Arena Maintenance Tool for your Tractor

Q—Will these tools keep my horse or dirt race track arena in good condition between shows or races?

A—If used between rains and before major compaction sets in, this will be the only arena tool you may ever need. The front scarifyers tear up the packed soil surface area followed by a heavy I-Beam that levels out the track and followed by a spring loaded spiked roller that will firm up the surface to help make a optimal track preparation.

Chisel Plow

Q—What does a chisel plow do?

A—A chisel plow will work your soil to a greater depth than a disc harrow. They are great for breaking up hardpan and helping low spots in the fields drain water quicker. A chisel plow will incorperate corn stalks, sod,field residue to a depth that will encourage decomposition and thereby build the fertility in your fields. A field that has be worked with a chisel plow will tend to hold moisture for the crops better in a drought situation.

Corn Planters

Q--What kind of plates come with your used corn planter?

A—We normally ship with medium flat corn plates.

Q--Where can I buy different plates for different seeds?

A—The first place we would suggest will be the dealer that sells your brand of planter (John Deere, IH, Massey Ferguson, Ford/New Holland, Burch, Allis Chalmers.White/Agco, etc) New plates are available from www.lincolnagproducts.com . Many plates are available on www.ebay.com and we we do stock some good used plates for John Deere 246—247 planters for $10 each + shipping and we do have a few used Ford 309 planter plates for $45 each + shipping. You will need to tell us the plate # you need, because, we have no way of knowing what your seed size is.

Q—Should I apply fertilize when I plant or before planting?

A—If your planter has fertilizer hoppers, you will save some time by putting it on as you plant. Either in the row or beside the row. (Be careful and do not put more than 300 lbs of 10-10-10 fertilizer in the row with the seed corn as it could damage the seed before it germinates). Many people will apply the fertilizer to the seedbed/field a week or 2 before planting and work in into the top 2 to 3 inches of the seedbed with a disc harrow or roto tiller. This is a excellent way to get the fertilize in the ground before planting.

Q—How do I control weeds in my row crop?

A—We like to use a row crop cultivator to control weeds until the crop gets big enough to “shade the ground” and then the crop shade will stop the weed growth by cutting off the sunlight to the weeds. Pre-emergence chemicals will work, however, we do not like to introduce chemicals into the food chain used by our family or harvested by wildlife that sometimes ends up on our families dinner plate.

Q--How do I control row width spacing?

A—If your planter does not have row markers, then it is very easy to use your tractor tracks to guide your row spacing.

Covington Planters

Q—Do you sell a 2 row Covington planter?

A—Yes we do. Like the 1 row, the 2 row units come with the cultivators, row openers and fertilizer hoppers as well as the seed hoppers and are all 3 point hitch with category 1 pins.

Q--What seed plates come with the TP-46 planter?

A—Currently the planters come with 5 different plates per unit, to accommodate most anything you will normal want to plant. Just call us Toll Free 1-866-528-3323 for additional plates if you have something unusual to plant. Your owners manual will give you a list of all the plates available with corresponding part #’s.

Q--What is the planter capable of planting?

A—Seeds from the size of a pin head to corn, beans water melons, sunflowers and almost everything in between. 30 different plates are available for the Covington planters.

Q--What are the cultivator feet for?

A—The spring loaded feet plow out the tractor tracks as you plant so as to leave a seedbed conducive to better plant growth and weed control.

Q--How many acres per day can I expect to plant with the Covington TP-46 planter

A—Our customers are reporting 2-4 acres per day planted with the 1 row unit. About double that with a 2 row unit. (Planting speed varies depending on what crop you are planting and how well your seedbed is prepared)

Q—Is the fertilizer drop rate varable or adjustable?

A—Yes, Each unit has adjustable flow gates at the bottom of the hoppers to allow you to vary desired flow rate per acre.

Q—What are the tractor power requirements for a 1 and 2 row Covington TP-46 planter?

A—Most of our customers will not go under 15 hp 4x4 with a 1 row unit or under 35 hp 4x4 for a 2 row unit. If you are using a 2 wheel drive tractor, customers are suggesting adding approx 10 hp for each size.

