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Ron: I've fabricated three rear hitch cultivators using modern day S-tines bought at a farm store and fabricated the frame work. Mine are 1 point fast hitch for my Farmalls 130 and 140, but could just as easily made them 3 point. One is a field type cultivator and the other two are row crop. I also built a bed shaper for shaping up beds 4' wide between tractor tires. I built a front snow blade, 6' angle for my Farmall 130. I've completely modified my center mount cultivators to use S-tine ground working tools. What I like about these S-tines is the cost of new ones should you break one. S-tine complete with point is under $10., some of those IH tools were in the $50. range and not as tough as S-tines. I also done some conversions of 3 point implements to 1 point for use with my tractors. I probably have one of the few 1 point fast hitch, John Deere 247 2 row corn planters. Bought this corn planter, had a larger tractor with 3 point and decided why tie up larger tractor if 130 would do the chore. First attempt was 3 point for 130, didn't work well. Second attempt was 1 point fast hitch fork for corn planter. It worked well as 130 depth control on planter was excellent. I built a 1 point sprayer from a 3 point, quite easy, actually. I guess my most interesting chalange came in 1992. I had always wanted a 6' or 7' rotary hoe for my Farmall 130. I had explored fabricating a 7' 1 point fast hitch 4"x4" tool bar then buying new tooling from IH or Deere. At parts counter I got to $2,500. and walked away. Looked at cutting down an old rotary hoe, but old rotary hoes are little more than scrap iron, beat to crap. Then one day I saw a new John Deere model 400 15'rotary hoe, dealer had it priced at $2,600. to clear at end of season. I knew the Deere hoe was built on a 4"x4" tool bar with 2 - 3.5' sections and 2 - 4' sections. I called a friend with 40 hp Deere with 3 point who was looking for an 8' hoe. We called the Deere dealer and made the deal. Two days later we went to dealers armed with a chop saw, wrenches and 2 pickups. We paid him for the hoe, but when we asked him for an extension cord and power to run chop saw, he objected. He said, "You two are not going to cut a new machine in two pieces on my lot. If a Deere rep walked in, I'd be toast, besides it doesn't look good for bussiness. I will deliver the complete hoe to one or the other of you and what you do after that is your business". I said jokeingly, "Carson do you mean to tell me you've never sold a machine to joint ownership before, Just think of the publicity if two guys cut a new baler in half. You should look at this from a politicians point of view, publicity in the main objective, works for them whether good or bad." Any how he delivered the hoe, we cut the tool bar at the 7-8 foot mark, my friend took the 8' section complete with 3 point attachments. We fabricated a 1 point for the 7' section and my tractor. We both have been very happy with our rotary hoes. Can't seem to get Carson in the 1/2 machine mode though.LOL
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