Homemade Cultipacker

[gbaker5312]

I am getting ready to start another project as soon as the Woods mower is done.
Been searching for a reasonable priced one used but they are just too expensive for my budget.
So after doing some searching and researching, I decided to make one. I was able to locate a 10’
Section of 6” corrugated drain pipe for $25. I try to work on planning and purchasing parts and supplies in the evening so I can get stuff done outside during the day! I sat down last night and did a drawing for it and thought I would share it with the forum. So here’s what I am thinking of doing to make it. If anyone has suggestions or ideas that would help me make it better, please feel free to share it with the forum. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
You can also find the wheels on Facebook marketplace and if you have Craigslist in your area, you could probably find them there too. You could also modify the plans and make it a 3 point hitch for the tractor, I have seen a commercially manufactured one that was made for the 3 point hitch but felt that was just more expensive than a towable hitch.

 

[Perdido$]

I am getting ready to start another project as soon as the Woods mower is done.
Been searching for a reasonable priced one used but they are just too expensive for my budget.
So after doing some searching and researching, I decided to make one. I was able to locate a 10’
Section of 6” corrugated drain pipe for $25. I try to work on planning and purchasing parts and supplies in the evening so I can get stuff done outside during the day! I sat down last night and did a drawing for it and thought I would share it with the forum. So here’s what I am thinking of doing to make it. If anyone has suggestions or ideas that would help me make it better, please feel free to share it with the forum. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
You can also find the wheels on Facebook marketplace and if you have Craigslist in your area, you could probably find them there too. You could also modify the plans and make it a 3 point hitch for the tractor, I have seen a commercially manufactured one that was made for the 3 point hitch but felt that was just more expensive than a towable hitch.

Very interesting idea and I assume you pour the concrete vertically. Make sure you vibrate it to remove all the air you can and insert 2 or 3 pieces of rebar.

 

[gbaker5312]

Very interesting idea and I assume you pour the concrete vertically. Make sure you vibrate it to remove all the air you can and insert 2 or 3 pieces of rebar.

Great suggestions had thought about vibrating it but didn’t think about the rebar! I hope to get started soon but need to finish up the mower project and then I have to get all the materials together. Thanks

 

[rrlund]

Our club has one that was donated to us. It's made from a log. They bored a hole all the way through the center of it. I can't imagine how anybody drilled it so long and true. I never have taken a picture of it, but I guess I should.

 

[Scott 730]

What is the intended use for the packer?

 

[hoghollow]

I am getting ready to start another project as soon as the Woods mower is done.
Been searching for a reasonable priced one used but they are just too expensive for my budget.
So after doing some searching and researching, I decided to make one. I was able to locate a 10’
Section of 6” corrugated drain pipe for $25. I try to work on planning and purchasing parts and supplies in the evening so I can get stuff done outside during the day! I sat down last night and did a drawing for it and thought I would share it with the forum. So here’s what I am thinking of doing to make it. If anyone has suggestions or ideas that would help me make it better, please feel free to share it with the forum. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
You can also find the wheels on Facebook marketplace and if you have Craigslist in your area, you could probably find them there too. You could also modify the plans and make it a 3 point hitch for the tractor, I have seen a commercially manufactured one that was made for the 3 point hitch but felt that was just more expensive than a towable hitch.

looks interesting keep us posted May try to make one sometime so would love to see updates Thank You

 

[trackrat]

Built a twelve foot one a couple of years ago, used14 inch steel pipe put wheels on it where you can pull it down the road without it rolling on the pavement hyd cyl to lift it

 

[paul]

I don’t want to be ‘that guy’ and I think you have a good idea there.

You are making a roller, which can work very well.

A cultipacker has slightly loose rings rolling in the dirt, which slightly follow the divots in the ground and will do a bit better job putting seed in the ground.

A solid roller like you are making is better at flattening down high spots and pushing rocks in the ground.

Both can do a bit of the job of the other, but they are slightly different machines.

Paul

 

[Perdido$]

I don’t want to be ‘that guy’ and I think you have a good idea there.

You are making a roller, which can work very well.

A cultipacker has slightly loose rings rolling in the dirt, which slightly follow the divots in the ground and will do a bit better job putting seed in the ground.

A solid roller like you are making is better at flattening down high spots and pushing rocks in the ground.

Both can do a bit of the job of the other, but they are slightly different machines.

Paul

If he used gravel instead of concrete would that follow the ground better?

 

[Brad_G]

If he used gravel instead of concrete would that follow the ground better?

The concrete is ballast to make it heavier. The tube itself isn't flexible and doesn't float in the same way a cultipacker does which is what @paul is pointing out.

 

[Scott 730]

I don’t want to be ‘that guy’ and I think you have a good idea there.

Paul

I'll step up and be that guy. I can't see a 10' long by 6' diameter roller with approximately 300 lbs of concrete in it being very effective at anything unless it is used in well tilled mellow soil. Even then the small diameter may not allow it to rotate. IMO. YMMV.

My 12' Brillion crowfoot packer weighs around 1,000? lbs and I wouldn't want it any lighter than that in order to accomplish anything when hooked in tandem behind a disc or digger.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

I would consider rigging up some kind of scraper teeth. No reason it shouldn't work if the moisture content of the soil correct, but it some conditions it will stick the pipe and eliminate the efficiency of the ridges.

 

[RobCons]

If the soil is the least bit sticky the grooves of the pipe will pack with dirt and turn into a big ball.

