Field Cultivator ID and Application????

Bill VA

Well-known Member
Looking at what I think I'd call a field cultivator. Rather than run my disc across my older hayfields to scratch them for overseeding, I'm thinking
this is better suited for the job. Scratch up the ground, overseed via broadcast and cultipack down.

Good idea, bad idea - ?

Any idea the make/model of this cultivator? What's the good, bad and ugly of them? Typical uses?

Thanks!
Bill
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Had one like that for years. with good points on it, will do a good job. Think I would drag the field instead of rolling it after seeding.
I worked up garden spots with mine running several trips over it.
It will beat a disc to to the job you want.
Richard in NW SC
 
Looks like an old Dearborn/Ford and used to be called rippers in my area.They work pretty good as long as the land isn't really hard,probably going to tear up the ground than you think and
will leave ridges worse than a disk.
 
That"s not a field cultivator. FC usually has 3 ranks of teeth, nominal spacing of 6-7 inches. google Glencoe 1250 field cultivator, IH 45 field cultivator, etc.
 
Ferguson called them a tiller back as far as 39 and was the forerunner of the modern chisel plow.
 
Fred Cain makes them in the south, Dearborn/ Ford made them as well. Or maybe Ford relabeled the Fred Cain as theirs? Mine has a Ford label on it.

Never know what to call it, they are heavier than a field cultivator, but lighter than a chisel plow,of today.....

It will work for what you want, kinda depends on the type of soil and water content....

A drag as someone suggested might work as good or better than the roller, depending again on soil types, etc.

Paul
 
Fred Cain must only be in the south. On this site is the only place I have ever heard that name. Did they start after Ford and Ferguson stopped making them?
 
Lots of them for sale around here in the old farm equipment dealer lots. I bought either one of those or something similar when I first got here 40 years ago. "Scratch up the ground" is a good name for what it did for me. However, I thought I'd use it as a breaking plow, having never done such a thing before and had yet to enroll in "Hard Knocks U.". Nobody around to advise me otherwise. Houston Black Clay in the fall is like rocks which helped it to fail in my application......just bounced along on top of the ground.
 
They are more suited for sandy land or something like a garden that's torn up every year.They still bring good money in Southern VA and NC in tobacco areas,used to be just about every tobacco
grower had one now more for garden type tillage.About a half dozen brands of them used to be sold those listed as well as Pittsburgh and a couple other companies.
 
(quoted from post at 00:14:47 09/01/17) Fred Cain must only be in the south. On this site is the only place I have ever heard that name. Did they start after Ford and Ferguson stopped making them?

Yes I think so. JD dealer I was employed at from'66-'87 sold the new Fred Cain tiller tools.
 
just watch it cause we disced a field lightly and over seeded ,,but we didn"t roll it just harrowed it and geez ruff as...... omg going to redo it this year..lol live and learn
 
here is a couple of pictures of older field cultivators
per the caption data:
this first picture is a Ferguson 9 BO-20 field cultivator
the second picture is a Dearborn 10-95

Ferguson made a heavier unit with a large support pipe across the top of the frame, but your picture does not show this.

each of this units should have a metal name plate attached to the frame with model number stamped onto the name plate.

later the knock off or after market field cultivators units may only have a sticker attached to the frame, after a few years the glue gives way and the sticker comes off, so you can no longer identify the builder.
if your field cultivator does not have a metal name plate, then it may be a later model sold by fred cane, still a good useable unit, might goggle his company if you need parts.

they are good old tools and will loosen up the dirt,
I never found a Dearborn or Ferguson model I could buy reasonable, so I got an old AC unit from the scrap yard that had the snap couple hitch cut off and a 3pt hitch attached, almost too heavy for my little TO35 Ferguson. But it will dig,
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a170739.jpg

a170740.jpg
 
Don't mean to hi-jack the thread but how did you MF50 starter problem work out?
"Nosey" minds want to know ;-)
 
We have one that is sometimes referred to as a <a href="https://youtu.be/GPZqbgI8C2M">spring tooth harrow</a>.

It is the <a href="https://youtu.be/62rMxJLvzdc">first implement</a> we use to start preparing a seed bed.
 
Ordered a new starter from YT as well as a few other parts. Got the starter yesterday, I guess the other stuff is in a box somewhere, I haven't seen it yet. Also have a flat rear tire to deal with. This has not been a year for the MF50.
 
I chased sandy loam (mentally) all my life but seems I am addicted to Black Clay. I grew up in it in S. TX. and wanted something better. When I settled up here it just happened to be the only available soil....not my choice but "the job" was here. Been living with it for the past 40 years. Only good thing about it is that it holds water for summer crops.
 
Thanks for the info, that should cure the starter issue. Had two flats last week, its always something. :-(
 
Looks like a Ferguson/Massey Ferguson spring tine cultivator. Always used this (with tines evenly spaced) for preparing ground, after ploughing and discing, before using a ridger for setting up drills for potatoes or turnips. Then, with tines moved to close groups of 3, for inter-row cultivation of same crops. Would NOT use on your hayfield, will tear it up too badly. Better with discs, IMHO! Jim
 
Yep and a JD 3 bottom plow too. Won the auction for the cultivator, paid a premium IMHO.
 
Thanks everyone, I bought the cultivator or more like won it in an Internet auction. Paid a premium IMHO too, but it is wash at I wanted.

I really appreciate everyone's replies.

Bill
 

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