cultivating with the H

L

LorenMN

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Rains finally let up for a few days, long enough to make a pass with the cultivator for the first time. Corn was planted on May 25, central MN, 5 acres with good drainage. Knee high in several spots, other spots are about 8" and light green, too much water I suppose. Need some heat, been too cool yet. Weeds not too bad, will be OK for picking as ear corn, to grind for steer feed. Renter never got crop in.

Think I can get another pass thru the field a week from now, or will it be too high by then? Supposed to rain tonight thru Sunday, then be good weather next week.

 

S

sd pete

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Cultivating helps waterlogged corn. Thanks for the pics.

 

P

pllr

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

spent many hours with a '39 h in the mid-70's cultivating for grandpa, the last pass for the season, was close to waist high, long as plants were not damaged.... still trying to get that tractor from grandma for my collection..

 

OP

OP

L

LorenMN

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

It sure makes the field look nicer to roll over the black dirt. The sprayed fields just look so sterile. I just hate to see the erosion though if we get the 2"+ of rain that they're predicting. But, maybe the rain will soak in more instead of just running off like it's been doing. I think we've had over 12" of rain this month.

 

R

rrlund

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Yep,I've spent many a summer day this time of year doing the same thing with an H.

 

S

sd pete

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

We have had a bunch also. Probably had half of what you guys have. None of need a gully washer.

 

J

JMOR

Well-known Member

Location

TX

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Sure don't plant corn like that around here anymore. They have another 8 or 10 more "rows" between each of yours. So dense that weeds can't grow!

 

L

longear

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

I used to love cultivating corn. started with a C then used an H never used the rears though.

 

5

55 50 Ron

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Standing on the tractor for the first picture or on something higher? Appears to be something higher.

Thanks. Nice photos. What County? I'm in Waseca County and have had 10-12 inches of rain depending on where in the county.

 

D

dgasper

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

I remember that! The hardest part was putting the cultivator on and then taking it off.

 

OP

OP

L

LorenMN

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

That was taken while standing on the tractor. We're in Wright County.

 

R

ryanwheelock

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Looking good! I've been looking for a set for one of my H's to cult. some of my corn.

 

R

RN

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

No rears cultivator on H meant easier to get on and off- about as easy as getting on and off grandfathers B JD with the simple rear wheels only rears and sometimes without them. JD catalog had their quick mount units for IHC listed- get the front subframe mounted and then could do the quick mount in 1/2 hour. The swingaway side sections had the inside 3 leaf or S spring that took care of front wheel tracks and you could put a similar section to outer side to take care of the rear wheel tracking- just like the B rig. Not many in area had the JD quick mount on IHC H 2 rows- but a couple guys did have the 4 row units on Ms and 400,early 560 Ds. The fast hitch rear mounts were quick to get mounted- but needed to get the front guide rods set right and the hassle was getting the shields set right for the smaller, 1st pass plants and proper alignment, tracking when row bent some- front mount you could see the shovels, shield and the plant rows. Fathers last rig on 560 was fast hitch had the wheel track leaf spring sets and the front mounting frame had the shovels, 1/2 shovel and shields that could get real close to beans especially- was from a M, 400 rig. My 350D has fast hitch- used to share equipment with brothers 560 D and the gas rig later, cousin has grandfathers B. Now Sister has 12 or 16 row planter and spray rig on the 88nn something JDs - no more cultivating. IHC 350D was last used as a garden tractor- semi retired to older brothers place. RN

 

M

Mike Aylward

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Nothing much prettier than a newly cultivated field of healthy corn. Nice. Mike

 

casecollectorsc

Well-known Member

Location

E central SD.

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Brings back memories of when I was 8 years old and cultivating with a SC Case and two row cultivator. What a boring job for a kid!

 

G

gtractorfan

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Been there done that in the '50's also with a Farmall H. What I see missing on the front is a section removed from the lower part of the grill and a bracket sticking out that was attached to the vertical steering shaft. It helped move the front section of the cultivator side to side quicker.

