Cultipacker Build

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Cultipacker BuildHere is a picture of a Cultipacker I just built to help sow clover seeds for wildlife food plots. It will be towed behind a small compact tractor. The frame is made from 2.5” square tubing 3/16 wall thickness. The frame dimensions are 65” x 24”. The box on top is to add weight if needed (the soil at mom and dads is hard.) The Cultipacker wheels are 14”. I got them used from an Amish man.Cultipackers compress the soil to insure good soil seed contact. If soil is overly compacted it can lead to a host of problems.  I copied this person’s design http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=371851 but felt it might have to heavier due to our soilBoot for scale Attached ImagesDave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:Looks like a well built frame. What does a cultipacker do that a disc doesn't do?Tim Beeker.
Reply:Thanks Gives the seed good soil to seed contact. Seed like clover is tiny, compressing it into the soil is important for germination.Dave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:Looks good. Have you had a chance to try it?
Reply:No I will try it out in a few weeks. Hey did you get that paypal thing worked out I have a 2 week  workshop. I could bring and show off the t rex.Dave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:DaveReal nice. One of my things to build this winter is a set of disks to go behind my garden tractor. I never thought of building a smal packer for it and the food plots. Thanks for sharing!Learning one rod at a time
Reply:Nice job, should work great! Do you frequent TBN at all?I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:WeldermikeNo what is TBN?Dave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:www.tractorbynet.com
Reply:Tractorbynet. Com, pretty cool tractor, impliment and everthing else in between forum. Someone was recently asking about building a cultipacker, thought it may have been you.I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:I hope it works like you think it will.In general, a cultipacker is used to develop "fines".  It pulverizes the soil after initial tillage with conventional equipment (plows, discs, etc.).  Brillion http://brillionfarmeq.com/BFEInterne...spx?fileid=522 still makes these, but they're not used much anymore in most areas due to the soil erosion they can cause.I built one years ago, much like you've done, and I only use it in bad years when the ground is so dry that the plowed ground doesn't "mellow" during the Winter because of lack of rain/snow.  I drag it behind a finishing disc to pulverize the clods that the disc didn't break apart.  It's sort of a last ditch implement.  Nowdays I just don't plant anything if I feel the land's too dry, won't have a real chance of success anyways.If your ground is good ground, ie. friable, it probably has good moisture retention and might not be subject to blowing or water erosion.As a "drag" to improve seeding it might not be the answer.  The v shaped wheels will press seed in too deep.  Generally you can use the cultipacker if you follow with conventional broadcast seeding with a pull behind drag (springtooth harrow, spike tooth harrow with worn spikes, or a simple pipe and chain drag).If you have the time, take a look at a pasture drill or hoe drill.  You'll notice press wheels directly behind the seeding tube.  The purpose of the press wheel is to compress the ground and make for a tight seedbed when the cutter has opened the slot, and the tube has dropped the seed.  Depth is controlled by the drill settings.  And, as you know, you can't have air pockets around the seed if it is to germinate.Anyhow,as rule, the cultipacker isn't a seeding tool, rather it's a secondary tillage tool preceeding seeding equipment.Let us know how it works, it might just be the ticket and I might be all wrong.  See if you can find a way to determine % of germinating seed.  I do pretty large seed for forage crops so I can actually count seeds deposited in the rows, and later come back and count actual seedlings which have sprouted.  Your situation is really different.Very nice build by the way."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I will check out Tractorbynet. Com I have never heard of it before. Thnks Farmersam I hope it works out for me.Dave ReberWadsworth Ohio