Homemade Cultipacker

[airbiscuit]

Seems too clever by half.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

It's not going to make a very good cultipacker, pretty lousy one I'll bet.

Might make a really light lawn roller or driveway roller?

So that brings up the question of why?
Do you need one of those?

 

[gbaker53]

It's not going to make a very good cultipacker, pretty lousy one I'll bet.

Might make a really light lawn roller or driveway roller?

So that brings up the question of why?
Do you need one of those?

Well, I have a friend who’s been using one for years and he said he has had very consistent success with his food plots since he started using it. He said that just throwing out the seeds and hoping for good germination will be a loss of about 50% of your seeds but by rolling them after you throw them out you will get about 90% or more germination. The cost of seed has increased significantly over the last few years, has everything else has! So after you save your seeds by using the cultipacker, you will be in the black for many years after. Plus I could have borrowed his but I like to stay busy so I decided to make my own!

 

[gbaker53]

Well, I have a friend who’s been using one for years and he said he has had very consistent success with his food plots since he started using it. He said that just throwing out the seeds and hoping for good germination will be a loss of about 50% of your seeds but by rolling them after you throw them out you will get about 90% or more germination. The cost of seed has increased significantly over the last few years, has everything else has! So after you save your seeds by using the cultipacker, you will be in the black for many years after. Plus I could have borrowed his but I like to stay busy so I decided to make my own!

I have always loved being outside as much as possible so I have always had the opportunity to do things that I enjoy doing, hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. “ my dad told me one time “if you sit on the sofa and watch the TV all day, they will find you in the same spot when you are gone!” He’s 98 years old and still mobile but yes he’s not doing too much these days but he’s still here and that’s what he was telling me about life.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

When I sowed winter rye as a cover crop, ONE pass with the empty Big Jon roller(4'w,2.5'D) did a fine job. When I used the tandem drag discs, straight, no weight got similar results,looked like I'd drilled the rye.

 

[gbaker53]

When I sowed winter rye as a cover crop, ONE pass with the empty Big Jon roller(4'w,2.5'D) did a fine job. When I used the tandem drag discs, straight, no weight got similar results,looked like I'd drilled the rye.

I believe that if you do anything to help the seeds make better soil contact when you sow them you will get better yields. I have a back blade that I use to blade my driveway. I could use it to get better seed contact with the soil by
turning the blade 180 degrees and tilt the blade so that you are using the blade to press the seeds into the soil as you drive forward slowly.
But I wanted to make the cultipacker as a project to do the seed planting process so that I could get the best seed germination.

 

[airbiscuit]

I agree that a roller or cultipacker helps with soil/seed contact. The thing is, it needs to be waaaay heavier than your latest plan. Did you watch the videos I posted? That is a pretty decent DIY roller/cultipacker.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Your last design is not a cultipacker it's a roller.
The point of a cultipacker is:
A cultipacker is used to prepare the perfect seedbed by breaking up soil clods, leveling the ground, and firming the soil. It creates small grooves for seeds, ensures excellent seed-to-soil contact for better germination, and helps prevent erosion by reducing soil washing. It is commonly used before and after broadcasting seeds.

Will a roller help for seeding yes, but it's not a cultipacker.

 

[airbiscuit]

If I had access to a bunch of golf cart wheels, I'd weld on some re-bar and make a rolling basket.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

If I had access to a bunch of golf cart wheels, I'd weld on some re-bar and make a rolling basket.

View attachment 171919

Or use just the rims, then you would have a cultipacker design.

 

[gbaker53]

Okay, I have read all the comments and looked at all the information provided. I know that there are many different approaches to making or purchasing the “cultipacker”. Like I mentioned earlier in my threads. I do most of my making of things just to get outside of the house and keep myself busy. I do appreciate the ideas, recommendations and suggestions and even the criticism because it makes me think, is this the best way or even the right way to go about doing this project? I think the best way to go forward is to make it and then post the results. I’m not saying that I don’t like the feedback because I do! I am certainly not thin skinned, as I spend 20+ years at the University of Hard Knocks,
United States Marine Corps. So let’s see how it goes with my project and how it works! I have the first version completed and I am thinking about going to the one food plot that I did not work last year so I will take some pictures of the plot before I get started and as I finish each phase of the plot preparation. And then as it progresses from prep to seeding and then the germination process to the final stage, plants growing and hopefully with a game camera deer enjoying the fruits of my labor. And if I bag a nice buck, I will post it too! So sit back and enjoy the ride, as they say here in the south! Oh, one other thing that I am considering is to modify it to be a 3 point hitch type configuration for the tractor. I had considered that idea before but decided to do it with a pull type configuration instead because if I wanted to sell it, it would probably sell faster since not everyone has a tractor but there are lots of ATV or UTV and even a lawnmower can pull it. Just a thought!

 

[gbaker53]

If I had access to a bunch of golf cart wheels, I'd weld on some re-bar and make a rolling basket.

View attachment 171919

I have seen this type of thing before but I think it’s purpose is to break up the soil before planting. I have a cultivator that works great with the soil here especially in the woods where the soil has never been cultivated before. I bought it from an old farmer friend who had it laying around and it had not been used in years.
And little TLC and it worked great. I have purchased some weights to help it dig in the soil better and plan to use it this year as I work on my plots. The tires are some of the golf cart shipping tires I got for free from a local dealer. I don’t have much covered space to store all my implements but hopefully by end of summer I’ll have enough space to store them properly. Just another project that I have to do!

 

[Paul Allwood]

"....I do most of my making of things just to get outside of the house and keep myself busy...."

Exactly the same here. It's a bonus when the things turn out to be useful.

 

[gbaker53]

Exactly the same here. It's a bonus when the things turn out to be useful.

Amen to that!

 

[gbaker53]

After finishing the cultipacker as I had planned! I was not happy with it! My first thought when I started the project was to make it a 3 point hitch to connect to tractor but I didn’t because I wanted it to be easier to sell if I decided to sell it later. So I decided to change it to a 3 point hitch which will give me better control of the cultipacker than I would have otherwise using a pull behind type. I have started to modify the hitch from the pulling tongue to the 3 point hitch. I will post a picture of it so far and then post it after I finish it and attach it to the tractor.
I purchased a tractor 3 point tow attachment and modified it with the existing pull type set up that I had originally made for the cultipacker.

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You really need to break down and buy a welder and learn to weld.

 

[gbaker53]

You really need to break down and buy a welder and learn to weld.

I have two, a stick welder and a line welder. I just need to get them hooked up to my electric.
Yes, I have been here for two years now but I am not the best at it. My son in law has a welding business probably one of the best in Eastern NC. Folks come from hundreds of miles away to get work done because he is very well known for his skills. I know I have to get it done. I could have used it so much during this project!

 

[gbaker53]

I did some work on the cultipacker today. I finally got it on the tractor with the 3 point hitch attachment that I modified it too! I tested it out and I am having a binding of the packer pipe and I have made a support beam to put across the cultipacker to make it a little more rigid so that the packer doesn’t bind. I believe that during my modification I caused the two wheel assemblies to tilt inward and the pipe is now binding with the assembly. So I plan to add a cross over support to stop it from tilting and binding. Should have it installed tomorrow and then I will post the final results a picture. I am going to try it with the drain pipe packer this year and see how it goes and if it works fine, I will stick to it. If it doesn’t work out then I’ll change it to the golf cart tires.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

If this culvert is filled with concrete, the reason it won't turn is it's not flat.