bellevillerod 834 #1 Posted December 7, 2018 So I have been wanting one for my smaller garden tractors for some time. I have been looking in all the usual places for a good deal. Seems all that I can find must be made out of some kind of excotic materials. Because they are asking what I think is way too much money for them. The fact is I'm on a limited (tractor) budget by SWMBO...lol. So I have more time than cash, and enjoy the build process. What do you guys think? I made it out of 1/2 x 2 in spring steel. Zinc coated grade 8 nut an bolts 7/8 rod an some thick walled tubing. 2 11 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Razorback 1,035 #2 Posted December 7, 2018 That’ll sure work! Good job! Will it actually get used in the garden? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bellevillerod 834 #3 Posted December 7, 2018 Sure will, I'm making a set of Hoe style heads that will bolt on instead of the tine tips. Thinking that they will work to chop off the weeds without digging into the soil. Making the garden work fun ...might get the kid's working in it lol. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Razorback 1,035 #4 Posted December 7, 2018 2 minutes ago, bellevillerod said: Sure will, I'm making a set of Hoe style heads that will bolt on instead of the tine tips. Thinking that they will work to chop off the weeds without digging into the soil. Making the garden work fun ...might get the kid's working in it lol. I have a hand tool for shaving off weeds like that.... it has a hoop of steel, sharpened somewhat, that is attached to a handle like a hoe head. Works really good, but I saw a tool once that a guy attached to a tool bar like yours that was like a big draw knife that he would pull along, just under the surface of the dirt. Made short work of weeding between rows. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bellevillerod 834 #5 Posted December 7, 2018 1 minute ago, Razorback said: I have a hand tool for shaving off weeds like that.... it has a hoop of steel, sharpened somewhat, that is attached to a handle like a hoe head. Works really good, but I saw a tool once that a guy attached to a tool bar like yours that was like a big draw knife that he would pull along, just under the surface of the dirt. Made short work of weeding between rows. That's along the line I was thinking, I made it up to accept a standard style of bolt on tool. That way whatever I can dream up I can just switch out the tooling. I plant large groups of sunflowers for critter feed over the winters. Anything that will make the process easier I all for. My wife will feed anything that can make it to our place..... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 9,690 #6 Posted December 7, 2018 @bellevillerod is your tractor set up to lift the front dozer blade (center lift) seperate from the cultivator (rear lift) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bellevillerod 834 #7 Posted December 7, 2018 20 minutes ago, oliver2-44 said: @bellevillerod is your tractor set up to lift the front dozer blade (center lift) seperate from the cultivator (rear lift) No its not..lol I had just finished building the cultivator and wanted to see how it looked on tractor. It came off after the photo opp, and got hung on the wall waiting for summer. I had to guess on the bend on the cultivator arm. So from pics I had found I put mine in. looks like it will work, time will tell though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steelman 251 #8 Posted December 7, 2018 I think it looks great! I've been looking for one too and just can't seem to find one. Maybe you can make a few of them and offer them for sale to the members 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bellevillerod 834 #9 Posted December 7, 2018 59 minutes ago, steelman said: I think it looks great! I've been looking for one too and just can't seem to find one. Maybe you can make a few of them and offer them for sale to the members That would be great....but the weight of this thing, shipping would be a killer. Maybe just build a few an bring to the big show. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mows4three 826 #10 Posted December 8, 2018 That's a sweet build. Nice clean work and wonderful choice of paint color...! I think you've got the geometry and spacing correct but you can only be sure by powering up your tractor and dropping that cultivator it in the ground. Of course you've got to provide pictures! You are right about one thing, the Brinkley cultivators I have been seeing advertised for sale this past year must be made of titaniumchromemolycarbide or some other super alloy because they sure are expensive. Even the ones with bent, missing or rusted off shanks command top dollar. The Brinly cultivator design I've seen has a V shaped tool bar with the teeth engaging the ground in a like same manner. I wonder if this has anything to do with reducing the frictional drag of all the tool shanks engaging the ground at the same time so the tractor pulling the tool can maintain traction or if it is meant to allow the tractor to pull the tool through the ground in a straight path? Any thoughts on this? Cheers! Dave 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bellevillerod 834 #11 Posted December 8, 2018 That's a good question, better left to someone with more knowledge than I. I was wanting to try one out and to build something that would help with the weeds between rows. Growing up my Dad was deep into the Organic Gardening in the late 60's. He was against using chemicals to kill weeds, bugs whatever. I have come to believe that you become your parents when you get older. I too now don't want to use the toxic stuff on the food that I grow for my family. I hope to improve on the design to introduce hoe style head's / knife blade / hoops something that will cut weeds without digging in to deep. I will keep up with the updates and I am open to suggestions. The bars on mine can be positioned to any spacing I want. As well as up or down by 9 inches independent of the lift mechanism. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mows4three 826 #12 Posted December 8, 2018 That's a cool old Wilton Bullet vise you've got in that photo. Dave 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bellevillerod 834 #13 Posted December 8, 2018 4 minutes ago, Mows4three said: That's a cool old Wilton Bullet vise you've got in that photo. Dave Ya those are tough as nails, it will be here long after I am. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mows4three 826 #14 Posted December 8, 2018 I am currently building a "guttering" tool that mounts via a three point hitch to a White GT 1855. We've had so much rain this year (27" ahead of normal) that we have standing water in our orchard and its inundated our French drain at the house. I've come up with a plan to use a 16" cut off section of a 1/4" thick back blade as a spade to lift the sod and cut a channel that the water can follow to remove it from the orchard and from above our house. Like you, the proof of concept will come when it hits dirt...! Good luck on your build and keep posting so we know how it turned out. Cheers! Dave 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TravelinJavelin 620 #15 Posted December 8, 2018 very nice !! you would never know it was home made it looks like something wheel horse would have built from factory of years ago would like to have one for my 953 myself ......again very nice build! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bellevillerod 834 #16 Posted December 8, 2018 46 minutes ago, TravelinJavelin said: very nice !! you would never know it was home made it looks like something wheel horse would have built from factory of years ago would like to have one for my 953 myself ......again very nice build! Thank you, that was what I was wanting to do. Those guys started the company in a garage using common materials and parts. I wanted it to look as though it was built in 63. I'm looking for a source of square headed bolts to replace the hex heads I used. With those an a couple of well placed stickers it should look like it belongs back their. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bellevillerod 834 #17 Posted December 8, 2018 2 hours ago, Mows4three said: I am currently building a "guttering" tool that mounts via a three point hitch to a White GT 1855. We've had so much rain this year (27" ahead of normal) that we have standing water in our orchard and its inundated our French drain at the house. I've come up with a plan to use a 16" cut off section of a 1/4" thick back blade as a spade to lift the sod and cut a channel that the water can follow to remove it from the orchard and from above our house. Like you, the proof of concept will come when it hits dirt...! Good luck on your build and keep posting so we know how it turned out. Cheers! Dave I would like to see what you come up with. We too have standing water from all the rain we had. Now it's ice but come spring we will have standing water around 60% of our home. I was going to try a french drain but your idea sounds as though it would work and cost less. Keep us posted to your progress. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tractor#404 16 #18 Posted December 8, 2018 That is amazing work, you sir are very talented. Nice to see quality work especially in today’s world. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
