2 row cultivator questions...HELP!

[Theowegian]

Today, I bought an old 2 row JD cultivator, circa 1950 vintage-$75. It has adjustable brackets for the shoes that can be moved to work to the correct row width.

My question is this...how do I set it up to use it?

It has hillers installed, but the seller also has some cultivator shoes (with wings) that can be used instead. WHich ones should I use?

My sweet corn patch is in two sections. The first section is about 12-16 in high and the other section is only 2 inches high.

ANything you can tell me would be helpful.

thanks, dwight

 

[kensfarm]

My 2-row planter is set at "as-narrow" a setting that planter allows.. the distance of the 2 rows will just fit between the tires of my tractor.

When I first got my cultivator.. I got out the ruler.. measured the row width.. and tried my best to set the tine spacing to the corn rows. I have sweeps on "S" tines.. 2 in the middle.. & 2 on the outsides(6 total). The spacing tolarance is very narrow.. so having the cultivator "secured" to the 3pt and ant-sway bars is a must.. I've added additional bolts to the sway bars to prevent drifting.. which can be cause by slight sloping of the field.. or the soil conditions.

First do the initial measuring setup.. then position the tractor on the course you will take over the rows.. lower the cultivator.. check the tine spacing to corn rows. If all lines up.. lower the cultivator and drive 10 feet, stop.. check your spacing.

When set up properly.. the tines will hill soil to both sides of the corn plants.

Now.. the deeper the tines dig.. the more dirt will be pushed to the sides.. I run them deep enougth so the pull is even across the tines.

Corn Height: I usually wait for 6 inch corn height.. when the corn is shorter(like 2-4 inches).. it's easier for it to get covered over by dirt.. and you have to drive the tractor at a snail's pace.. or you'll end up doing more damage then good. 6-12 inches is a good height(depending on the tractor,cultivator).. any taller and you risk breaking stalks even though corn is pretty flexible.

Practice.. drive straight(the more you look behind the tractor.. the harder it is to drive in a straight line). You will bury and till up some corn.

I try and "mark" the row positions on the FEL.. and use those marks to guide me down the corn rows while driving.

I should have taken pictures this 4th weekend.. I put out 700lbs of fertilizer on one sweet corn field.. then had to "snail pace" the cultivating.. then we hooked up a deep well pump from the creek using 400 ft of 3/4 tubing.. 200 ft of garden hose.. to connect to 2 sprinkler heads.. it's been running non-stop since Sunday.

 

[GAFarmer2]

If you are cultivating corn, I would install the cultivator shoes. The real trick is to set the cultivator deep enough to dig up the weeds but not too deep where you are digging up the corn plants. Also, I would like to warn you that a cultivator is hard to use and the only way to learn is to practice, practice, practice. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[rambler]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Today, I bought an old 2 row JD cultivator, circa 1950 vintage-$75. It has adjustable brackets for the shoes that can be moved to work to the correct row width.

My question is this...how do I set it up to use it?

It has hillers installed, but the seller also has some cultivator shoes (with wings) that can be used instead. WHich ones should I use?

My sweet corn patch is in two sections. The first section is about 12-16 in high and the other section is only 2 inches high.

ANything you can tell me would be helpful.

thanks, dwight )</font>

We use different terms here in Minnesota, so forgive the language barrier. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

There are flat shields that slide along & protect small crops from dirt covering them.

These have been replaced with a more modern rolling shield - works better.

There also is a specialized disk blade type of shank that cuts away from the row.

Then there are specialized cutlivator shovels that throw the dirt back up around the corn when it is larger.

Just don't know what a 'hiller' or a 'shoe with wings' is, as those terms are not used in the upper mid-west. I've heard the words before, and have used all of the above stuff, but don't know what parts your words are describing.

I've ciltivated a tiny bit before the corn appeared, to when it was about as tall as the tractor hood. Mostly in between tho. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--->Paul

 

[Indydirtfarmer]

'shoe with wings'

--->Paul )</font>

Uh???? Wing tips?????

Maybe "sweep".

 

[johan3400]

Indy, not wingtips, boots made of ostrich!!

 

[Theowegian]

Howdy.
Thanks for taking time to reply to my original posting.

Ive done a little research and this is what Ive found out so far. Those hillers I talked about are called disc hillers-at least that is what the John Deere cultivator manual calls them. You pull off one set of cultivator shovels and install the hillers. As you travel forward, the hillers gently roll dirt toward the corn, hence, hilling the corn.

I do have shields, too, but cant figure out how to install them.

I did manage to cultivate and man o' man am I a lousy cultivator dude! Half of what I cultivated I had to go back and unbury those little corns.

But by the time I got done, I had a general idea of what to do, but then I was done!

Here's a pix of what it looks like yesterday. (it grew a lot since I originally posted this message 7-01-2005)
dwight