locally used for a decent price, I was going to get the one row cultivator from Tractor Supply. I don't want to choose an arbitrary distance between rows, and then later find out the cultivator is lined up to where it wants to cut right through my plants.

I figured I'd probably do 2 row seed beds for most of my stuff. Are all cultivators able to be adjusted to your row spacing? Or does my row spacing need to be set off of the cultivator spacing?

 

[RalphVa]

Our cultivators had tines that were movable. Some cultivators has shields to keep the tines from throwing soil over onto small crops, too.

All was done before gut-disease-causing GMOs that are Roundup ready. If you gotta run over the field spraying Roundup, you can run over the field with a cultivator instead. Same amount of fuel and no expensive Roundup.

Ralph

 

[randy41]

the cultivator i have is just a tool bar that cultivating shoes can be mounted on and is very adjustable. the tool bar has other uses one of which is mounting hilling discs on it to make raised beds or to hill potatoes. i think it is a fred caine cultivator.

 

[SSdoxie]

To calculate your row spacing measure the width of 1 rear tire and add that to the 42" between the tires. That number would row spacing if straddling 1 row. To straddle 2 rows under the tractor divide that number by 2. This will place the tires centered in row while cultivating and you sent cultivator shovel spacing accordingly.

 

[nybirdman]

Here is a fairly inexpensive cultivator/hiller purchased from Tractor supply.I added the hillers(turned them around since this picture) and they are removable.

 

[Mearntain]

Thanks for the replys from everyone, that clears things up some for me. Nybirdman, is the TSC one pretty adjustable as well?

 

[nybirdman]

Thanks for the replys from everyone, that clears things up some for me. Nybirdman, is the TSC one pretty adjustable as well?

Yes: you can remove any of the cultivators.I added "peanut" shares to mine and it works well.
I purchased them from AgriSupply;Had to modify a little.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

If you gotta run over the field spraying Roundup, you can run over the field with a cultivator instead. Same amount of fuel and no expensive Roundup.
Ralph

I'm not advocating one way over the other, BUT spraying does a much better job of controlling weeds, over using cultivators and you don't have any wore out shoes to deal with... You can cover more rows on the same amount of fuel too.

Also, it's easier to stay in the row too, compared to a 3 point cultivator.

SR

 

[nybirdman]

Organic vegetable growers will not use Round-UP.I do use a lot of Round-UP,just not in a garden.

 

[randy41]

i see quite a few cultivators on cl.

 

[Mearntain]

When you say easier to stay in a row than using a cultivator, what do you mean? Is it hard to keep cultivators tracking straight? Or are you just talking about the steering part of keeping the cultivator straight?

 

[TerryR]

A "proper" cultivator mounts in front of the operator so you can see it, and has the tools set to within a couple of inches of the row. To do that you need a traditional row-crop tractor, like this:




I've never seen a cultivator that mounts that way on a utility tractor. With the tools only behind the operator they will have to be set much wider and I expect it will still be difficult to stay straight enough to keep it out of the rows. Any slack in the 3-point hitch will add to the problem.

 

[kebo]

i see quite a few cultivators on cl.

Yep, I just sold one Friday on CL for $250. :thumbsup: However, it had been repainted, had mostly new hardware on it, and had 4 brand new 8" sweeps on it. Looked really good too.




However, that one was the exception. Most used cultivators are priced in the $175-$200 range, around here anyway. New sweeps can be ordered at good prices from AgriSupply (use google). Cultivators are not considered to be primary tillage tools, but they are still very useful for working over last years garden or food plot, wait two weeks for the weeds to die out, then run back over it with the disc harrow. It's how I do my food plots every year and it works well.

 

[daRedbone]

Yes: you can remove any of the cultivators.I added "peanut" shares to mine and it works well.
I purchased them from AgriSupply;Had to modify a little.

I have that same attachment. I want to set it up like yours. How wide are those peanut shares? Where did you find that hiller setup? Thanks.

 

[kebo]

I have that same attachment. I want to set it up like yours. How wide are those peanut shares? Where did you find that hiller setup? Thanks.

Agrisupply has a large selection. See the link.


Search Results | Agri Supply(R)

 

[daRedbone]

Agrisupply has a large selection. See the link.


Search Results | Agri Supply(R)

That's some pretty good prices. Thanks.