Cultivator Modification

Tall T

Well-known Member
My bottles are empty but with flex bar, pipe wrench and pipe extension, I got the top bolt out COLD — couldn't even pound it out. This time I did soak with MP over two days.

Wasn't sure if the brace angles would prohibit this move, but i moved the front braces to the outside so the stepped pins now work on the inside.

The original spacer will go back between the rear braces and I just need two more spacers one on each side of that.

It could be that whenever new ball ends were put onto my lower link arms, that the arms got a bit shortened, so if I ever have to replace the ends I'll make the arms a little longer.
Terry

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Pins to the inside arms to the out side big arse space in the middle someone made modifications to use it on a cat 0 set up...

I have heat and a air hammer that will break your hand... Not much time for a hope and a prayer soak'em treatment...

I am still not sold on it but keep the faith...
 
Hobo,

Actually you're dead right!
Soaking it didn't do diddly squat.:)

It wasn't until I got it to move a sixteenth in both directions, with 4' pipe on the flex bar, that it even started to let the juice in. But after a quarter inch movement in two directions the black then brown poured off it as I worked it. What you see there is only after I laid it down in the shop on a white towel and dribbled the stuff on it.

Unshakable faith,
Terry :D
 
Those lift pins being installed inside instead of outside make the geometry wrong too that might make thing bind.

Zane
 
(quoted from post at 13:45:31 05/19/17) Those lift pins being installed inside instead of outside make the geometry wrong too that might make thing bind.

Zane

Hi Zane,

An honor to hear from the old guard!

I'm glad you brought this up.
I just went out and measured my other implements pin to pin, working part of pin closest to frame.

Rear bucket/scoop 26.5
Ford Plow 27.75
Rear Blade 27.25
Crane 26.25
Landscape Rake 26.25

But with this Cultivator, pins on the inside, ONLY 24" !
So it's looking iffy as you suggest.
It looks like the lower link arms could potentially bind on the differential housing at the pins there. Maybe that could even result in leverage on the diff pins that could crack the housing.

Strangely enough though, and what led me to believe I could do this, my MF Rotary Cutter, could climb my back wheels
so I put the pins inside and it worked. BUT even with the pins inside on that implement, I still have a good working placement of 28.75.

So I'll put the Cultivator pins back on right and add check chains to minimize side sway -- the more it swings sideways the closer it gets to a tire as you know.

I'll just have to remember that I can't lift the cultivator too high and later I'll add new ball ends to my lower arms and increase the length there in the process.

Thanks much!
Terry
 
wow, you did go to a lot of work modifying the old Ferguson frame.

is the Ferguson frame that I have the same as your frame.

I just picked it up to use to hill up or bar out depending on the way I turn the disc.

fairly useful tool, plenty of holes in the frame for adjustment.
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Well. . . Max

You writ:
[color=darkblue:551abd10d2] wow, you did go to a lot of work modifying the old Ferguson frame.[/color:551abd10d2]

Only a lot of grunt work undoing it. One of my stepped pins was loose and bent but luckily I had a brand new one in my collection that came with the tractor. Now that I've got the struts undone it's mission creep time to throw some paint on the A-frame at least.
I was just on the verge of making two 1/2" spacers for where the front braces meet the top tie in . . .
and then ((( along came Zane ))) :)

[color=darkblue:551abd10d2]is the Ferguson frame that I have the same as your frame.[/color:551abd10d2]

Presactly! No wait a minute!
Earlier I was wondering if I could move the vertical strut to frame brackets to the front of the angle iron and I see that is exactly how yours are mounted. Mine are on the inside of the angle iron.
That in itself would give me more distance from the tires, but then for the back struts to connect the A-frame would have to tilt back to meet them. . . but that might be ok and able to be compensated for by the top link. Can you post a close up of your front strut to angle iron cast brackets? I'll post a pic of mine.

[color=darkblue:551abd10d2]I just picked it up to use to hill up or bar out depending on the way I turn the disc.[/color:551abd10d2]

Can several disks be added to create an effective disker?

I'll never learn to give something I'm intending to buy a closer look rather than just letting enthusiasm over finding the thing override that scrutiny. I noticed the bent spring, but not the loose and bent pin, the loose strut bracket, the broken end on straps that run from front to back at the pins. All easy to fix though so I'm not complaining.

thanks,
Terry
 
Max,

Sorry about that mental lapse.
Mine are mounted on the INSIDE like yours and i was wondering if reversing them to the [b:ad1a0cb301]outside[/b:ad1a0cb301] was a solution. Doing so would probably call for longer rear to top link struts. I could lengthen them with chains like my MF Cutter but probably Cultivators need rigid rear struts.
See the things a newbie has to suffer through. Oh the pain. :)

See those 14 gauge flat straps running from front to rear?
One has the end broken off and the other someone welded a big washer onto.

I'm wondering just how necessary those straps are . . . maybe only to keep everything aligned when taking shanks off. (?)