 

O

Owen Aaland

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

I spent many hours on an H set up just like that. We actually had two cultivators so we some times would have one each on the 40 and 45 tractors. The 40 was always much nicer because the steering was tighter. One of the cultivators was an older unit that originally had the steerable rows but it had been converted to match the newer one like in your pictures.

The 43 H always had the loader on it which we didn't remove. The cultivators may come off a few time every year to handle the hay crop. Sometimes just dropped the rear gang and installed the draw bar but that pretty much limited to pulling wagons.

 

R

Rollie NE PA

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

I remember it well. I still have two sets of cultivators for my H (fronts), I don't know what I did with the rears though, I never used them.

 

S

stevob671

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Corn looks like coming along nice given conditions we've had! Grew up on an 8n with a 3pt. 2 row lookin' backwards. Made 2 to 3 passes per summer idling along with the shields down for 1st and crusin' for the last pass with the shields up, corn brushing under the axles. Dad "hired" me out to neighbor who had the river bottom just north of Delano, with an H- same setup as yours. Boy that took arm strong steering compared to the N with the 3 point! That was a long flat field- gave ya lots of time to think about things. or not! Nice seeing the H with cultivators on! Thanks.

 

T

Tom in NE

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Thanks for posting the pictures! Really brought back memories of my Dad"s dryland cornfields. I need to take some pictures of the irrigated fields around me. The height of the corn is incredible for the last week of June. They also grow it so close together the corn looks like there might be three or four inches between plants. And the rows are so close together, I don"t know how even a skinny tractor tire can get between them to do any cultivating.
Tom

 

B

BushogPapa

Well-known Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

1st thing that comes to m ind is the 2nd degree Sunburns..!!!
Spent many a day watching that no stalk was covered..!
Still have a nice set for my JD "B"..

Ron.

 

J

Jim Phelps

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Never used an H in corn but spent alot of time using one in tobacco, we would drop one side since our setter was a one row. Plow all day.

 

M

montidale

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

Loren nice pics. My father in law has a C with a similar set up in the rear of the tractor. I live in Monticello in gravel and it doesn't look that dry. We just got a cultivator mounted on a JD A and cultivated some sweet corn today. We planted the corn with a Super C and a two row corn planter.
It would be nice for the rain to stop for at least a week.

 

M

montidale

Member

• Jun 26, 2014

• #1

I bet they are not doing much on the river bottoms this year.

 

L

LA in WI

Member

• Jun 27, 2014

• #1

Gtractorfan,

I grew up in Iowa, cultivated many years with several H Farmalls, an SC Case and a B JD, and never saw a "steerable" front cultivator...nor did we need one.

I moved to Wisconsin hill country 40 yrs ago and I started seeing old H and M Farmalls without the grill inserts. Then I learned about the steerable cultivators.

I now have a "sidehill hitch" on my H; friends in flatland Iowa have never seen that either!

LA in WI

 

OP

OP

L

LorenMN

Member

• Jun 27, 2014

• #1

Thanks for all the nice comments. The cultivator is the original one my grandfather had when he bought his '46 H new. Both him and my dad spent many hours on it over the years. As a kid I would ride along with my dad while he cultivated, me standing on the axle while holding onto the headlight bar. My uncle has the original '46, after we divided up the farm, but I also have 3 other H's that are restored and painted. Pictures would be nicer if I would have used one of those! This tractor gets to do the dirty work, but it is in very good mechanical shape. I kinda like having one that looks like a workhorse. I love the sharp snap sound of the H exhaust, a little different than the M. Dad used to run the H & M without a muffler. Has 2 hearing aids now.

 

WI Dan

Well-known Member

Location

Northern Wisconsin, Price County

• Jun 27, 2014

• #1

Those are very nice pictures. Thank you for sharing.

The tractor isn't all 'gussied up' for the parade, but sure makes you appreciate a hard workin old machine.

 

O

oldtanker

Well-known Member

• Jun 27, 2014

• #1

When dad started farming it was with an AC CA and an R JD. I spent some time on the CA with a 2 row setup. Worst day of my life was cultivating a corn field overlooking a lake.....on fishing opener! Was out there from about 8AM till almost dark just wishing I was on the lake!

Rick