Finding a cultivating tractor

First7letters · Sep 27, 2014

I am looking in to getting a cultivating tractor with a two row set up for next season, my fourth year as an organic csa and market farm. I've been looking around and it seems that there are plenty of 50s era tractors out there in my area, but it is not common to find the cultivators. Would it be wise to find the impliment with the tractor or how would i find one once i have the tractor? I am asking this because i know of two tractors that friends or family own but never use, and I may be able to make payments or rent to own (growing the business without loans) but they don't have cultivators. One is an IH C that my uncle bought from a guy who bought it from my grandpa back in the day, and the other is an AC CA. I also know of a G that does have at least a one row cultivator, and isn't used either, but i hear they are too light for a two row set up, and I am in clay loam. Any thoughts would be great!

MikeinKy · Sep 27, 2014

I think the Farmall C and Super C are the best 2
row tractors made and they aren't hard to find
with cultivators.

Larry NEIL · Sep 27, 2014

Sounds like the C would be a good choice if the price was right and you can find a set of cultivators for it.
Another good choice would be an Oliver 60 with a mechanical lift. One on the Oliver want ads with cultivators for $950.00

JMS/.MN · Sep 27, 2014

Lots of AC model C tractors/cultivators around. I bought an auction cult for a C for $5...usually go for around 100 or so. CA cult is different, not so many of them around. Lots of B Allis w/ one-row cult for around a grand. Rear mount 4 row are cheap- 150-300. Cut them down in size.

maxwell99 · Sep 27, 2014

I would say buy a tractor with the culitvators.
Finding a complete set of cultivators in good repair
might be difficult. That's where these old tractors
shined, cultivation, who would sell you a set of
cultivators off one of these old tractors, it would
devalue his tractor with no cultivator.

I once found a set of front and rear (complete set)
of cultivator for a D14 AC, who would ever thought I
could have found that set.

wolfman · Sep 27, 2014

A Super C is about the best cultivator tractor ever made.
Individual rocks shafts for left and right side, smooth quiet
ride; You sit in a comfortable position; it steer easily.

Leroy · Sep 27, 2014

First question that nobody has considered in answering your question. What crops are you going to be cultivating and what row widths? For a market farm I think you are going to want row widths that are not standard 40" rows And some of those cultivators will not adjust down for 30" rows like some of your crops should be in and then others probly should be in at least 46" rows. So I would NOT look for a two row cultivating tractor as you will probably be dissapointed as you only will be able to do a part of your crop. The G if it is an AC G and not a Deere G if it has a 1 row cultivator would be the best as then you could go from crop one on 30" rows directly to crop 2 on 40" rows and then to crop 3 on the 46" or wider rows without majer changes if you could even do it.The Farmal C and AC CA are both good tractors but not what you should consider as neither will handle the row widths you should have. Anouther good tractor for you would be a Farmall Cub with the 1row cultivator.

Dean Olson · Sep 27, 2014

I sure like my Farmall Super C's with Fast hitch. I have one set
up to handle tillage. Wheel width and weighted accordingly.
The other is set up to cultivate and side dress. I plant on 36"
and 72" rows so I can cultivate everything until it's too big.

Over the last 10 tears I've accumulated the mounted planters,
front & rear cultivators, and most of the fast hitch implements.

I have a buddy who just purchased a new Kubota with tiller,
plow etc. NO cultivator. It sure is a nice rig. But EXPENSIVE!

I suspect I have about $7k in both tractors and all implements.

Dave Salway · Sep 28, 2014

If you had a wide front H, M you my be able to
not use center cult when not needed. I checked my
HM250s and 238s. My HM221s would not work. I don't believe you would have ruin any thing to do
it and the adjust to different row sizes and work
will especially with the delay lift.
I also have the HM220 checkrow planter with
fertilizer unit with 15 diff. plates and blanks to. This unit allows you to space planting by
making your own plates.

Brendon-KS · Sep 28, 2014

When I was in high school I worked for a local
farmer who raised produce. I spent many hours
on a Super C with a front mount cultivator with
four row units. Each unit had barring off
disks and knives with a few sweeps in between.
On the back was a toolbar with furrowers for
the irrigation. The same setup was used with
30" rows (peppers, cucumbers, beets, carrots)
as well as for 60" rows (melons and tomatoes).
For the wide rows we just put a sweep down the
middle of the "blank" row.

