Undercutter

ALHILLDIRT · Dec 18, 2008

I'm looking for some ideas for a 3 pt hitch mounted attachement for undercutting onions. What I am thinking of is a horizontal blade that would run about about 4 inches under the soil, that would lift the soil and onions slightly and allow them to slide off the back. I'm planting in double rows about 5" apart on 38" spacing. So it wouldn't have to be very wide to do one row at a time. The idea being to dislodge the onions so that they lay on top of the ground to dry. Cultivator sweeps tend to move to much dirt and make a mess. Someone posted something similiar a few weeks ago, but I can't seem to find it anywhere now.

Taylortractornut · Dec 18, 2008

I bult one of these a few years ago out of a pond scoop cutting edge and a section of 4 inch I beam. I just used some 3/4 flate bar to make my verticals to got down to the cutter and the h beam to make my hitch then I took a 40 inch strip of the cutting edge and bent a 3 inch tab up each side and welded it to the 3/4 inch cutter bar. It would jump into the ground and had a set of rods we added later to rool up and seperate some of the dirt for them. We made it really to roll up turnips that a friend was picking for a hog farm he had. Where are you in Alabama if your close to Redbay you can get those edges from United Implemnt.

ALHILLDIRT · Dec 19, 2008

Taylortractornut said:
I bult one of these a few years ago out of a pond scoop cutting edge and a section of 4 inch I beam. I just used some 3/4 flate bar to make my verticals to got down to the cutter and the h beam to make my hitch then I took a 40 inch strip of the cutting edge and bent a 3 inch tab up each side and welded it to the 3/4 inch cutter bar. It would jump into the ground and had a set of rods we added later to rool up and seperate some of the dirt for them. We made it really to roll up turnips that a friend was picking for a hog farm he had. Where are you in Alabama if your close to Redbay you can get those edges from United Implemnt.

I'm North and West of Gadsden, AL about 10 miles. What you've described is similar to what I had in mind. Do you remember the height and width of the 3/4" verticals? I not sure I understand your comment about the rods? Were these welded to horizontal cutting edge? I couldn't be so lucky that you might have a picture left of this thing?

Taylortractornut · Dec 20, 2008

I dont have any pics on this computer but Ill try to get hold of the new owner this week. The 3/4 plates were I think 2 inches wide and about 10 inches down to make up for different tractor link hieghts. Be cause my tractor wont drop the arms as low as dads. The rods were added later to welded to the top of the cutter and and bent up ats a 10 to 15 degree angle to roll the oninons up and seperate some of the the dirt. THey wer around 10 inches long and about 2 inchs apart I think we used 1/2 inch stock for them. Kinda like a tater plow has the rods on them.