My latest craigslist score....

[kebo]

Today I went and looked at an attachment that was listed as a 6ft cultipacker on craigslist. I had been wanting one to help put in food plots at the hunt club. It looked pretty good in the pic's, but after I got there and started looking at it closely, I realized this unit was a homemade job. Not done too badly, but certainly could have been done better. The odd thing about it you will notice is that it has 4 rippers on the front. Whoever thought to do something like that?? I mean, does it really do much/any good to rip the ground about 4ft wide, then come right back over it and pack it down about 5 1/2ft wide? :confused2: First thing I do will be taking the rippers off when I get it unloaded out of the truck. I will probably have to fabricate parking stands, on the front and one on the back.

The actual "track" of the discs is about 66" wide, plenty wide enough to cover tire tracks on my 790, so that part is ok. The best I can measure, the packing wheels are about 11" in diameter and there are 18 of them on it. The packing wheels are floating on the axle, which I think they are supposed to. But... something that disturbs me is that the axle appears to be floating within their end housings. This is my first cultipacker, but I don't think that is the norm? I know some packers have wood bearing blocks for the axles to ride in, maybe the wood is just gone? I think it will at least do the job for now, but this winter I might take it apart and see what the insides of those end housings look like. Then again, I might regret doing that!!


Does anyone recognize what brand of cultipacker this might have been made from? Is there any advantage to using the wheels that have the sprockets (or teeth) in them?? If it does help with the seed packing, I might consider taking out a few of the smooth wheels and putting in the sprocket type, maybe every other wheel.

Oh yeah, the seller was asking $375, but I got him down to $325, so I don't think I did too bad. What are your thoughts on it??

Keith

 

[Carl_NH]

Keith,

Looks like a well built unit and appears to have grease zerks on the ends?

Also, the reason behind the rippers is to till up the ground in front of the packer wheels thus leveling out what you just ripped up - actually this is not a bad design if you wanted something to loosen up the soil first then roll it out evenly.. I would try it before removing the rippers.

Nice buy at that price.

 

[bullbreaker]

Good read on cultipackers : http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/180580-cultipacker-question.html
Read # 4 . I asked same question on sprockets and one of our (TBN) resident humble experts ansewerd it.

Looks real nice! I would have bought it at that price . Maybe post a pic or two of foodplot work down the road.
Congrats again !

Boone

 

[Carl_NH]

Keith,

After looking closer I guess those arent grease zerks - I would bet inside the end caps there is a UHMW bushing for the shaft - at least thats what I would hope the shaft is riding on!

If not it shouldnt be too difficult to add some bushings and a grease fitting to the end cap? For getting a food plot ready I think with the ripper/packer this one tool might do a nice job - dont need a tiller just hte ripper and packer to level things out?

 

[kebo]

Keith,

After looking closer I guess those arent grease zerks - I would bet inside the end caps there is a UHMW bushing for the shaft - at least thats what I would hope the shaft is riding on!

If not it shouldnt be too difficult to add some bushings and a grease fitting to the end cap? For getting a food plot ready I think with the ripper/packer this one tool might do a nice job - dont need a tiller just hte ripper and packer to level things out?

Actually Carl, those are grease fittings that probably have 2-3 coats of paint on them. As I tried to explain in my OP, adding grease at this point I think would be useless!! The ID of the end housings that the axles are riding in are at least 1/3 larger than the OD of the axles. Maybe it would do some good to grease them, but the fittings will probably have to be replaced first, since they may be froze up with all the paint on them.

Btw, what is a UHMW bushing?? I don't think there's much of ANY bushing in them now!! Thanks.

Keith

 

[Carl_NH]

Ultra High Molecular Polyethelene - good for these applications. Personally I would take some sandpaper or chip off the paint on the grease fitting and then pull one of those end caps to see whats inside - could be bearings for all you know!

Even if you have brass or wood or real bearings a little grease and it will last a long time. Also if you want more info on UHMW here's a link - they seem to want to sell 10' lengths and you might need 4-5"..

NATURAL UHMW TUBE Plastic Tubing

Youve piqued my curiousity now as to whats under the covers on the ends.. take it apart and some pics!

 

[Bigfoot62]

. . . Does anyone recognize what brand of cultipacker this might have been made from? . . .

If I had to venture a guess, it looks like a cultipacker section from a grain drill.

 

[kneedeep]

Also may have been a box blade conversion- those cultipackers rotate on the shaft instead of the shaft rolling I would bet!

Good buy for Hunting camp! :thumbsup:

 

[foggy1111]

Good find Mr Haney. I kinda like the idea of the shanks before the packer. With all the wieght you can really get those rippers in the ground and then level things up with the packer (for some jobs anyway). Not sure about brand or hubs..... Please post some pics if you get it apart. (Me? I think I'd use it a bit first to see how it works as it is.)

