Row Crop Cultivators

Summary of Alloway 836 Row Crop Cultivator (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.96 MB)

The overall performance of the Alloway 836 row crop cultivator was very good. Weed kill was good with the 4 in (100 mm) sweeps. Penetration was very good in average field conditions.

The flexibility of the tines provided a high speed vibrating action, and allowed clearance of large stones. Tine helper springs provided additional tine force to break up hard ground. Trash burial in light and moderate trash was good. In areas of heavy trash, the gangs on the AIIoway 836 tended to collect the trash, and eventually plug. This caused the gang to push the soil instead of tilling it. Only moderate skewing occurred where soil hardness varied across the machine width.

The Alloway 836 could be conveniently placed into transport or field position from the tractor seat. The wings folded 180° and did not require locks. The 14 in (350 mm) sweep-to-ground clearance was ample for normal transport. Transporting on public roads required caution because of the machine's large transport width. The Alloway 836 was stable during field work and in transport.

Tillage depth was usually level across the cultivator width. Fore-and-aft and lateral levelling was accomplished on the three-point hitch of the tractor. One man could hitch or unhitch the Alloway 836 in about 5 minutes.

Total draft (pull force) under average row crop conditions at 5 mph (8 km/h) varied from 1900 to 3800 lb (9 to 17 kN) for depths of 2 to 4 in (50 to 100 mm) respectively. Under average soil conditions. at 6.2 mph (10 km/h) and 4 in (100 mm) depth, the draft power requirement was 103 hp (77 kW). A tractor of about 130 hp (98 kW) was required for safe overall operation of the Alloway 836.

Only minor mechanical problems developed during the 193 hours of field operation. The leading tip broke off of six sweeps after 130 hours. The U-Bolts that clamp the hitch-mast to the tool-bar broke after 400 mi (650 km) in transport.

Summary of Lilliston 6420 Row Crop Cultivator (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.93 MB)

The overall performance of the Lilliston 6420 row crop cultivator was very good. Weed kill was good with the gangs set at a moderate angle of attack. Penetration was very good in average field conditions.

Trash burial in light and moderate trash was good. In areas of heavy trash, plugging sometimes occurred between the rear gangs and the high-speed sweeps. This caused the gang to push the soil instead of tilling it. Only moderate skewing occurred where soil hardness varied across the machine width.

The wings on the Lilliston 6420 folded 90° and required pins to keep them in place during transport. The 11 in (280 mm) sweep-to-ground clearance was adequate for normal transport. Transporting on public roads required caution because of the machine's large transport width and height. The Lilliston 6420 was stable during field work and in transport.

Tillage depth was usually level across the cultivator width. Fore-and-aft and lateral levelling was accomplished on the three-point hitch of the tractor. One man could hitch or unhitch the Lilliston 6420 in about 5 minutes.

Total draft (pull force) under average row crop conditions at 5 mph (8 km/h) varied from 1800 lb (8 kN) at the minimum horizontal angle and penetration settings, to 3600 lb (16 kN) at the maximum horizontal angle and penetration settings. Under average soil conditions, at 6.2 mph (10 km/h) and maximum horizontal gang angle and gang pressure settings, the draft power was about 100 hp (75 kW). A tractor of about 130 hp (98 kW) was required for safe overall operation of the Lilliston 6420.

Only minor mechanical problems developed during the 262 hours of field operation. One gang pivot clamp broke after 75 hours, and one add-on spider fell off after 155 hours.

Summary of Westgo 2220 Row Crop Cultivator (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.88 MB)

The overall performance of the Westgo 2220 row crop cultivator was good. Weed kill was good with the 4 in (100 mm) sweeps. Penetration was good in average field conditions.

The flexibility of the tines provided a high speed vibrating action, and allowed clearance of large stones. Trash burial in light and moderate trash was good. In areas of heavy trash the gangs on the Westgo 2220 tended to collect the trash, and eventually plug. This caused the gang to push the soil instead of tilling it. Only moderate skewing occurred where soil hardness varied across the machine width.

The wings on the Westgo 2220 could be folded and locked into the 90° transport position from the tractor seat. Putting the cultivator into field position required manual removal of the transport lock. The 8 in (200 mm) sweep-to-ground clearance was adequate for normal transport. Transporting on public roads required caution because of the machine's large transport width and height. The Westgo 2220 was stable during field work and in transport.

