Cultivators

A cultivator is one of the basic gardening tools. One sense of the term refers to the shanks or teeth that pierce the soil as they are dragged through it. In the other sense, it refers to the machines that use rotary motions of disks or teeth to obtain the same results.

In other terms, cultivators are named for gardening machines that look like chisel ploughs, but they are meant to do different jobs. The teeth on a cultivator work near the surface and are most commonly used for weed control. At the same time, a chisel ploughs shank works more in-depth in the soil surface and breaks up the hardpans. As a result cultivating takes lesser power per shank than does chisel ploughing.  Generally, small size cultivators are used for small scale gardening and often come with the same size rotary tillers.

Types of cultivators available in market

When it comes to gardening, both tillers and cultivators work side by side. A modern hand cultivator with a tiller is all you need to turn the soil upside down and make it entirely ready for plantation. Whether starting a brand new garden from scratch or merely tilling an existing one, a garden cultivator can get the job done in a matter of minutes. They can make it easier to remove all unwanted roots or mix in fertilizers or composts. There are different types of cultivators you can buy from the market to do the job.

Trailed cultivators

These types consist of the mainframe that carries several cross members to which the metallic tines are fixed. There is a hitching arrangement on the forward end of the cultivator. A pair of wheels is built-in that drift at the same time to offer constant movement. Here you can adjust the height of the hitch so that the mainframe remains horizontal over the range of depth settings. Also, the tines in each row are spaced wide enough to allow free passage of the soil and trash around them. These tines are settled in a staggered format that allows the user to cover a wide area nicely.

Spring-loaded tines cultivators

Here a tine is hinged with the frame and loaded with a spring so that it swings back when there is any obstruction. Also, every single tine is provided with two heavy coil springs that are pre-tensioned to ensure minimum movement except when there is any obstacle in its way. The spring operates when the points strike roots and large stones by allowing the tines to ride over the obstruction. While passing over the obstruction these times automatically reset so that the work continues without any interruption. These types of cultivators are recommended explicitly for soils that are embedded with stumps and stones. They also come with a pair of gauge wheels to control the machine during operations.

Cultivators with rigid tines

Here cultivators have special tines that do not deflect during the work in fields. These tines are also bolted between angled braces, fastened to the main bars with sturdy bolts and clamps. The spacing of tines can be changed by merely slackening the bolts or sliding the braces to required positions. As the rigid tines are mounted in the front, and the rear bars, the spacing between them can easily be adjusted without getting them chocked with stubbles of previous crop and weed growth. Once again you will see a pair of the gauge wheel for controlling the operational depth.

Duck foot cultivators

They stand among the type of rigid cultivators that are used for shallow ploughing. They are also ideal for weed destruction and retention of moisture in the soil. These types consist of a steel frame with rigid tines. Sweeps are attached to the tines. An implement is attached to the tractor with a three-point hitch system. A specialized hydraulic system controls it. Here the sweepers are fabricated from high-quality carbon steel, and the number of sweeps can be adjusted according to the requirements.