Q—What is the availability of repair parts on Covington products.

A—The factory is located in Albany Ga, USA and parts are readily available. We stock most wear parts here and can drop ship from the Georgia factory any part we do not have in stock. We are happy to be associated with a quality company like Covington and appreciate them keeping repair parts priced very reasonable. Covington is a “Top Notch” USA company.

Cultipackers

Q—Why do I need a cultipacker when sowing seed in my food plot

A—With improved seed germination rates, a cultipacker will pay for itself in a very short time. In addition, a cultipacker will help prevent soil erosion, retain moisture in your seedbed and compact/bust the clods in your seedbed to make for a smooth level field.

Q—What are the power requirements for cultipacker use?

A—The feedback we get from our customers goes about like this: 3 to 6 ft cultipackers can usually be pulled well by a 12 to 25 hp tractor. 6 ft to 10 ft packers require around 25 to 40 hp. 10 ft to 15 ft packers will require 40 to 100 hp. All these estimates are based on using a single roller cultipacker. A double roller would require a little more hp to handle correctly.

Q—Do I need a cultipacker with a 3 point hitch?

A—If you move from location to location very often and do not have a front end loader, a 3 point hitch is very handy to have. All of our used cultipackers have the standard pull type hitch. For $250 extra, we can add a 3 point hitch to the cultipacker and leave the pull hitch on any single roller packer up to 8 ft. Just allow us a 1 week lead time to install.

Q—Is a heavier cultipacker better?

A—If you have a heavy clay based soil or soil with lots of rocks, a heavier cultipacker (with oversize rollers) will do a better job for you.

Q--What are the spikes or notched wheels for on a cultipacker?

A—They are more aggressive in busting clods in heavier sod fields. They have also shown to incorporate the larger “cereal grain” type seeds more efficiently.

Q—What are the bearing type available on cultipackers?

A—Wood bearing enclosed by steel housings have been shown to outlast the more modern roller ball bearings. I have seen cultipackers with 50 year old wood bearings still performing as well as the day they rolled of the assembly line. Roller ball bearings are on most later model cultipacker and perform well until one goes out. When this happens, you must stop immediately and replace the bearing or it will cut into the cultipacker axle quickly and destroy it. In my opinion, The needle roller bearings that the Brillion cultipacker company uses is the best bearing setup available. We stock these bearings as well as the wood and the ball bearing types here at our store. We also do stock some good used wheels at 1/2 price of new. There are on a first come, first serve basis and our previous customers always get first choice if stock is limited.

Q—What Maintenance tips are there to help keep my cultipacker trouble free?

A—Keep the bearings lubed about every 2-3 hours of use or according yor manufacturers specifications. Keep the roller wheels standing up straight (not leaning). This is accomplished by adjusting the clamps on the end of the Axle and also by adding round washer type shims to firm up the fit. Never run with a broken wheel. Check all bolts and nuts before each use and every couple hours while in use.

Cultivators for 3 point hitch tractors

Q--I will need some sort of weed control on my wildlife foodplots that I plant in rows. I was thinking of chemical weed control like the big farmers use. Am I on the right track?

A--Well, actually, we do not subscribe the use of chemicals for weed control in food plots, gardens or truck patches. We had rather use a 1 or 2 row cultivator behind our 3 point hitch tractors to control the weeds and also keep the soil cultivated. The food that is produced from these type fields will usually go directly to the family's dinner table and we had rather not take any chances of chemicals getting into our food chain.

Disc harrow

Q—Can I use a disc harrow alone to prepare a foodplot, seedbed or garden?

A—No, You need to get these areas worked deeper.Maybe 5=8 inches deep. The best tool combination for this is a moldboard turning plow and a disc harrow. Your other alternative would be to use a roto tiller. The money you spend for a disc harrow and a plow will be close to what you will spend for a roto tiller. I think it comes down to personal preferences. One advantage that a roto tiller has over a disc and plow setup is that you can actually get up one morning and go start to finish on preparing your garden/foodplot, all in one day. A disc and plow will take at least 30 days to get you ground ready to plant seeds. If you are looking for tractor seat time and are not in a hurry, The turning plow and disc harrow would probably suit you best.

