Walk behind cultivator

 

Okay, finally decided that no-dig aided occasionally by the shovel isn't
going to work for our largest garden bed, so it is time to consider the
purchase of a power tool for the job.

Where do people look for walk behind cultivators?

Looking more towards the smaller self propeller rather than the heavier
one on two wheels(bed is raised and need to be a bit gentle).

 

terryc wrote:

I once hired one of the smaller self propelled sort.  The brand and model
escapes me.  For breaking ground in heavy soil it was useless, it didn't
have the power or weight to do the job.  The kind that will do that are
rather large and expensive.  For tilling broken ground it was OK but only
went down about 20cm.  I suggest trying to hire an example of the model you
want before you buy or getting it on approval so that you know if it will do
the job you need in your soil and that you can handle it.

David

 



I hired a small cultivator or rotary hoe just wanted to turn the dirt over.
Was useless and that was in WA's gutless sand. A bigger unit was much better
but hard work. Just remember that it had a robin motor on it about 8hp i
think. So as David says hire, beg or steal one before buying one. If you
have a good tilth it maybe ok but if you have green stuff or clods it will
be a waste of time with a small one.

 

On Mon, 31 May 2010 13:41:41 +1000, David Hare-Scott wrote:


Thanks David (and others).
That will probably be the way I go (if it gets financial approval. I used
one of the heavy, powered wheel versions at high school, when you would
do a 1/4 acre at a time. Twenty years ago, I hired same model  and gave
the garden plots a thorough going over at the maximum depth of the
machine.

Hiring one occasionally is an option, but given the quality of hire stuff
over the years, it is far easier and safer to just buy my own gear for
regular needs.

Unfortunately the garden plots are a tad small for the larger model and
they are fine when you are young and fit, so I was looking at the smaller
models.

I have seen them dance across the surface of harder ground, so
I knew about that problem. This would be for working well worked/mulched
beds.

Looks like I'll just have to try the various produce places to see what
they offer.

 

terryc wrote:

Unless you have a good friable soil most of the smaller units are under
powered

I had a local come and till about 1/2 acre recently with his fergy
tractor , bottle of scotch did it in 20 minutes what was a days work and
  I guess you have a smaller need of course , do you have a local hire
place perhaps where they have mowers and power tools ?