How much tractor for older field cultivator

Pull a 16’ glencoe and 18’ drag cart behind my d17. Have fluid, weights and duals, pretty good pull in my sandy ground, never do it in heavier ground.

Appreciate the replies guys! The research I’m finding on the google is suggesting 10hp per foot! I’m assuming most all of that is based upon the newer and much heavier field cultivators of today.

https://media.sandhills.com/doc.axd?id=3003935553&p=&ext=pdf&dl=False&wt=False&checksum=WRgpqx6zVJz0UAua8LzuZRYwnCHei%2bpdMPvZJtYj2Guw3DCBXYtbZ9NpcMNYSOhvt3WUGFO9MBY%3d

Here’s Nebraska Tractor test 887 for the1965 AC 190xt diesel turbocharged. It states all their findings of maximum drawbar pull with ballast as follows:
8317lbs,3rdgear,3.2mph,14.89slip.
7257lbs,4thgear,4.1mph,9.66slip.
6344lbs,5thgear,4.9mph,8.08slip.
5107lbs,6thgear,6.2mph,6.03slip.
Using a typical equipment power recommendations per un-tilled soil structure list 6-8hp/ ft?
if FIeld cultivator is a 3 bar depth, then could think of each foot of width as equaled to three 4” shovels? So that computes to 14’ or 42 shovels (100hp/7hp)??

7257lbs/42shovels=173lbs pull per shovel? Hope not? Maybe figure 50%? Which computes to 86lbs/shovel? Doubt it. So at 25% then 35lbs/shovel? Possibly. Reality demands tractor requires some hp to pull itself thru loose plowed soil. So maybe say tractor gets 40% & FC gets 60% of 7257=4354/35lbs per shovel=124 shovels/ 3/ft= 41’ FC.
6344lbs=3807/35lbs per shovel=108shovels/ 3/ft=36’ FC.
Seems crazy wide but simplemath works outs.

Main take away - Variables play into actuality. Maybe add 25-50% FC width if soil is looser from plow, shallower depths, travel speed, etc....? You can always reduce a over wide FC. But it’s harder to add width of a too narrow FC.

Edited by AC7060IL - 12 Feb 2023 at 8:52am

Les Kerf wrote: gerkendave wrote: I’m looking at trying to pickup a field cultivator to run in our alfalfa fields after plowing to level and smooth out the field... Please educate me, I spent the majority of my career in logging/sawmills; the alfalfa fields around here always get plowed and then cut up with a disc, followed by a drag harrow. The field cultivators with which I am familiar would make a mess in plowed alfalfa sod. Is this a common practice in other parts of the country?

What you’re describing is exactly what I did this year and my disc ridges the field horribly and was pretty useless at moving any dirt towards low areas.   So I’m hoping that after plowing I can go back out after it setting for a week or so and run the FC over it a couple directions then if need be to help finish smoothing and packing go back with the harrow.

Just an experiment

I loved my IH 45 with 4 bar harrow it had sweeps and worked great behind the XT.

I found the photo of when I decided to try to flatten some beds in the garden with they vibrashank I guess the XT ran out of traction before I figured out what was happening

Depending on your soil, what you plowed under (corn stalks), and how long you leave the ground after plowing, fall plowing spring tillage, you may have to run a disc first pass then a field cultivator. With not much residue you could use a spring tooth drag, A cultimulcher makes a nice seed bed for alfalfa.  And to make an Alfalfa field smooth roll it with the cultimulcher with the teeth up or roller to finish it. A 15 to 18 cultivator is a good match for a 190, or 200 with duals some guys claim to pull more. For the 27ft Willrich you want a healthy 7060/ 7080 or 8070. 

First step is haul the plow to scrap yard. We’ve had good luck spraying off hay fields late fall and no tilling into them. Other than Deere discs a disc shouldn’t ridge unless you are going too fast.   I hate to say it but every field cultivator we buy is more expensive than its predecessor but does better. Between row crops and cereal grains we plant 1100 acres a year it’s been 5 years since we plowed and probably that long before. Whatever cultivator you buy make sure it has a spike tooth leveler.

