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Implement Alley Discussion Forum

Soil Conditioner

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PreciseFarms

12-27-2007 19:28:44




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I was wondering if anyone had what my grandpa and dad always called a soil conditioner. As I understand it, it had a pan on top that you could shovel dirt on to add weight. I'm not sure if it used spike teeth, sweeps, or points but they always said it left an awesome seedbed. A picture would be appreciated.




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[email protected]

12-29-2007 17:50:19




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 Re: Soil Conditioner in reply to PreciseFarms, 12-27-2007 19:28:44  
What you are referring to is/was called a soil surgeon in its day. Grandfather had one back in the 50's that looked like a large flat piece of steel. On the bottom was a "U" shaped piece bolted upside down that came to points on each side. It could roll freely on the bolt and simply broke up clods of dirt. If my memory is right, there was 7 rows deep with 20 free rolling "U" locations on each row. There was an axle across the top which was raised by hydraulics. Most of the guys would place rocks and other heavy items on the top of the bed for weight. It was almost as effective as dragging a set of bed springs across the field with a little weight. Very minimal horsepower needed.

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J.C.in AZ.

12-29-2007 11:19:21




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 Re: Soil Conditioner in reply to PreciseFarms, 12-27-2007 19:28:44  
I know what you are referring to but never knew it's true name as my memory goes back to the 40's-50's and I never saw it used for it's true purpose.We had one dad took the wings off the bottom of [they looked like a keel a sail boat uses, small 4-5" wedge shaped pieces welded or bolted maybe on to the bottom ,vertical& randomly]. We called it a "Stone boat" and used to walk the fields and use it to haul rocks out of the field with.We pulled it with a ford 8n.

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MN Bob

12-28-2007 07:50:36




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 Re: Soil Conditioner in reply to PreciseFarms, 12-27-2007 19:28:44  
We had one as a kid behind horses. Think it was homemade. trace chains hooked to tool bar and about 2X8 with spikes (maybe railroad?) through it. then to a large boardplatform with heavy metal on the bottom. Dad would stand on it and sometimes added rocks or dirt for weight. I like the way a Brillion seeder leaves a field looking Bob third party image

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Don-Wi

12-28-2007 00:28:51




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 Re: Soil Conditioner in reply to PreciseFarms, 12-27-2007 19:28:44  
Tye 2 things that jump to my mind are either a culitpacker or a cultimulcher. We have 2 packers that are just a bunch of cast wheels that crush the big chunks and leave a nice firm seedbed.

A Mulcher has the wheels, but between the 2 rows of wheels there are some spring teeth.
Either one leaves a really nice seedbed, although the cultipackers are uissually pulled behind the grain drill, not before it.

Donovan from Wisconsin

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IaGary

12-27-2007 22:24:14




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 Re: Soil Conditioner in reply to PreciseFarms, 12-27-2007 19:28:44  
Was it a soil conditioner or a soil finisher?

Soil finisher has a disc up front,cultivator shovels in the middle and a coil tine or some type of harrow on the rear.

Gary



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PreciseFarms

12-28-2007 06:25:26




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 Re: Soil Conditioner in reply to IaGary, 12-27-2007 22:24:14  
No its not either of those. We have a cultipacker and I've run a soil finisher. As I said it had a pan on top that you shoveled dirt onto to add weight. It obviously dug into the ground some because you could add enough dirt to keep any tractor made in the 40s and 50s from moving out of its tracks. But when little or no weight was on it even the smallest tractor wouldn't know they had hold of it. It may have even originally been used with mules or horses. It was old when dad knew about it and they eventually tore it up or got rid of it.

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randallinMo

12-28-2007 06:51:00




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 Re: Soil Conditioner in reply to PreciseFarms, 12-28-2007 06:25:26  
I know exactly what you're talking about. Ours has always been called a "soil conditioner" and it has the pans that fill with dirt to add weight. On the bottom side of the pans are straight "sickle sections" for lack of a better term. These slice through the soil and provide a very good seed bed. Ours is a double unit. Now that I think about it, I think the knives are double knives as well and bolt on from the bottom. I've heard these called "soil surgeons" as well.

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PreciseFarms

12-28-2007 16:37:43




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 Re: Soil Conditioner in reply to randallinMo, 12-28-2007 06:51:00  
I was wrong grandpa called it a soil surgeon rather than conditioner. I don't know where I got that. Thanks a lot. Would love to see a picture of one or know a brand name.



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cowboy4996

01-24-2008 12:35:01




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 Re: Soil Conditioner in reply to PreciseFarms, 12-28-2007 16:37:43  
My uncle still has one on his place. I think 50"s vintage...It has a lift cyl on it and will raise up on rubber tires. It does a fantastic job...leaves a great seedbed. It seems like the blades were kind of U shaped. We used to replace them occasionally. I don"t know if the blades can be purchased anymore or not...????



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