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P.S.
Your front brackets don't reach back over the angle iron. . . [b:38661364ec]mine do.[/b:38661364ec] Brackets like yours would be the cats meow for me.
 
Man, I'm really batting zero today!

My brackets are mounted on the outside like yours, but mine reach back. WHEW!!
 
Yes at one time this old frame was a two row Ferguson cultivator, could have had straight or spring shanks,

When I got it, there was only the two roller disc, I have more roller disc, but all my gardens are set on 44" centers,
So I plow one row at a time,

I have a great little hiller plow, but i could not turn the disc around on it,
I did not have a bar out plow, I do now!

So I do not have to move any disc around, I was very lucky to find this frame, with disc installed,
 
I when out and made a few pictures of my old cultivator frame. Yours may be different because it was stronger build as it was a field cultivator rather than a row cultivator.

here goes a few pictures.
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I finally see what you are talking about, the lower lift pins are mounted different on the field cultivator

there is a big difference in the hitch assembly of the Ferguson (field cultivator or some call them tillers)what you have
and the regular cultivators what I have

also note the picture of the heavy duty Ferguson field cultivator or tiller, I always assumed the one with the heavy support bar across the hitch area was the 9 shank model. However it could have been modified by a welding shop but the frame looks the same, just the heavy pipe support.
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Max,

Are these photos all of your own equipment?
The Cultivator photo is exactly the same as mine right down to the "Chisel Plow Sweeps" on the front row and the "Beet Sweeps" (winged ones) on the rear. So I guess that was factory and not just a user option. Very interesting!!

I took one of my pin mounts off and reversed it so that the pins are out front of the frame, just to see. If I ground off just 1/8" from the bottom of the mount hole area, then the bracket will sit inside the angle iron — with pins out front. We shall see.
I'll probably just put it back together and see if I can live with not being able to lift the Cultivator too high.

Thanks much,
Terry

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Plan B

I turned the pin bracket around to see how things would shape up. It would move the Cultivator far from my fat tires.

In the photo I marked off how much of the lower part of the bracket would have to be cut off in order to mount them inside; the only other thing is that the A Frame tips back because of the length of the back braces.

Maybe the top link adjustment or a fixed top link (I have lots of bars) would make up for that tilt back, but I could also add length to the back braces if necessary.

But the pin position looks great this way.
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These are just some pictures of Ferguson tillers that I found on the Internet

As I said I could not understand what you were working on the hitch of your tiller,

Then after seeing these pictures, side view, I could see they have a different hitch pin location,
as I thought Ferguson cultivator and Ferguson tillers had the same type hitch

Again I assumed the 9 shank Ferguson tiller had that extra pipe support to strengthen the frame

Guess I am learning about them as you are,

Wonder what was the original intention of these Ferguson tillers
Most guys got a plow, disc and cultivator with his little tractor

The field cultivator must have been more of a special tool as there are not near as many of them out there as cultivators like mine?
Good luck with and post a picture when finished plowing up some ground, I always like to see pictures of tool working
 

It's a adaptable versatile tool. It will break up ground embedded with rocks and roots. When an obstruction is hit, powerful coil springs allow the tines to give and pass over. It can prepare a seed bed with out plowing. It can be used to renovate pastures and for many other tillage operations. Mine has been used to clean out undergrowth and drag out wood piles. Its my go to tool when looking to prepare new ground that I don't know whats in the ground. I have found lots of unknown chit in the ground like a axle with a chain. Folks seam to forget what they drove in the ground that will tear up your implements....
 
(quoted from post at 16:01:16 05/20/17)
I marked off how much of the lower part of the bracket would have to be cut off in order to mount them inside
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heck, terry - that looks like a job even *I* can handle :D
 
The tiller was made for 8X32 or 10x28 (11.2x28) tires, when the Jubilee came out with wider tires available then Dearborn changed the hitch
parts so the tires would clear.
 
(quoted from post at 18:22:15 05/22/17) The tiller was made for 8X32 or 10x28 (11.2x28) tires, when the Jubilee came out with wider tires available then Dearborn changed the hitch
parts so the tires would clear.

Way to go Scott!
Go to the head of the class. :)

I was just mulling over a theory that Ferguson implements might have called for longer lower arms, cause I had the same problem with my MF Cutter -- for that problem I moved the pins to the insides. I'd like to know if Ford and Ferg lower arms were always the same length.

Since you bumped me up here's a progress report.
Brackets reversed and mounted today. Harry rolled over to have a look. :D

Thanks,
Terry

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Scott,

As far as I know, the Jube tire options from Ford were never quite as big as my Jubilee's tires are. I've got custom widened Hat Box rims and 13.6 X 28 tires.
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HFJ,

Well I managed to pull it off and just mounted it on the tractor.
It's well away from the tires now so I won't be constantly on guard about it catching the lugs. I used 3 chain links to lengthen the rear braces.

Thanks to all for the support,
Terry

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