What is this thing called?

[crmorse]

Does anybody know what this thing is called? More importantly, how to use it?

I was buying a really nice disc harrow from a man on CraigsList yesterday and he had this thing sitting there also for sale. He said it was absolutely the best thing out there for ripping roots up out of new ground. He offered me a good price on it and it looks super well built so I took it off of him.

I asked him what it was called but he didn't know. He acquired it the same way I just did Used it several years on food plots he was putting in and now doesn't need it anymore.

Anyway, I'm wanting to learn about it so I can figure out how to use it best. I thought it would be better to spread the "tines" out all the way but he said it works best just like he has it now (as pictured).

It's shaped like a landscape rake but it's MUCH heavier duty. The round tines are about 2.5" across and 3/4-1" thick.

 

[Ramos]

Looks like a home-made frame with cultivator shanks and points added. I would say it is a one off created just for what you are planning to do. What's it called? Anything you like. How about Food Plot Prepper Attachment...

 

[crmorse]

I was thinking it must be custom too... I can't find anything like it on the internet. Can't wait to try it out..... right after *monsoon* season ends down here in AL. Last year was a dust bowl drought and this year nearly every field could be converted to rice patties!

 

[85Hokie]

It does look like a cultivator or perhaps a fancy root/rock rake. Seems to be adjustable in width and spacing too.

 

[tlefire]

Looks like a Tim Taylor york rake

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

That is a spring tooth cutivator.
The teeth can be moved and removed and set for rows of crops.

 

[crmorse]

Wolfman,

Thanks for that info! Is it still called the same thing when it's super sized like this? I have a "normal" spring cultivator and it's like HO-scale railroad compared to this thing. Each tine is almost the width and thickness of a box blade scarifier?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Yep still a spring tooth!
They also sell wide blades (duck foot blades) for it too, I have a set for mine.

 

[Ramos]

If the shanks were heavier, it would be a mini chisel plow.

I bet the builder of the frame would have enjoyed a welder. Lot of drilling to bolt everything together!

 

[bucktail]

Yep still a spring tooth!
They also sell wide blades (duck foot blades) for it too, I have a set for mine.

As close as the shanks are together, I'm not sure shovels would fit. In a commercial version, the shanks would be staggered front to back so that they would be spaced out further and not throwing dirt on each other. Have you had a chance to use it yet? Be interesting to know if it gets a wave of dirt built up in front of the points.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

As close as the shanks are together, I'm not sure shovels would fit.

If you read my other comment, the teeth are repositionable and removeable, which would allow it to be set to different widths for different crops.

In a commercial version, the shanks would be staggered front to back so that they would be spaced out further and not throwing dirt on each other.

I thing you might be able to move the shanks to the front rail of that unit also to make it a staggered unit too.

 

[crmorse]

If the shanks were heavier, it would be a mini chisel plow.

I need to post better pictures. This thing is much heavier than my 7-shank chisel plow. I don't have a way to weigh it, but it actually gave the seller's tractor more trouble than the 6' 16x20" disc harrow did. It's a heavy duty beast!

As close as the shanks are together, ... Have you had a chance to use it yet? Be interesting to know if it gets a wave of dirt built up in front of the points.

I have not. Apparently, Alabama now has a monsoon season. 1/4" or more of rain every day for weeks now.

But as soon as it dries out enough, I will try it. Do I want a wave of dirt built up? I'd think not.... but my goal for this piece is to rip up the roots and pull up the bigger rocks that will wreck my tiller.

I'll definitely post pics & video whenever I finally get out there.

I thing you might be able to move the shanks to the front rail of that unit also to make it a staggered unit too.

Good call, Wolfman! I didn't even notice that. But yes, they can. And they can be slid forward and back within the mounting piece too making it as infinitely adjustable as the operator has patience.

Gave $250... I'm feeling like I stole it

 

[Kingcreek]

Call it whatever you want but it looks dang handy.
It could be configured for anything from a row cultivator to a root rake or landscape rake. I might even pirate your pics and make one for myself if I can locate some spring tines that mount and move like those.

 

[crmorse]

Ya'll got me all excited to try it out! It's way too muddy and my Kubota still had the BH mounted so I hitched her up to the old Ford. She did alright.

So yeah... it's too wet out so it clogged up easily, but you can see it working here pretty well. I think I'll end up having to break up the soil first with the disc harrow but this seems like it should get the rocks out great.

https://vimeo.com/229023204

 

[sheepfarmer]

Cool! And let's hear it for the Ford 8n!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

If you lengthen your top link it will dig deeper.

 

[crmorse]

If you lengthen your top link it will dig deeper.

I was about to try that but the rain chased me off. Got another 1.2" yesterday!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I was about to try that but the rain chased me off. Got another 1.2" yesterday!

Lucky you!
We haven't seen rain in way too long!
Hopefully next week!

 

[crmorse]

Just to close out this thread with my results.

The super duty spring tooth cultivator never turned out to work too well for this particular job due to a number of reasons.

1. I never could get my top-link long enough.
2. the heavy clay I have packed up and clogged up the tines within a few feet limiting it's ability to dig deeper
3. some of the bolts to adjust the tine spacing are very rounded off and all are securely painted into place so repositioning was going to be far more work than I cared for
4. my new spring plow turned out to be perfect for the job so I stopped trying

That said, the beast was really awesome at turning over just the top layer of dirt. I think it's going to be fantastic for maintaining fields after they're established.