Tillage depth was usually level across the cultivator width. Fore-and-aft and lateral levelling was accomplished on the three-point hitch of the tractor. One man could hitch or unhitch the Westgo 2220 in about 4 minutes.

Total draft (pull force) under average row crop conditions at 5 mph (8 km/h) varied from 1850 to 3200 lb (8 to 15 kN) for depths of 2 to 4 in (50 to 100 mm) respectively. Under average soil conditions, at 6.2 mph (10 km/h) and 4 in (100 mm) depth, the draft power requirement was 103 hp (77 kW). A tractor of about 130 hp (98 kW) was required for safe overall operation of the Westgo 2220.

A few mechanical problems developed during the 177 hours of field operation. The leading tip broke off of four sweeps after 114 hours. One parallel linkage hinge bolt broke and the two offset gang brackets bent.

Summary of Ber-Vac 810 Row Crop Cultivator (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.88 MB)

Overall Performance: The overall performance of the Ber-Vac 810 row crop cultivator was fair.

Quality of Work: Weed kill was good with the 4 in (100 mm) sweeps. Penetration was good in average field conditions. The flexibility of the tines provided a high speed vibrating action, and allowed clearance of large stones.

Trash burial in light trash was fair. In areas of moderate and heavy trash, the gangs plugged continually. This caused the gang to push the soil instead of tilling it. Skewing occurred where soil hardness varied across the machine width.

Ease of Operation and Adjustment: The Ber-Vac 810 evaluated was awkward to transport due to the large transport width. The optional folding model would be more practical if transporting frequently or over a great distance. The 14 in (360 mm) sweep-to-ground clearance was ample for normal transport.

Tillage depth was usually level across the cultivator width except where the ground was packed hard from the tractor wheels. Fore-and-aft and lateral levelling was accomplished on the three-point hitch of the tractor. One man could hitch or unhitch the cultivator in about 4 minutes.

Power Requirements:Total draft (pull force) under average row crop conditions at 5 mph (8 km/h) varied from 1260 to 2100 lb (5.6 to 9.3 kN) for depths of 2 to 4 in (50 to 100 mm) respectively. Under average soil conditions, at 6 mph (10 km/h) and 4 in (100 mm) depth, the draft power requirement was 64 hp (48 kW). A tractor of about 100 hp (75 kW) was required for safe overall operation of the Ber-Vac 810.

Durability: No mechanical problems developed during the 90 hours of field operation.

Summary of Massey Ferguson 440 Row Crop Cultivator (Evaluation Report - PDF File - 0.70 MB)

Overall Performance:The overall performance of the Massey Ferguson 440 row crop cultivator was good.

Quality of Work: Weed kill was good with 4 in (100 mm) sweeps. Penetration was good in average field conditions, with the tines having enough flexibility to provide high speed vibrations for crust shattering, and clearance over large stones.

Trash burial in light and moderate trash was good. In areas of heavy trash, the gangs tended to collect the trash and plug. This caused the gang to push the soil instead of tilling it. Skewing occurred where soil hardness varied across the machine width.

Ease of Operation and Adjustment: The Massey Ferguson 440 could be easily folded into transport or field position from the tractor seat. The wings folded 180 degrees and had pins to hold them in place. The 11 in (280 mm) sweep-to-ground clearance was adequate for normal transport.

Transporting on public roads required caution because of the machine's large transport width. The cultivator was sturdy during field work and in transport..

Tillage depth was usually even across the cultivator width except where the ground was packed hard from the tractor wheels. Fore-and-aft and lateral levelling was accomplished on the three-point hitch of the tractor. One man could hitch or unhitch the cultivator in about 5 minutes.

Power Requirements: Total draft (pull force) under average row crop conditions at 5 mph (8 km/h) varied from 1365 to 2400 lb (6.1 to 10.7 kN) for depths of 2 to 4 in (50 to 100 mm) respectively. Under average soil conditions, at 6.0 mph (10 km/h) and 4 in (100 mm) depth, the draft power requirement was 72 hp (54 kW). A tractor of about 120 hp (89 kW) was required for safe overall operation of the Massey Ferguson 440.

Durability: No mechanical problems developed during the 131 hours of field operation..