If I was in the market for a cultivating
tractor now I might look at an offset like a
Farmall 100 or maybe a Cub if it is big enough
for the operation. I know from experience that
close cultivation of small crops gives you a
sore neck and back from leaning to the side to
get an accurate view of the row. With the
offset tractors you are setting right on top of
the row so just have to look straight down.

Jim Phelps · Sep 28, 2014

I plowed 40+ acres of tobacco every year with a Allis CA narrow front, put a cole side dresser on it. Great little plow tractor and has the HP to pull 2-14 plow in the spring.

Bret4207 · Sep 28, 2014

Personally I like the AC G for truck crops. But that's pretty much one row. An IHC C, Case VAC, AC C and similar rigs would work fine too. I really like my VAC in corn. In a 2 row a tricycle is really better as far as handling and you don't need to worry about adjusting the front ax. But, yes, find the whole set up if you can. Much, much easier than finding bits and pieces. And forget a 3pt read cultivator! They have to be the worst idea for cultivating there is.

ss55 · Sep 28, 2014

Many old cultivators are still out there, but the demand for them is so low that they pretty much always sell for just scrap value. You may have to post some "wanted" ads to find a cultivator for your existing tractor, or a tractor & cultivator together.

Make sure you get the crop shields with any cultivator you buy.

wellmax99 · Sep 28, 2014

you did not say if this cultivation tractor was going to be your only tractor.

if you have another tractor with 3 pt hitch with depth control then having a dedicated cultivating tractor is fine

However, that is why many with only one tractor will accept the limitations of a rear two row or one row cultivator to get the benefits of having 3 pt hitch and depth control.

my TO-35 Ferg is a very useful tractor but the cultivator is rear mounted, with proper stabilizer bars and hitch bars and pins in good repair, it will do a good job of cultivating. many thousand of acres have been cultivated plowed with these little tractors. Then you can use them for so many other things, bush hog, corn planting, disk, plow, whatever and you do not have to have brand specific tools.

pictures of some of my cultivation tools:
cultivators, one and two row have fenders,
hiller and bar out tool is also very useful.

take your time and get what you want:

riverbend · Sep 28, 2014

Hi Jimmy,

I have a front mounted cultivator for the H that
I'm not using. I am using all the offset shanks,
but there are enough straight shanks to make a
complete set. I don't know if there are enough
clamps, but you can still get them used or as
aftermarket. You will need to buy new shovels.

The C is a good cultivating tractor if it has
hydraulics to lift the cultivators. I might have
the cultivator frames for that one too, but I
think that it might be bent a little. Hecksel in
Watertown can straighten (or bend) that kind of
stuff pretty cheaply. The shanks and clamps are
the same.

I think Amelia just put an ad in the local paper
and found cultivators for her Super C.

Greg

C. Amick · Sep 28, 2014

I use a Farmall C with 2-row cultivators. I have them set up for 42 inch rows. I think the closest row spacing that I can go to is 36 inch. I saw a set set of Farmall C cultivators for sale several months back. They wanted $300 for them. Where are you located?

riverbend · Sep 29, 2014

I'm doing 32" rows, but that is why I need the offset shanks.

Greg

Kevin Happke · Oct 12, 2014

Hello, So have you found a 2 row cultivator for
the C? If not where are you located

DelMN · Oct 14, 2014

The Farmall C or SC is a good tractor, but I don't think you can get the factory cultivators down to 30 inches. If you got a Super C with fast hitch, you may be able to rig up a fast hitch one row cultivator. If I has your problem, I would use the Farmall Super C with wide front end, adjust the front and rear wheels to fit between rows and make/find a fast hitch single row cultivator. My 2 cents.

tim(in) · Oct 15, 2014

My first cultivating tractor was a wd ac with 2 row cultivaters set for 30 inch rows.Cultivated a lot of corn and beans till i went to a 4 row 30 " snap coupler which set me back i think about $35.oo

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