cultivator, disc or tiller?

jbowermandesign · Apr 12, 2016

I am new here and new to tractors and homesteading in general but grew up with my dad doing it. Anyway, to the point, I just purchased a 1947 Allis-Chalmers B in great condition (pic attached) and we plan to first use it on about a half acre (or less) garden. What is the best implement to go with? It seems everyone has a different opinion (cultivator, disc or tiller) and I am having a hard time narrowing it down. My plan is/was to first buy this 3pt conversion hitch because I figure I would need it regardless, but I also see there are smaller disks for sale that I could just use a ball hitch on? Any/all advice welcomed. Other plans with the tractor are to use for snow plowing with the blade it came with, brush hogging about 4-5 acres regularly and some other misc stuff to keep up with our 7 acres.

Thanks!

~JB

jenkinsph · Apr 12, 2016

Nice looking Allis, did you get any garden tools with it? If not might want to start looking for those.

Gary Fowler · Apr 12, 2016

I am not familiar with your tractor but have operated a WD 45 on my Dads farm when I was a kid. A tiller would be my second purchase right after the 3 PH conversion. You may find some old Allis snap coupler implements but 3 PH type are much more common.

If you plan a really large garden, then a belly mounted front cultivator would be nice to make your garden rows and then cultivate the crops till they got too big.
I don't think you would need anything else for gardening. A bush hog for your pastures would be a necessity also. Just be sure to get an overrun clutch to go on the PTO so it doesn't push you into something since I am sure that tractor does not have an independent Live PTO.

Egon · Apr 12, 2016

Two bottom plow and small disk both drawbar pull. With the bush hog make sure it is a small one.

jeff9366 · Apr 12, 2016

Here is a second Three Point Hitch conversion:

Complete Cat 1 3 point hitch

Roto-Tillers are the best ground contact implement for gardens, for contemporary tractors.

In addition, you may want some form of 3-Pt. Cultivator for weed control. If the ground has been recently worked it is possible you could use a Cultivator in lieu of a roto-tiller.

Threads from the T-B-N archive:

Disc or roto-tiller site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search

Occasionally parts and implements for A/C Model B show up on eBay:

allis chalmers b in Heavy Equipment Attachments | eBay

allis chalmers b | eBay

DJ54 · Apr 12, 2016

I agree with a pull plow, and disc for now. Most B's I've seen have a mounted single 16". So maybe a single bottom plow. Spring Consignment auctions is the place to look for the older small items. Sad thing is, a lot of the smaller mounted items went for scrap when the price was up, but still a few around. A buddy of mine gave me a hardly used left hand plow, complete with lift links & hitch that came with a B he had. I passed it on to another buddy of mine, that has an A-C B, that wanted to mount the two way set of plows on his, and needed a LH plow..

Your ground speed is too fast for a tiller anyway. You can probably find a 6' pull type disc pretty reasonable. And cultivators too, although a PIA to mount & dismount.

I do know there is a fellow here in Ohio that has more than several acres of implements for the B's, C's & CA's for sale. Not to have you leave this forum, but these guys live and breathe A-C: Unofficial Allis Home Page I'm sure they could find you about anything you would need.

Another buddy found a brand new/never used set of cultivators for his CA, at the above mentioned place. And I think he found out about him through the A-C site.

jbowermandesign · Apr 13, 2016

jenkinsph said:
Nice looking Allis, did you get any garden tools with it? If not might want to start looking for those.

Just the front 76" plow ... My wife and I have been scouring the corners of the web for a good deal on a used sub compact and could't touch a rust bucket for less than 3K+ ... found this locally the day he put it up and bought for $1,500 from a older fellow that works on tractors and owns about 50 garden tractors that he has either restored or kept running ... I think it was a good deal?