Comparison plows vs cultivators

[zevo5]

whats the difference between a plow and a cultivator witch is better witch is more productive whats the pros and cons of both

 

[bcp]

Welcome to TBN.

A plow turns over the top layer of soil, burying what is on top.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40jT4MEPh6g



A cultivator gets rid of weeds in the crop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzVy9NEaXlU


Different equipment for different jobs.

Which is better, a screwdriver or a wrench?

Bruce

 

[jeff9366]

Plows are for opening ground, also known as sodbusting. Plows cut through the sod and invert the sod so the sod roots are up, hopefully killing the sod and sod root structure. There are two types of sod busting plows: Moldboard Plow and Disc Plow. (Disc Plow is NOT a Disc Harrow.) Plowing is the first step in preparing virgin land for agricultural use.

Cons: With the increase in no-till agricultural practices, using Roundup herbicide or equivalent, plows are mostly used just for opening ground, then they sit. It is getting difficult to find replacement wear parts for old plows. Learning to adjust a plow to invert ground correctly takes quite a few hours of experience and experimentation. After plowing the field has deep furrows in it, which require smoothing. Generally, a Disc Harrow is preferred to smooth furrows and mix the furrow soil after inverted sod has decomposed.

Cultivator tines pass through the earth in a mostly horizontal orientation. Cultivator tines will not penetrate unplowed ground. Tines are adjustable in spread, so tines can pass on either side of a crop row, pulling weeds, until the crop grows as tall as the tractors ground clearance. Cultivators weigh considerably less than plows. Using a cultivator requires very little skill. There are many different cultivator designs.

Photos #!,#2,#3 Kubota L3560. Photo #4 Kubota BX2230 cultivating blueberry rows.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

These videos should give you a pretty good understanding as well: Tractor and Skid Steer Attachment Videos

 

[newbury]

whats the difference between a plow and a cultivator witch is better witch is more productive whats the pros and cons of both

Is your question purely for enlightenment or do you have ground to plant?
If so how much, what type soil(s)
What are you moving it with?
And if you are looking to buy equipment what is your budget?

Some places require a deep plow and then discing (sp?), many places may be better served by a rototiller.

 

[Egon]

Cultivators can be used on sod. Different shovels.

 

[flusher]

If you have thin topsoil (3-5" thick) use an offset disc harrow. YOu don't want to use a moldboard plow since this will just bury the good soil and expose the inferior soil (generally clay).

If the topsoil is 8" or more, you could use a moldboard plow on virgin soil. Otherwise use the offset harrow.

Good luck

 

[Texasmark]

Around here the disc harrow is the prime plow for seasonal usage. Reason is a custom service unit can come in from the highway with a batwing "plow" and mess everything up real good and leave in short order. Later they come back with a "cultivator" with sweeps of varying widths and usually 3 rows of spring fingers at the tail. Sometimes they apply the liquid nourishment in the same pass and other times they may plant too, or plant and fertilize, or "pre emerge control" simultaneously.

Soil here is Houston Black Clay and is hard as a rock, or gummy. Moldboard plows are not common for that reason.

 

[kevin37b]

A moldboard plow cuts and inverts the soil as in furrows , This is primary tillage , be it farming , food plots , gardening . There are row crop cultivators as bcp showed . Then there are FIELD cultivators with 4 / 5 bars of sweeps or shovels spaced so they work the ground the entire width of the cult . With a good harrow the F/C does a much better job than a disc . Understand this is secondary tillage before planting . Leaves the ground smooth, level good seed bed . Keep in mind a F/C SHOULD ONLY BE RUN 4" DEEP max . Hope to help . BTW . no mud ,will not work .

 

[sweettractors]

We use the "Field Cultivator" quite a lot in preparing a seedbed for gardens and wildlife foodplots. The first pass is usually 4-5 inches and the second pass, we cross plow at a depth of 6-8 inches (depending on soil conditions). I like them because the shanks are spring loaded and when they hit a rock or root, the shank can hinge back, ride over the obstacle and then automatically go back to the home position. Below is a link to the Dirt Dog brand 9 shank Field Cultivator.
New Dirt Dog 9 SK All Purpose Plow Tiller Ripper We Can SHIP Cheap | eBay

 

[chuck172]

Are the very old (antique) Ferguson cultivators useful any more? Or just lawn ornaments?

 

[jeff9366]

Ferguson used top quality materials and field tested his implements exhaustively. If you can find a Ferguson implement in good condition after all these years, grab it.

The Field Cultivator referenced by Ken Sweet in Post #9 is a copy of the original Ferguson implement, which Ferguson called a "tiller" and Ford/Dearborn called a "Field Cultivator". Designed and first built by Ferguson about 1934.

Ferguson CULTIVATORS are a bit different; see photo.

Ken Sweet occasionally offers original, old, Ferguson Cultivators.

 

[zevo5]

thank you all Im just writing a speech for my ag class

 

[jeff9366]

Education is important. Write a GOOD speech.

jeff9366

 

[Texasmark]

Are the very old (antique) Ferguson cultivators useful any more? Or just lawn ornaments?

I have a 6' HD disc harrow of theirs that I use for a plow as everyone else around here does. Guy that had it wanted to sell his MF 135 (I think it was) too but I already had 7 tractors and didn't need his, one of which was a Perkie dieseled MF 35....sweet little machine.

 

[sweettractors]

Are the very old (antique) Ferguson cultivators useful any more? Or just lawn ornaments?

If the user does not have access to a roto tiller, a cultivator/tiller will prepare a seedbed. I have used them to deep till a tobacco patch after moldboard plowing. Ken Sweet

 

[Deerherd]

Most everyone I know uses chisel plows and they haven't even been mentioned in this thread. They do a much better job of fracturing the soil to stimulate root growth with less chance of erosion.

 

[sweettractors]

Most everyone I know uses chisel plows and they haven't even been mentioned in this thread. They do a much better job of fracturing the soil to stimulate root growth with less chance of erosion.

You are correct, However, they do require a little more hp. We guesstimate around 15 hp per shank, depending on the soil type and how deep you need to go. Ken Sweet
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/U1oAAOxyLN9SkONu/s-l1600.jpg

 

[sweettractors]

Most everyone I know uses chisel plows and they haven't even been mentioned in this thread. They do a much better job of fracturing the soil to stimulate root growth with less chance of erosion.

You are correct, However, they do require a little more hp. We guesstimate around 15 hp per shank, depending on the soil type and how deep you need to go. Ken Sweet
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/U1oAAOxyLN9SkONu/s-l1600.jpg

 

[Texasmark]

Most everyone I know uses chisel plows and they haven't even been mentioned in this thread. They do a much better job of fracturing the soil to stimulate root growth with less chance of erosion.

I bought a Hay King Renovator several years ago that works great on the subjects mentioned. It does a great job of opening the Houston Black Clay here and slicing through the Coastal Bermuda shoots which causes each piece of runner to produce a new plant. The other thing it does is produce cracks where the coulters and shanks run which open up during the dry seasons but bring fresh nutrients and moisture to the sub soil when it rains in the fall. Also they produce a uniform grouping of small cracks rather than random large cracks, some large enough to get your foot and part of your leg caught in one.