JD Cultivator

[Rookietx]

I am looking for operating and adjustment instructions for a JD cultivator. The cultivator is now a 3 point 2 row cultivator, but it has obviously been cut down to 2 rows and the 3 point attachment has been welded on.

What did this start out as?

How deep to run the shovels?

How do I attach shields to keep from throwing dirt on small plants?

Cultivating is a lost art I'd like to learn.

Thanks

 

[Deere Scotty]

If cultivating is something you are out to learn; then you have made the first mistake! You know its not original, & therefore you have little, or no idea wheather it will even cultivate correctly! People who modify these things may do so for a particular tractor, & may not take care to line up things correctlty before welding. It could have been a front mounted cultivator, or a rear mounted. Difficult to tell from photo.

When cultivating: The depth should be about 2 inches, & the standard distance from the center of the row crop should be 4 inches. I do know people that have set the points as close as 2 inches to the crop, & drove in low gear; But it requires constant, unaltered, & unwavering attention, & should only be done on a front mount cultivator. Otherwise you wasted a lot of time planting a good crop!!!

Scotty

 

[thurlow]

How deep to run? Why are you cultivating? We cultivated ONLY to remove unwanted vegetation and ran as shallow as possible....while doing the job. If you've got the fenders (shields), it should be self-evident how they attach. The old folks (my grandparents) usta plow deep and would lay-by corn when it was about as high as the mule's back. At the end of each row, they'd have to remove the feeder roots ......from the plow.......they'd drug up/out. FWIW.....we quit (row-crop) cultivating about 25 years ago.

 

[J.Wondergem]

Looks like it could have been one side of a front mount JD to me.

 

[Rookietx]

Thanks for the comments.

Here is another view.

Sorry for the picture quality. Cheap camera, and bright sun and 87 here today.

Any thoughts on what type of cultivator this was originally?

 

[Leroy]

You do not want that center of the shovel less than 8" and preferably 10" from row depending on type of shovels. A sweep would be with the row side wing cut off the 10" distance, a duckfoot at about 3" wide could possibly be run at the 8" distance and just as deep as needed to destroy the weeds or if you are trying to break the top crust for water penetration then only as deep as needed to do the job. A spear point shover of 1 1/2" width could be a might closer if you are a good enough of a driver and a rear mount you can not get the control out of that you do a front mount.

 

[Heat Houser]

Looks like right 1/2 of a JD T4 to me. T4 was a tractor mounted 4 row wide and fit 60s, 620s 630s, 4010s and many other JD models.

Since it is now a 3 point, run the gangs level and set the gang depth with the gauge wheels. Of course, the depth of each individual shank can be adjusted by slding them up and down, in and out by loosing each clamp. The angle of attack of each sweep can also be varied. When you get tired of adjusting, go to the field.... and adjust somemore....... LOL.

 

[Heat Houser]

BTW, I do not see the necessary clamps and straps to mount the shields. The AT4 shields were the same. Go to JDPC to view. Type in AT4 for the model. page 39
JDPC

 

[ET]

I cultivate 200 to 300 acers of organic corn every year. The basic rule is as close as you can get and as deep as it takes to get the weeds. You can cultivate closer to small corn than big corn that has more root structure. You need to see the soil boil as you run though it. The first cultivation should be as soon as you can see the rows. I try to get 3 passes at 10 day to two week intervals. The last pass is in knee high to waste high corn but I can do chest high corn without too much damage. The bigger the corn, the more soil you can put in the row. On my last pass I use hilling disks and dump a lot of soil on the corn, corn likes to be hilled up. Soil in the row is the only weed control in the row. The time to cultivate is before you think you need to. When it starts to look like a problem it's already to late to get the best results.

 

[ET]

I cultivate 200 to 300 acers of organic corn every year. The basic rule is as close as you can get and as deep as it takes to get the weeds. You can cultivate closer to small corn than big corn that has more root structure. You need to see the soil boil as you run though it. The first cultivation should be as soon as you can see the rows. I try to get 3 passes at 10 day to two week intervals. The last pass is in knee high to waste high corn but I can do chest high corn without too much damage. The bigger the corn, the more soil you can put in the row. On my last pass I use hilling disks and dump a lot of soil on the corn, corn likes to be hilled up. Soil in the row is the only weed control in the row. The time to cultivate is before you think you need to. When it starts to look like a problem it's already to late to get the best results.

 

[Leroy]

All very good information, In my post I was only refering to how close the shovel could be without actually tearing the plant out and shovel will tear a plant out. We never had hillers but on corn large enough to stand the dirt being thrown in the row we let the shovels throw as much in the row as possible at that time. Ehen the corn is only 2" tall you cannot throw dirt against it tho. The person that said set the shovels 2" from row is what I was saying will not work as with a hand cultivator you can not even get that close.

 

[ET]

I run the disks all season with a 8" sweep coming up the middle. In 30" rows I only need 3 shanks to cover the ground. The closer shanks are together the quicker they plug. I throw the soil out on the first 2 passes and in on the last. The disks control the flow of soil better than shields so I can run faster. I have a JD 620 with six row front mount cultivator. I run 3rd on the first pass and usually fourth on the last. 10" is a good number to work with for distance from the row, but twisting the disk lets me dial in on the row. The disks cut through wild morning glory vines pretty good. You ain't lived till you've had a 6 row wide knot of morning glory.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Looks like a set from a JD B or 520 tractor. They did a nice job putting it together, I like the gauge wheels. There is no rule for setting them, you are just going to have to get it in the field & adjust it to the conditions. They did make shields for them, you can probally find a set somewhere, most people now a days are scraping cultivators. You will need some setup to take the sway out of the 3 point hitch so it isn't jumping side to side & digging up your crop. I have never used a rear mount, only a front mounted.