BTW.....I have a Dunham packer.....and I'd bet my "loose wheels" rotate about 80% on the shaft.....and the shaft rotates the other 20% or so. The shaft could be rigid (non rotating) and everything would work OK.

 

[dusty3030]

Also, it would be good for a pasture renovator / seeding as well with the rippers down.
I have been looking for the right used box blade with all it's rippers to make one for myself.

 

[kebo]

Good find Mr Haney. I kinda like the idea of the shanks before the packer. With all the wieght you can really get those rippers in the ground and then level things up with the packer (for some jobs anyway). Not sure about brand or hubs..... Please post some pics if you get it apart. (Me? I think I'd use it a bit first to see how it works as it is.)

BTW.....I have a Dunham packer.....and I'd bet my "loose wheels" rotate about 80% on the shaft.....and the shaft rotates the other 20% or so. The shaft could be rigid (non rotating) and everything would work OK.

You're just a Mr. Haney wannabe lol!! :laughing: I do plan on using it as is, without the rippers, to see how it does packing down our food plots. If I get a chance this weekend, I will try to pull off one of the end caps and see what it looks like under there. I am curious myself, now. If I do, I'll be sure and take a couple more pic's.

To kneedeep's comment, I think there is a very good chance that the front part of the frame that holds the rippers, and the top link frame was originally a box blade. The rear of the frame is angle iron, and the sides were made from some heavy barstock. I don't think it's going to bend anytime soon!!

 

[kebo]

Finally got to use my "new to me" cultipacker today, and I LIKE IT!!! :thumbsup: This thing works great to smooth out a plot that you just disc'ed up with the harrow. I was planning to just take the rippers off it before using it, but decided what the heck, I'll try it like it is. The rippers actually seem to help out, they are set to just barely dig in and it helps throw out a little bit of dirt to cover the seed lightly before the packing wheels pack it all down. I am pleased with the way it works, definitely worth the $325 I paid for it. :thumbsup: Here is a picture of one small plot on the gasline at my hunt club. Sorry for the bad pic it was taken with my cell camera since I didn't have my good camera with me.





Here's one that shows the nice, uniform ripples that the packing wheels leave behind.





And for those of you who were wondering what it looked like inside the end housings, here is a couple picks that show it. While backing the tractor onto my trailer to head to the hunt club, the end of the cultipacker caught the sidewall of the trailer and popped off one of the two bolts that holds the end plate in place. So, I had to improvise with a tie wrap to hold it in place while I was using it today. While loading it back onto the trailer to head back home, I managed to pop off the the other bolt. Got to clean out the dirt now, and replace the two bolts. It looks like it could be a bearing in there, but if it is, it's not a snug pressed fit on the axle. Also, the housing that holds this all in place has an octagonal hole. You have to look close to see it. I can't tell if the axle itself rotates any or not as you can't get anything on it to try and see if it will turn.









Definitely a home made job.

 

[Don87]

Finally got to use my "new to me" cultipacker today, and I LIKE IT!!! :thumbsup: This thing works great to smooth out a plot that you just disc'ed up with the harrow. I was planning to just take the rippers off it before using it, but decided what the heck, I'll try it like it is. The rippers actually seem to help out, they are set to just barely dig in and it helps throw out a little bit of dirt to cover the seed lightly before the packing wheels pack it all down. I am pleased with the way it works, definitely worth the $325 I paid for it. :thumbsup: Here is a picture of one small plot on the gasline at my hunt club. Sorry for the bad pic it was taken with my cell camera since I didn't have my good camera with me.


View attachment 278069


Here's one that shows the nice, uniform ripples that the packing wheels leave behind.

View attachment 278079



And for those of you who were wondering what it looked like inside the end housings, here is a couple picks that show it. While backing the tractor onto my trailer to head to the hunt club, the end of the cultipacker caught the sidewall of the trailer and popped off one of the two bolts that holds the end plate in place. So, I had to improvise with a tie wrap to hold it in place while I was using it today. While loading it back onto the trailer to head back home, I managed to pop off the the other bolt. Got to clean out the dirt now, and replace the two bolts. It looks like it could be a bearing in there, but if it is, it's not a snug pressed fit on the axle. Also, the housing that holds this all in place has an octagonal hole. You have to look close to see it. I can't tell if the axle itself rotates any or not as you can't get anything on it to try and see if it will turn.


View attachment 278080




View attachment 278081

Definitely a home made job.

I'm glad you left the teeth on it to try it out. John deere made a cultipacker that had spring harrow teeth on it and it works well according to my BIL. I managed to find teeth for him at a very reasonably price, from a junkyard in Minnesota I think.