I wondered if that would work or if it would still leave a nice finished product removing some shanks.

gerkendave wrote: AC7060IL wrote: https://media.sandhills.com/doc.axd?id=3003935553&p=&ext=pdf&dl=False&wt=False&checksum=WRgpqx6zVJz0UAua8LzuZRYwnCHei%2bpdMPvZJtYj2Guw3DCBXYtbZ9NpcMNYSOhvt3WUGFO9MBY%3d Here’s Nebraska Tractor test 887 for the1965 AC 190xt diesel turbocharged. It states all their findings of maximum drawbar pull with ballast as follows: 8317lbs,3rdgear,3.2mph,14.89slip. 7257lbs,4thgear,4.1mph,9.66slip. 6344lbs,5thgear,4.9mph,8.08slip. 5107lbs,6thgear,6.2mph,6.03slip. Using a typical equipment power recommendations per un-tilled soil structure list 6-8hp/ ft? if FIeld cultivator is a 3 bar then could think of each foot as equaled to three 4” shovels? So that computes to 14’ or 42 shovels (100hp/7hp)?? 7257lbs/42shovels=173lbs pull per shovel? Hope not? Maybe figure 50%? Which computes to 86lbs/shovel? Doubt it. So at 25% then 35lbs/shovel? Possibly. Reality demands tractor requires some hp to pull itself thru loose plowed soil. So maybe say tractor gets 40% & FC gets 60% of 7257=4354/35lbs per shovel=124 shovels/ 3/ft= 41’ FC. 6344lbs=3807/35lbs per shovel=108shovels/ 3/ft=36’ FC. Seems crazy wide but simplemath works outs. Main take away - Variables play into actuality. Maybe add 25-50% FC width if soil is looser from plow, shallower depths, travel speed, etc....? You can always reduce a over wide FC. But it’s harder to add width of a too narrow FC. Quite the numbers list! Although I’m thinking it just confused me more 😉 Thank you though!

Exactly. It was just for fun. Thought I’d try to mathematically quantify an approximate load(lbs?) that each cultivator shovel might encounter? Appreciate your patience.

Why not use a clod bar behind the plow or pull a crumbler or harrow behind the plow?

If/ when I plow alfalfa and grass hay ground, I use a disc for the first pass, or 2, depending on what I see.  My field cultivator would bring up lots of sod chunks, usually.  Just have to observe.  I pull a rolling harrow behind my cultivator, that helps a lot, but still doesn't always break up sod chunks.  Then again, neither does a disc.  The rolling harrow does the best, but then you're pulling more requiring more HP.  I pull 23 ft of "old cultivator" plus the rolling harrow with a 7045.  Soil conditions vary A LOT, and I have some steep if not tall hills to deal with.  On the 7045 with that set up, occasionally I will spin and hop if going uphill, so, I feel it's a good fit.  Can go really well most of the time and encounter the occasional challenge, which I can address by coming at it from another direction, or go a bit shallower.  Many many variables.  Base your trials on what you've observed on your land over the years.  If you can.  There's no substitute for on the spot on the job experience.  Good luck!

Way back when, we spring plowed clover ground. First pass was an old drag harrow then discing. If it looked good it got the harrow again to smooth things off. After the field cultivator appeared a shallow first pass after plowing followed by a little deeper pass then plant. Had coli time harrow on back. As T-bone said gotta be careful not to bring up sod chunks. Working fresh plowed ground is a pain.

Gregor wrote: I have a 22' Kent Field cultivator.  I pulled it with my 7050.  It knew it was back there for sure.  I put duals back on the tractor and much improved.  I wouldn't want anything bigger for that tractor.  I'm in the hills and heavier soil.  but I contour and not up and down the hills.  It sure levels the fields nice before I sow alfalfa in.

Is that Kent the yellow frame or red frame? How many rows of shovels on it?

I’m watching a yellow frame on an auction that looks to be in good shape.