Homemade Tool Bar for Garden Bedder aka Disc Hiller

[artcarneyagr]

Your setup is over $500 for the hiller set up. Would it helped to just buy a 3PT bar and mount the hiller discs?

It's hard to beat a $325+shipping price over DIY.
Garden Line Row Builder

Looking at the present prices of post-C19, the 3PT bars are now insane. That link above is golden. It's not price spiked like things have gotten.
A simple 3PT bar from TSC is now above $260 on up.

Less than a decade ago, these items were UNDER $100.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/behlen-country-3-point-trailer-mover-80112560yel?cm_vc=-10005

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/county-line-trailer-mover?cm_vc=-10005

whew, there are products on Amazon still under $100.

Amazon.com : 3pt tow bar

Check your math there again guy, $200 + $40 + $130 = $370

Your link to "Garden Line Row Builder" shows $365 + shipping....the shipping was estimated at $111 to my house, so $365 + $111 = $476 which isn't too bad of a price, but I don't think the metal used on that one was as thick and the bar width was only 60" wide. They have a "heavy-duty" one that's only 60" as well for $470 + $111 shipping = $581

My tool bar length is 72" - I wanted the little bit of extra length to add some s-tines and sweeps later on for cultivating my sunflowers fields for dove hunting.

And you are right, prices post COVID-19 are very high and very few places have inventory of stuff. The new units I found online that were solidly built (like from Titan Attachment) weren't going to have stock for another month or two and were pretty high in price. I also explored the options you mentioned of buying a tool bar that's already made and then modifying it for the attachment of hiller disks. I've also been looking at farm auctions, craigslist, and facebook marketplace all winter trying to find something old and cheap that I could modify but didn't have any luck and what I did find was way overpriced. It's different world we're in right now, I'm seeing stuff selling for double of what I paid just a few years ago....heaven help you if you need a two-row planter or a cultipacker right now.

I felt like what I built was a good balance between cost and durability, I built it to my own specs, and I enjoyed the build and spending some time with my father-in-law who showed me a little bit about welding. Plus, who knows, maybe my kids will use it one day long after I'm gone and think back to when their dad and granddad made it and understand that sometimes building something yourself can be a little more meaningful and rewarding.

 

[artcarneyagr]

A number of years ago I built two 3pt tool holder frames.. And a number of attachments for the frames.. It worked well..
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First... At the location where you want the hole, drill a small hole first.. A hole about the size of the center tip of the drill.. A pilot hole, 1/8 or 3/16" will make it easier to drill the full size hole on location and to size easier..

Use drills the size of the hole you need.. For instance, for a 3/4 " hole, use a 3/4" drill.. It will usually be big enough to let a pin through..

The trick is in lining up the holes to get the pin through 2 tabs..

You were right on the money about the holes, like for a 3/4" hole you use a 3/4" drill bit. You were also right about lining up 2 tabs - I had the pin in the holes when I welded the tabs on, the pin helped with alignment but even then it made for an extremely tight fit as it still was off on alignment by just the slightest amount making it hard to pull the pin in and out; I ended up drilling those two holes out by an added 1/16" and it made a world of difference, the holes on the tabs were the only holes where I went up a size. The "Silver And Deming Drill Bit Set, 8 Pc." for $32 with coupon at Harbor Freight was well worth the price, the kit had bits from 9/16" to 1", using those with a drill press on a slow speed and applying lots of cutting oil made quick work of drilling holes in 1/2" thick metal.

I really like those 3 pt frames you made, I can think of lots of uses with those!

 

[bmaverick]

Check your math there again guy, $200 + $40 + $130 = $370

Your link to "Garden Line Row Builder" shows $365 + shipping....the shipping was estimated at $111 to my house, so $365 + $111 = $476 which isn't too bad of a price, but I don't think the metal used on that one was as thick and the bar width was only 60" wide. They have a "heavy-duty" one that's only 60" as well for $470 + $111 shipping = $581

My tool bar length is 72" - I wanted the little bit of extra length to add some s-tines and sweeps later on for cultivating my sunflowers fields for dove hunting.

And you are right, prices post COVID-19 are very high and very few places have inventory of stuff. The new units I found online that were solidly built (like from Titan Attachment) weren't going to have stock for another month or two and were pretty high in price. I also explored the options you mentioned of buying a tool bar that's already made and then modifying it for the attachment of hiller disks. I've also been looking at farm auctions, craigslist, and facebook marketplace all winter trying to find something old and cheap that I could modify but didn't have any luck and what I did find was way overpriced. It's different world we're in right now, I'm seeing stuff selling for double of what I paid just a few years ago....heaven help you if you need a two-row planter or a cultipacker right now.

I felt like what I built was a good balance between cost and durability, I built it to my own specs, and I enjoyed the build and spending some time with my father-in-law who showed me a little bit about welding. Plus, who knows, maybe my kids will use it one day long after I'm gone and think back to when their dad and granddad made it and understand that sometimes building something yourself can be a little more meaningful and rewarding.

You posted:

Steel - $200
U-bolts and pins - $40
Hiller disks, 2 ea - $130

200+40+(130x2) = $500

 

[artcarneyagr]

You posted:

Steel - $200
U-bolts and pins - $40
Hiller disks, 2 ea - $130

200+40+(130x2) = $500

$130 was the total for the pair of hillers, they are only $65 each from Agri-Supply......$65 x 2 = $130

16 Inch Disc Hiller with 22 Inch Shank

Mound your soil more efficiently with this 16 inch disc hiller with 22 inch shank. This hilling disc comes with a Blanton-style hub.

www.agrisupply.com

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

You were right on the money about the holes, like for a 3/4" hole you use a 3/4" drill bit.
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With many years in the tool and die trade holes, threads tapped and turned and the like were some what my specialty...

I found to use a 3/4 " drill for the holes in the tabs.. Bolt a bushing between the tabs tight then tack in place and weld with the bushing in place.. When hand cool, all would come apart and a pin would go nicely.. It doesn't take much use for the holes to accept a pin freely..
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The Garden Line implements are nice, but like so many other manufacturers they do not ship to Canada, or have outlets here.. DIY is the best alternative many times..