Homemade Cultipacker

[gbaker5312]

On 5 acre plots the 6 inch plastic should hold up for a while.

On 40 acre fields it would be interesting how long it would last, and what then would the concrete remain ribbed and function for a good while before chipping up.

I’m assuming it’s single wall culvert, would be interesting if it’s dual wall. That night crush in the ribs quicker if it’s dual wall.

Hope he vibrated it well to fill in the ribs assuming single wall.

Paul

My 2 plots that I currently have are at best about an acre, total! I do plan to expand and get up to 2-3 acres. As for the drain pipe, it is single wall, had seen a double wall pipe and it ended up being a really bad idea because it got beat up badly. I am hoping that with the mesh and rebar in it, it will hold up better but only time will tell, I am sure it will break up some! I did vibrate it the best I could by hand and using a small rod to push in to it as I poured the concrete. I also used a rubber hammer and beat the sides of the pipe and did notice that the concrete was settling as I did. I have let it cure a few days and it seems to have cured good so far. I had to order a couple of parts and most will be in on Friday. Did do a few modifications to my plans and will get them posted. I have changed how I am planning to mount the wheels on the wheel and cultipacker assembly. I have been trying to use materials that are easy to find and reasonably priced. Now, my thinking was to use a 3/4” x 8” black iron pipe as the axle. The golf cart hubs came in and the bearings were to small for the 3/4” pipe to go through so I have ordered some that I cross referenced, that will fit the races in the hubs and will fit the 3/4” pipe. As you can see by my drawing, what I envision is, using a pipe nut and a clamp collar to secure the pipe to the assembly, then install the hub to the pipe axle using some washers and pipe nuts. Now, I did find some golf cart axles, that were made for the very old three wheel golf carts, just in case my pipe axles don’t work! They are 12.5” long and I will have to cut them down and then rethread the cut ends, I don’t have them yet so I don’t know exactly what I will do, if I cut them in half. I would have 6.25” to work with and my pipe axles are 8”. I did order 2 of them, in case I decided to go with 8” sections. I appreciate the suggestions I am receiving, they make me look deeper than what I may have thought!

 

[paul]

I’ve seen a reciprocating saw without a blade make a good vibration tool to get cement out into the ribs or such.

Paul

 

[gbaker5312]

Great idea, I will definitely remember that one for any future projects.

 

[gbaker5312]

Sorry, still makes no sense.

I have to say that I try to keep it simple but I also try to do things that I believe will make my projects better.
Now for the drain pipe! The drain pipe has to be heavy enough to do the job that I intend it to do, press the seeds I have broadcast at the food plot.
It must be capable of being towed to the plots and I
decided that it must have wheels for towing and have the ability to when you are at the plot be able to quickly move from being towed to having the cultipacker do it’s job. So to achieve these objectives, I took the two drain caps and made them to be the ends for the cultipacker drain pipes,
because they have PVC joints at the end of them,
I felt the best way to keep them in place, would be to cut a section of 3” pipe, that is exactly the correct length to hold the caps in place when glued together and they would help maintain the PVC centered in the drain pipe. This also made a channel that would allow for the axle shaft to rotate freely without any interference from the concrete. So I hope that this helps clarify why I used the 3” PVC pipe and the
Two fold prepose.
If you look at my pictures, you can see that the tongue has been designed to be used to tow and after you arrive, you disconnect it, flip it over and reconnect it to the tractor, or ATV or whatever you have to tow it with. Then use the cultipacker as intended. The part that was the hardest part was to get the drain pipe so it would be not only straight but also let me fix one end, standing it up right, keeping it straight, while supporting it vertically so I could fill it with the concrete and then glue the pipe end cap in place, as I indicated above. It was pretty easy to get it strapped to the pole, fill it and put the drain cover on the top. I put the picture of it on the pole and also an example of the floor drains. Hope this helps!

