When to Use fields tractor？

I am trying to do some small scale farming(20ac), for hobby mainly. I have a 125 HP tractor. I have an old 7' chisel plow that I run to break up the ground nice and deep, but I am trying to decide what to buy to do the final preparation for seed planting (winter wheat, haygrazer etc).

I have had people tell me to get a field cultivator with shanks 6" apart, staggered on 3 tool bars with 8" sweeps. I originally thought about a tandem disc, but was told they leave a rough field on the edges where the outer discs kick up the dirt.

HUILI Machinery supply professional and honest service.

Any way I have the chisel, a wheat drill, and am just missing the intermediary equipment. Like I said it is just for hobby, but since I am going to go out and buy something I want to get what will work best.

These days a field cultivator is _the_ soil prep tool. A disk is a specialized tool, everyone has one in the grove but rarely uses it, only when it is needed.

The disk will help break up hard clods. It will cut up heavy trash, like lots of cornstalks, or heavy wheat straw. Other than that, it is a land packer & we have come to realize it does not make a good seedbed, more of a hard plow-pan in our clay soils.

The field cultivator, with a 2-3 bar harrow attachment on the back of it, will make a much better seedbed 90% of the time. The only issue really is trash, as mentioned. Old units had the bars too close together. As they get newer, the bars got spaced farther apart, then a 4th bar was added on real new ones & all the shanks are spaced farther apart.

For $ I would expect a pretty new unit with good spacing, harrow attachment, etc. 'Round here anyhow.

Cultimultchers are not good in trash, they really plug up. Make wonderful seedbeds in clear dirt tho.

Tillers tend to overwork the soil, using up hp & time.

I think in small grain stubble, the field cultivator will work out for you fine. Chisel in fall, field cultivate in spring, and plant.

For cornstalks, you would need to either chop the stalks with a stalk chopper (flail mower), or disk it several times, before chiseling it, then the field cultivator would should likely will handle things in spring.

If I had to get only one, I'd go for the field cultivator unless there was a good reason for needing the disk - if you are in that 10%.

--->Paul

Thanks again for the info. All good stuff and very informative.

I did some pricing today and a 15' 3pt, 3 bar 4" field cultivator(used) is going to run $. I figure a good 3pt disk is going to be about that amount or more. (I need everything 3pt as some of the areas I am working are small and fenced and it is a pain turning pull type stuff around)

Someone mentioned to me trying a rototiller. Something like this http://www.ccmachinery.com/tillers.htm the SR series either 90" or 105". Seems like with the chisel I could break up the soil and then the tiller should do a good job of preparing the seedbed wouldn't it? True these are pretty narrow, but I am not trying to cover large acreages. At a cost of 3k I don't know. Maybe good if it is replacing two other implements?

• tiller

Introduction

Field efficiency means completing a particular field operation while wasting the least amount of time, fuel, and farm resources. The term refers to the time the operation should take vs. turning and other nonproductive time. For example, spending an inordinate amount of time turning around at the ends of short, wide fields or overlapping tillage operations within a field can result in higher fuel consumption per acre.

Machine maintenance and repair also affect field efficiency ' equipment that is well-maintained and in good condition operates most efficiently.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit fields tractor.

Turning time

To reduce turning time, farmers should strive to make fields large, long, and narrow by eliminating fence rows, ditches, or other barriers. Larger implements, if matched to tractor size, can be more field efficient because bigger implements cover larger areas and require a smaller number of turns.

Tillage direction

The concept of going 'catty corner' or 'tilling off the corners' of the field when tilling diagonally can also save fuel by having the turning result in a tillage operation.

Wheel traffic pattern

Controlled wheel traffic patterns can save fuel and reduce total soil compaction in a field. The tractor and other machinery operate in the same tracks for all operations, improving tractive efficiency with compaction occurring only in a narrow area.

Crop growth in the uncompacted areas of the field is considerably better than if some compaction occurred all over; however, poor drainage or other problems may occur near the compacted zone.

Shallow tillage

Deeper tillage results in greater fuel use. With every inch of increase in moldboard plowing depth, approximately 0.15 more gallons of diesel fuel per acre is used. There is a proportionate increase for other tillage operations at increased depths. Secondary tillage should seldom be performed deeper than one-half the depth of primary tillage.

For example, if a field is plowed 8 inches deep, disking should be no deeper than 4 inches. Shallower secondary tillage has the added benefits of not only saving fuel, but reducing compaction and lessening the amount of wet soil and weed seeds brought to the soil surface. Water loss is also often reduced with shallower tillage, resulting in a longer period before first irrigation is necessary and/or better overall early plant growth.

Harvesting efficiency

Crop conditions can affect the amount of fuel used in harvesting operations. A crop which is too wet, lodged, or harvested under wet soil conditions can increase fuel consumption. Where possible, under optimum crop and field conditions, proper machine adjustment and harvest can result in fuel efficiency. Harvesting less straw and stalks during grain combining by increasing height of cut can reduce fuel consumption as well.

Use of precision agriculture

Global positioning system (GPS) guidance systems and auto-steer technology make use of the most efficient routes around a field, eliminating overlaps and skips.

Additional Resources

Introduction to Energy Efficient Tractor and Field Operations

Tractor and Field Operations Energy Efficiency Checklist and Tips

Precision Farming Tools: GPS Navigation. Virginia Cooperative Extension

GPS Applications in Crop Production

What is Site-specific Farming?

Contributors to this Article

Authors

• Zane Helsel, Extension Specialist in Ag Energy, Rutgers University
• Robert Grisso, Extension Engineer, Virginia Tech
• Vern Grubinger, Professor, University of Vermont Extension

Peer Reviewers

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