 

[gbaker5312]

If the soil is the least bit sticky the grooves of the pipe will pack with dirt and turn into a big ball.

Well, I have read all the comments and I believe most have very good points and advice. The areas where I would use it are plots that I think would benefit from some of the advice, my cultipacker will be five feet long, I have thought about making two rollers since I have 10 foot of drain pipe, but that would make the cost double what I really want to put into it. Putting some “teeth” on it to clean the roller, maybe an additional component, which I will consider if I see that does become an issue later on. My reasoning for it is, when I get ready to plant my plots, I will go to each plot and disc up the plot,
then I will work the plot with a rake to get all the rocks, roots and other debris out, then smooth it out to remove any remaining clumps of dirt, seed the plot and then use the cultipacker to ensure good seed to soil contact, which will help with a greater germination rate than just throwing seeds out and hoping for good germination results.
I will continue to post more on it and after I finish it, put it to the test,
I will post the results and after the seeds grow, I will post those results in pictures. Thanks again for your input.

 

[Perdido$]

If the soil is the least bit sticky the grooves of the pipe will pack with dirt and turn into a big ball.

Sounds like you’re near me.

 

[gbaker5312]

Sounds like you’re near me.

Pollocksville, NC

 

[RobCons]

Sounds like you’re near me.

Alabama clay.

 

[gbaker5312]

I am about 25 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The soil here is what the farmers call sandy loam soil,
it’s great for growing just about anything crop wise, but especially tobacco, soybeans, corn and cotton.
With our long growing seasons most farmers can grow two crops each year. But here lately since the import of cheap wheat and corn from overseas has been flooding the market. The wheat and corn production has been cut back or stopped. The small farmers are just about gone! Hopefully the farmers will be protected from the oversea imports
NOW. If the farmers don’t produce enough WE Will All Be In A Bad Situation when we become dependent on Oversea Imports. We should NEVER let that happen! Hopefully this doesn’t get censored as being political or something!

 

[gbaker5312]

The concrete is ballast to make it heavier. The tube itself isn't flexible and doesn't float in the same way a cultipacker does which is what @paul is pointing out.

I don’t believe that the gravel would be any better than concrete. I think the concrete will not only provide a heavier weight but also make a more solid structure. The gravel would have a tendency to break up over time and may even cause the drain pipe to rupture. To just elaborate further on my filing of the pipe, I plan to also add some wire mesh and rebar. I would cut the mesh into strips, about 4 inches wide and just about the length my drain pipe then wire them together into a square, put 4 pieces of rebar, one at each corner, then cut 2 pieces of mesh to go from corner to corner making an X shaped across to the other corner that will also help with the axle being centered through the pipe.
I have ordered all my parts and they are all set to deliver this week. I will update the parts on the original post so that I keep everything together so if someone is interested they can find parts and information together.

 

[gbaker5312]

I am getting ready to start another project as soon as the Woods mower is done.
Been searching for a reasonable priced one used but they are just too expensive for my budget.
So after doing some searching and researching, I decided to make one. I was able to locate a 10’
Section of 6” corrugated drain pipe for $25. I try to work on planning and purchasing parts and supplies in the evening so I can get stuff done outside during the day! I sat down last night and did a drawing for it and thought I would share it with the forum. So here’s what I am thinking of doing to make it. If anyone has suggestions or ideas that would help me make it better, please feel free to share it with the forum. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
You can also find the wheels on Facebook marketplace and if you have Craigslist in your area, you could probably find them there too. You could also modify the plans and make it a 3 point hitch for the tractor, I have seen a commercially manufactured one that was made for the 3 point hitch but felt that was just more expensive than a towable hitch.

I am getting ready to start another project as soon as the Woods mower is done.
Been searching for a reasonable priced one used but they are just too expensive for my budget.
So after doing some searching and researching, I decided to make one. I was able to locate a 10’
Section of 6” corrugated drain pipe for $25. I try to work on planning and purchasing parts and supplies in the evening so I can get stuff done outside during the day! I sat down last night and did a drawing for it and thought I would share it with the forum. So here’s what I am thinking of doing to make it. If anyone has suggestions or ideas that would help me make it better, please feel free to share it with the forum. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
You can also find the wheels on Facebook marketplace and if you have Craigslist in your area, you could probably find them there too. You could also modify the plans and make it a 3 point hitch for the tractor, I have seen a commercially manufactured one that was made for the 3 point hitch but felt that was just more expensive than a towable hitch.

I have ordered all the parts for this project.
I am sure someone would do it different but here’s my material list and parts. I also added a drawing of how I am going to construct the wheel assembly which will have the wheels, wheel hubs, wheel axles and how I will attach to the tongue assembly. I also added the way I plan to attach the cultipacker to the tongue assembly and then the tongue assembly itself.
As I have said in my previous posts, I am ALWAYS open for discussion of ideas that can help me make my projects better. I have only a few years of college but I have had many years of training at the School of Hard Knocks. So by all means, feel free to share your thoughts and ideas about what ever you think of my project for I am always looking for a better way!
I almost forgot, so far I have $346.00 invested in my cultipacker project! Still have to purchase the concrete, and like everything else, it has gone through the roof price wise! I will probably just buy the high strength concrete, 50 lbs bags are $4.38 according to an online calculator, I would need 2 50 lbs bags, so probably I will just buy 2 bags and if I need to get more volume, I’ll just add more rocks to the mix!
Thank you for your support!