 

[gbaker5312]

I finished my mower project today and posted it.
Now it’s time to get the cultipacker wrapped up so I can get my summer food plots ready and plant some seeds. I did work on it some last evening and I realized that I needed to do two things. One is to put some spacers under the drain pipe mounted bearing blocks, the cultipacker is running properly but I don’t think it’s in contact with the ground enough. I think it needs to be installed so that it has sufficient contact with the ground to make a sufficient impact on the surface to push the seeds into the soil so they can absorb moisture and germinate properly without much failure of the seeds. I am hoping that by adding spacers will give me the contact that I need. Next issue is when I try to flip the tongue over from the towing wheels to the cultipacker pipe, I have a little bit of trouble getting it flipped over, it is very heavy and it has wheels that want to roll around as I try to flip it and then to flip it back over I have the cultipacker, which is round, well you know what, it wants to roll around too! I am considering, a plan to make some kind of wheel chocks but also some kind of similar thing for the cultipacker! I would like the additional chocks to be something that is attached to the cultipacker permanently so I can use them then fold them up out of the way! Any suggestions or ideas are welcome. I am posting some pictures.

 

[Newgenerationdeere]

I finished my mower project today and posted it.
Now it’s time to get the cultipacker wrapped up so I can get my summer food plots ready and plant some seeds. I did work on it some last evening and I realized that I needed to do two things. One is to put some spacers under the drain pipe mounted bearing blocks, the cultipacker is running properly but I don’t think it’s in contact with the ground enough. I think it needs to be installed so that it has sufficient contact with the ground to make a sufficient impact on the surface to push the seeds into the soil so they can absorb moisture and germinate properly without much failure of the seeds. I am hoping that by adding spacers will give me the contact that I need. Next issue is when I try to flip the tongue over from the towing wheels to the cultipacker pipe, I have a little bit of trouble getting it flipped over, it is very heavy and it has wheels that want to roll around as I try to flip it and then to flip it back over I have the cultipacker, which is round, well you know what, it wants to roll around too! I am considering, a plan to make some kind of wheel chocks but also some kind of similar thing for the cultipacker! I would like the additional chocks to be something that is attached to the cultipacker permanently so I can use them then fold them up out of the way! Any suggestions or ideas are welcome. I am posting some pictures.

I think it will work fine for what you are doing . I don’t know how long the plastic might hold up time will tell .

 

[gbaker5312]

I think it will work fine for what you are doing . I don’t know how long the plastic might hold up time will tell .

I am 72 and I believe that I have over 10 years of hunting to do before I get, well old enough to Stop!
So if it makes it for 10 years then I guess I can say it was a great idea but only time will tell!

I worked a while on the cultipacker project and I believe I have figured out how to make the flipping over and bit more seem less or easier, when I would try to flip it over, it would basically twist a good bit and make the flip very hard to get completely done without causing it to try to bind up and I worried that over time, it might cause damage to the bearings and other components. I have made a modification to one of my drawings, showing the addition to the cultipacker of the cross member for stability and support braces. I should have it installed tomorrow. I will post a picture with it.

 

[Newgenerationdeere]

I am 72 and I believe that I have over 10 years of hunting to do before I get, well old enough to Stop!
So if it makes it for 10 years then I guess I can say it was a great idea but only time will tell!

I worked a while on the cultipacker project and I believe I have figured out how to make the flipping over and bit more seem less or easier, when I would try to flip it over, it would basically twist a good bit and make the flip very hard to get completely done without causing it to try to bind up and I worried that over time, it might cause damage to the bearings and other components. I have made a modification to one of my drawings, showing the addition to the cultipacker of the cross member for stability and support braces. I should have it installed tomorrow. I will post a picture with it.

I think it

I am 72 and I believe that I have over 10 years of hunting to do before I get, well old enough to Stop!
So if it makes it for 10 years then I guess I can say it was a great idea but only time will tell!

I worked a while on the cultipacker project and I believe I have figured out how to make the flipping over and bit more seem less or easier, when I would try to flip it over, it would basically twist a good bit and make the flip very hard to get completely done without causing it to try to bind up and I worried that over time, it might cause damage to the bearings and other components. I have made a modification to one of my drawings, showing the addition to the cultipacker of the cross member for stability and support braces. I should have it installed tomorrow. I will post a picture with it.

