As you know, in order to prepare the soil for sowing, you first need to process it well. It is for these purposes that in the last century such an indispensable and necessary device as a cultivator was created. This mechanism will perfectly cope with the functions assigned to it and will greatly facilitate the work of the owners. However, modern devices of this type cost a lot, so it will not be superfluous to think about how to make a cultivator with your own hands. But first you need to figure out what advantages this device has.
Advantages of hand cultivators
Similar mechanisms have recently become quite widespread. Moreover, it is much more profitable and, of course, more pleasant to construct a cultivator with your own hands, without spending extra money on factory equipment.
These devices have a number of advantages. So, with their help it is possible to cultivate the soil even in the most inaccessible places, where any other equipment will not be able to carry out its task. With the help of a cultivator, you can perfectly loosen the earth in the area of fences, on flower beds and alpine slides. Such treatment will allow plants to receive a sufficient amount of oxygen and, of course, will positively affect their growth.
For a small area, a hand cultivator is perfect. It is not difficult to make this mechanism with your own hands, and there will be many benefits from such a device, since sharp teeth can easily cure the hardened crust where heavy equipment cannot pass. This
home-made technique will be a great addition to garden equipment and will allow you to forget about tedious work forever.
Types of cultivators
The main parameters by which it is customary to separate these mechanisms are weight and power. In accordance with this, there are several varieties of cultivators:
- The weight of heavy models is about 60 kg, and the power is within 6 hp. They are equipped with a four-stroke engine and gearbox, increasing the range of useful properties of the mechanism. Such a cultivator is used for a mini tractor, making it yourself will be quite problematic, but quite real.
- Medium samples are based on similar details. The difference is that they are also equipped with reverse gear, which is essential for maneuvering in tight spaces. Their weight varies from 45 to 60 kg, and power - from 4 to 6 hp. The depth of tillage is 25-28 cm. Often this cultivator is used for a walk-behind tractor, it is quite possible to construct such equipment with your own hands.
- The engine of light vehicles has a power of 4.5 hp and a maximum weight of 40 kg. This technique is capable of loosening to the ground to a depth equal to 15-18 cm. Such models are quite convenient, but their main drawback associated with low weight is peculiar jolts when entering the ground.
- Ultralight devices have a power not exceeding 1.5 hp, and their maximum weight is only 15 kg. The soil with their help can be loosened no more than 8 cm, so the main area of application of these devices is flowerbeds and flower beds. Such equipment is easy to transport, and very little fuel is required.
Cultivator Selection Criteria
In order to construct a cultivator with your own hands, it is important to take into account factors that will affect the functionality of the equipment itself.
So, the main criteria for choosing these mechanisms are the following:
- Power . The larger this indicator, the faster and deeper the cultivator will work. In addition, do not forget about such a factor as the capture band. If it is wide, then labor productivity will increase, and processing time will be required less.
- Weight . As a rule, the mass of equipment is directly proportional to the power of the cultivator.
- The material from which the knives are made. This element is the main cutting part of the device, so you should not save on its quality. In addition, good steel significantly increases the service life of this functional part of the cultivator.
- Reliability of equipment. Depending on the type, the model can have its own advantages and disadvantages, and the most reliable way to verify the practicality of a particular device is possible only during its use.
Production of a manual cultivator
You can make a homemade cultivator with your own hands in two ways: using a pitchfork and using a bicycle frame. Both of these methods are not particularly complex and quite easy to implement.
The first option involves the use of forks, the teeth of which should be bent like a corkscrew, and then put on a holder made of plastic. As a handle, you can use a pipe of the same material, fixed on the upper side.
Creating a cultivator with your own hands from a bicycle frame is somewhat more difficult, but absolutely real. In order to build this mechanism, you will need to use:
- bicycle frame;
- wheel;
- material intended for the device head; it can be sharp rods, part of a plow, part of an old cultivator, etc.
First you need to fix the wheel and head, and the part responsible for controlling the mechanism can be made from the steering wheel. All parts of the device must be welded together and tightly fastened with bolts. With such a sample there will not be any problems in operation, and its repair is very simple.
