Home Made Cultipacker?

[Ultradog MN]

Anybody here ever build their own cultipacker?
I'd like to have one for deer plots but the darned things are so expensive.
I know where there's a good used piece of 12" corrigated culvert - about 7' for $50.
Pipe axle through the middle. Fill it with concrete.
Crude but cheap.
Would it be effective?
Thanks for any ideas.
 

[paul]

Culti packers have loose wheels.

You are building more of a land leveler.

Not a huge difference, but some. The loose wheels will pack seed in better, while a single roller will smooth the soil more, mashing high points.

Auction I was at, there was a home made one. Was a couple dozen old horse drawn sickle mower steel wheela on a shaft with a hitch. I think it even had 2 wings, it was very well made actually. They had a devil of a time loading it, was too heavy for the loader at the auction. Pretty neat, I would have taken a photo if I had a camera. I wonder how he accumulated all those mower wheels.

Your deal should work. Might want to figure out the weight you end up with first, so you don't get any suurprises....

--->Paul
 

[Ultradog MN]

Thanks Paul,
5.5 cubic feet X 150 lbs/cu' = about 825 lbs. plus or minus.
That part is doable.
 

[JMS/.MN]

I've heard of that being done. Some claim it necessary to use a split pipe- otherwise it breaks. I don't understand that- maybe they were talking about an empty culvert. It would certainly break up clods and pack nicely. I made a 13 footer out of 20 inch gas pipe, truck tires on the pipe. Welded the ends shut so I can fill with water. Solid 2 5/8 inch dia shafts and pillow blocks I found in a junk yard.
 

[Ultradog MN]

Thanks Jim,
I was thinking concrete would keep the corrigated culvert from denting in.
Concrete weighs about 60% more than water too.
Did you use it as a land roller or to press seed?
 

[maxwell99]

only problem i see with your plan is turning in loose dirt.

the rollers need to be free to turn Independently
or they will slide and push up dirt.

rollers are great tools and grass will come up much better if rolled after sowing.

i payed $60 for this one and did a little work on it, bearings are worn, but its been pulled over many ac.

keep looking for one, there are a number of them setting in fence rows somewhere.

 

[BushogPapa]

You WILL need to think about soil sticking to the roller and it balling-up and/or leaving large chunks here and there...
That is why Cultivators have Loose wheels and are not used on wet ground..
Maybe you could devise a full-length scraper, but it seldom works well on field equipment..
Maybe you would be better-off to think along the lines of a Spike-Toothed Harrow (Spikes not set aggressively ), or a 3-Bar Drag...

Ron..
 

[Ultradog MN]

Sure!
You just HAD to show that picture and mention the bargain price to make me jealous didn't you?
If I could find one like yours I would leave the concrete and culverts for the highway department.
Nice score.
 

[Fudpucker]

I saw one a few weeks ago that was made out of old car rims. It had a railroad tie on top of it for weight. I didn't pay much attention to it and don't know how good it would work, but it looked like it would probably be ok and cheap too!