Looks good to me . Maybe make or buy some wheel chocks ? Tractor supply has one that looks pretty much like what you have except it might have steel rollers

 

[gbaker5312]

I did some work on the cultipacker today! I was able to put the cross brace with brackets, I thought that would work better to get it from towing wheels to the cultipacker but it doesn’t seem to be working as I thought it would. So I’m going to have to do a little more work on it tomorrow. I will post pictures of what I do end up with!

I think it


Looks good to me . Maybe make or buy some wheel chocks ? Tractor supply has one that looks pretty much like what you have except it might have steel rollers

Yes, I sure would like to have one with the steel wheels, but the price of those wheels are very pricey! I have thought about doing the wheel chocks, I do have a couple which I can use. I am having new windows installed on my house today so I am going to have to try later today and see if they would work, if so, I’ll have to get another set of them and make a holder for them to hang on the cultipacker.

 

[gbaker5312]

I have been trying to see how the cultipacker would react when I try moving from tow mode to packer mode then back. Well, that’s not going to work either! So I decided to do a modification. What I planned is to make the tongue stationary and not pivot, up and down at the tow bar connection and the wheel assemblies on both sides. I drew a diagram of what I think will work best for my project.

 

[paul]

With the rigid hitch you can leverage it over 180 degrees much more easily. I would guess.

Paul

 

[Ultradog MN]

I’ve seen a reciprocating saw without a blade make a good vibration tool to get cement out into the ribs or such.

Paul

A hammer drill might work as good or better.
Use a blunt rod in it or maybe a junk intake/exhaust valve from an engine. Won't poke holes.

 

[gbaker5312]

Well, I have been thinking about my cultipacker design and I am starting to think about the future functionality with the plastic drain pipe! So I have been considering the possibility of using golf cart rims, they are very easy to find around my area. I am thinking about buying 7 of them, they are 8” wide outside of rim to rim. That would make it about the same size as my plastic drain pipe and I can use the rest of the frame work which I have currently made.
Basically, my plan is to weld the rims together, before I do that, I think I will cut some of the metal between the 4 holes out so when I put the concrete in the stack of rims, it will go through to the bottom rim and fill all the voids. I plan to attach to the 2 outside rims, a set of go kart hubs that I can get from Walmart.com for about $36. Put a 3/4” axle through the stack from end to end and then fill with concrete.
I believe this design will work well for a couple of reasons, it will be metal, so not worried about breaking, it will be similar to how the metal cultipackers are made.
It should do the job I intend it to do and press the seeds into the soil, for better germination. The rims seem to be very shallow and have a fairly large flat surface inside the rim and the rim of the rims are not very deep so it shouldn’t cause much issue with the seeds being scattered around as I use it after seeding the ground of my food plots. I have contacted a local golf cart company to get the rims, hopefully mid week next week, I should get them, I have to get my welder hooked up in the shop. So maybe by end of next week, I can get it put together. I have been doing everything so far without having to weld but I think it’s time to get the welder working. Been about two years since I’ve done any welding but I’m sure I’ll have some getting back in the groove with the welding process! So until then I’ll give it a break from messaging!

 

[Fritz Maurer]

I hope you didn't pay much for those rims, go to the service department of any golf course, there'll be a dozen of them in the scrap pile.

It is cheaper, in some cases to buy a tire/rim assembly. The E-Z GO and the Club Car all take the same 4 hole pattern, that hasn't changed since the days of the Harley-Davidson 3 wheeler. It is cheaper, time wise, to keep a supply of ready-to-go assemblies on hand.

Additionally, I wouldn't weld them all together. Make individual cement-filled assemblies until you get the width you want. The pulverizing action will be closer to the operation of a full sized packer, and less prone to collecting dirt.

 

[gbaker5312]

I hope you didn't pay much for those rims, go to the service department of any golf course, there'll be a dozen of them in the scrap pile.

It is cheaper, in some cases to buy a tire/rim assembly. The E-Z GO and the Club Car all take the same 4 hole pattern, that hasn't changed since the days of the Harley-Davidson 3 wheeler. It is cheaper, time wise, to keep a supply of ready-to-go assemblies on hand.

Additionally, I wouldn't weld them all together. Make individual cement-filled assemblies until you get the width you want. The pulverizing action will be closer to the operation of a full sized packer, and less prone to collecting dirt.