Creation of a gear cultivator
To build such a mechanism, you will need to have the following materials available:
- 5 discs made of steel with a diameter of 30-35 cm;
- a rod of the same material with a diameter of 10 mm;
- special axis 32 cm long and 15 mm in diameter;
- holder made of wood or plastic.
Discs must be equipped with special holes for sharp teeth. These cutting elements are made of steel bar. Then the discs must be mounted on the axis, from the edges of which it is necessary to equip the axles and bearings.
The work of such a cultivator takes place according to the following principle: the sharp teeth of the device, piercing the ground, remove the soil layer, thereby loosening it. This not only allows oxygen to penetrate deeper inside, but also helps to remove small weeds. In the event that one of the teeth of the mechanism is damaged, it can always be dismantled and, using a welding machine, replace it with a new one.
The device of a disk cultivator rotary type
By making, for example, a cultivator for a mini tractor with your own hands, you can construct a special disk apparatus that serves to remove weed grass, break up clods of earth, loosening, etc. The main difficulty during the installation process may arise with the device disks, which should not have a flat, but convex shape. To achieve this, you can use the hammer by hitting the workpiece several times to give it the desired look.
The process of creating such equipment is non-standard, it differs in some features and should be carried out according to the following scheme:
- The discs must be welded to the bushings mounted on the axis, and their ends should be tightly fixed in brackets.
- In the largest of them, a protrusion must be equipped, through which a pipe equipped with a crossbar must pass.
- Further, the stem is welded to the smaller of the brackets. It is necessary to screw a rod into it, part of which must protrude above the crossbar.
Having correctly completed all the steps, creating such a cultivator with your own hands will not be difficult.
The process of manufacturing a cultivator for a walk-behind tractor
Very often, this mechanism is used on such an economic vehicle as a walk-behind tractor. Thanks to this, the soil cultivation process will become easy and will not take much time.
In order to construct a cultivator for a walk-behind tractor with your own hands, it is necessary to have the following construction tools available:
- hand - held circular saw complete with disks for it;
- welding machine;
- 2 emery elements with varying degrees of abrasiveness;
- drill.
Materials for the manufacture should be as follows:
- stainless steel plates with a square shape and a cross section of 15x15 cm;
- rectangular elements with parameters 12x4 cm, made of the same material (for the milling mechanism);
- steel pipe;
- fasteners (bolts and nuts).
To construct a cultivator with your own hands for a reduced type tractor, you need to do this as follows:
- Each of the squares should be equipped with a hole, and then on both sides connect it with cutters using bolts and nuts.
- The resulting structure must be fixed to the base, and welding is not recommended, since it will not be possible to achieve the desired strength of the joints with it.
- Similar actions must be performed with all squares.
- After manufacturing the working part, you need to make a hole that will correspond to the diameter of the steel pipe.
- The part must be cut in half and then, using welding, fix the elements of the running gear with cutters on each of its sides.
On this, the manufacture of a cultivator for a walk-behind tractor can be considered finished. As it becomes clear, there is no particular difficulty in such work, but it is extremely important to strictly follow the procedure and acquire all the necessary tools and materials in advance.
Cultivator Maintenance Rules
How to make a cultivator with our own hands, we figured out. However, it is important to know not only the algorithm of actions for its manufacture, but also the operating rules. So, the main task is to maintain the operability of the driving mechanism. Before starting work with the device, first check the oil level. Here, one should not forget that the quality of the fluid used to lubricate engine parts largely affects the operation of the equipment, therefore it is important to replace it in a timely manner, avoiding clogging of the internal parts of the device.
In the event that the equipment will not be used for more than one month, he needs to provide good storage conditions. To do this, first you need to develop all the gasoline, thoroughly clean the surface of the engine and all the functional parts of the mechanism. In order to avoid damage to parts of the cultivator's electrics, it is not recommended to use a strong water pressure for cleaning. To protect against corrosion, the metal elements of the device must be lubricated with a small amount of oil, and the cutters should be wiped with a cloth soaked in it. Storage conditions provide for the maintenance of the apparatus in a dry and clean room.
Compliance with all the above operating rules will allow the equipment to serve for a long time, properly and without any serious damage.