I am in the planning stage for this new cultipacker project. So any ideas or suggestions would be welcome and appreciated. I have called around to several shops and they all want to sell them. I have found some for $10 each with the tires on them. I am considering buying them and using them with the tires. I have also considered filling them with washer fluid for the weight, that is how some people do tractor tires for weight. Have never done that before but I read about it and does not seem to hard to do. At about 8” wide, I think I can do it with 7 rims.
If I leave the tire on the rim, I am thinking about how to connect 7 rims with tires together? I have thought about taking all thread and running 4 pieces of it through the 4 holes of each wheel, the last rim would have to be connected to the hub, so to do that, take a threaded metal connecting coupler, screw it on the all thread and then screw it onto the hub studs after you attach the hub to the last rim, as you install each rim to the all thread you put a nut and lock washer or lock nuts on each all thread and secure it tightly and continue that process until you have all the rims connected together. I also believe that the assembly, would probably be much less likely to come apart because of the flexing of the rims if I can run a metal pipe or rod through the center of the rim assembly and secure it tightly enough to maintain a rigid assembly without any flexing! Just as extra precaution to keep it together. As a result, you can install the rims as an assembly to your cultipacker frame and tongue using a set of mounting pillow blocks with bearings that are the same size as your center pipe or rod you have put through the assembly to prevent flexing issues. I know I have always tried to use stuff that I have collected but I don’t have much of this stuff to use so I’m going to try to get it done using easily obtained materials that are reasonably priced. So if you may have some suggestions to share with us please feel free to share! I have posted a drawing of my ideas on this new cultipacker project!

 

[a49deere]

I am in the planning stage for this new cultipacker project. So any ideas or suggestions would be welcome and appreciated. I have called around to several shops and they all want to sell them. I have found some for $10 each with the tires on them. I am considering buying them and using them with the tires. I have also considered filling them with washer fluid for the weight, that is how some people do tractor tires for weight. Have never done that before but I read about it and does not seem to hard to do. At about 8” wide, I think I can do it with 7 rims.
If I leave the tire on the rim, I am thinking about how to connect 7 rims with tires together? I have thought about taking all thread and running 4 pieces of it through the 4 holes of each wheel, the last rim would have to be connected to the hub, so to do that, take a threaded metal connecting coupler, screw it on the all thread and then screw it onto the hub studs after you attach the hub to the last rim, as you install each rim to the all thread you put a nut and lock washer or lock nuts on each all thread and secure it tightly and continue that process until you have all the rims connected together. I also believe that the assembly, would probably be much less likely to come apart because of the flexing of the rims if I can run a metal pipe or rod through the center of the rim assembly and secure it tightly enough to maintain a rigid assembly without any flexing! Just as extra precaution to keep it together. As a result, you can install the rims as an assembly to your cultipacker frame and tongue using a set of mounting pillow blocks with bearings that are the same size as your center pipe or rod you have put through the assembly to prevent flexing issues. I know I have always tried to use stuff that I have collected but I don’t have much of this stuff to use so I’m going to try to get it done using easily obtained materials that are reasonably priced. So if you may have some suggestions to share with us please feel free to share! I have posted a drawing of my ideas on this new cultipacker project!

There isn't anyone around you that has old cultipacker wheels laying around? My thought is your going through all this trouble to build something, in my opinion, that's not going to be heavy enough to do squat! Cultipacker wheels are cast iron, heavy and designed to put the most weight per square inch on the point of wheel. In my opinion, you are going to end up with a homemade lawn roller that you could of probably found at a local yard sale cheaper than what you're going to have into this "cultipacker". Just my 2 cents.

 

[Scott 730]

My thought is your going through all this trouble to build something, in my opinion, that's not going to be heavy enough to do squat! Just my 2 cents.

Yup. Refer to post #11.

 

[a49deere]

Yup. Refer to post #11.

yup, but post #11 refers to a 10' by 6" pipe which is not what OP is trying to build

 

[Scott 730]

yup, but post #11 refers to a 10' by 6" pipe which is not what OP is trying to build

Will the "new" version weigh any more than V1.0?

 

[gbaker5312]

Will the "new" version weigh any more than V1.0?

I had to purchase a 10’ section of the 6” drain pipe and I only used about half of it.