Disc mowers

Q—Why is a disc mower better than a sickle mower to cut hay?

A—Basically, you can mow hay about twice as fast and the disc mowers will not clog up. On our farm, sometimes we have a short window of opportunity to put up hay because of impending wet weather, Out 9 ft disc mowers let us put down hay on the ground at the rate of 7 acres per hour. Before we open our business at 8 am, we will have a 15-20 acre field of hay on the ground here on the farm. We let it dry all day and whrn we get off work in the afternoon, we will run the tedder over the field to speed up the drying process The second afternoon, we rake the hay into a windrow and bale it before the dew falls this same day.

Q—Where are parts available for the New Fort/Morra and Farmking/Marangon disc mowers you sell?

A—We stock almost all new repair parts for the Fort disc mowers and in addition, we stock almost all Fort disc mower parts in “good used” condition at 1/2 of new parts prices. Parts are also available from a nationwide dealer network and tractor supply stores on in our ebay storewww.sweetebay.com . We stock all wear parts for the Farmking disc mowers and we can also drop ship a part from our warehouse in Claksville, Indiana. We have next day UPS AIR delivery on all our in stock products, if ordered before 9 AM Central time.

Q—Will I need hydraulic remotes on my tractor to run a disc mower?

A—Yes you will. You will need at least 1 hydraulic remote port available on your tractor. This is needed to raise the cutter bar into transport position.

Disc Plow

Q—I have a field that is overgrown with 1 inch bushes and tall weeds. Will a Disc plow turn this field and help me get a new seedbed prepared?

A—Yes, It sure will. It is almost impossible to clog up a disc plow in these difficult plowing conditions. I have personally been using one for over 50 years with complete satisfaction when in new ground or rocky fields. We export dozens of the disc plows to 3rd world countries every year to be used in preparing “new ground for cropping. The cut through the roots and roll over the rocks with virtually no problems. We do stock replacement disc blades for the plows we sell. Customers that have purchased from us before will always have first choice when parts are limited or hard to find.

Double action sickle bar mowers

Q—Does a double action have advantages over a conventional sickle bar mower?

A—Yes, The rock guards and the triangular cutting sections both move in and out providing a superior non clogging cut when mowing hay. They also have a optional hydraulic lift kit for bringing the mower bar to transport and letting it down to the mow position. (remote hydraulic outlets are required on your tractor to utilize the optional kit)

Q—Will a double action mower perform all the functions as a conventional single action sickle bar mower?

A—No, Double actions sickle mowers are precision made machines and designed with close tolerances for the fast cutting of hay fields. Conventional USA made name brand sickle mowers will be best for Trimming road banks, overgrown fields, pond banks, creek banks and areas with small woody brush type undergrowth. The conventional sickle mowers were designed to take a little abuse occasionally and keep on ticking and the double action mowers will only be satisfactory in the mowing of hay fields.

Drum Mowers

Q--Do you sell drum mowers and what brand?

A—Yes, we sell Galfre drum mowers and do have parts support for these mowers. If we do not have the size you need in stock, we can drop ship one to you from our warehouse (usually in 3-4 days). If you need parts, please have your model # and part # ready with quantity needed when you call Toll Free 1-866-528-3323. Monday-Friday 8-5 Central Time.

Q—Why would I choose a drum mower over a disc mower to cut hay with?

A—The Galfre drum mowers do not require hydraulic remote outlets on your tractor. and they cost somewhat less.

Elevators

Q—How do I put the elevator in place when I am ready to unload my bales of hay?

A—These New Snowco Brand 16-20 and 24 ft long units are light enough in weight that usually 1 person and for sure 2 people can set it where it needs to be, to offload the bales and run them up into the hay loft. When finished unloading, many of our customers just push the elevator back up into the loft floor until needed the next time. Here on the home farm, we will set the base of the elevator on the corner of the wagon/trailer that we are unloading and the other end into the loft. This gains us about 3-4 ft in lifting range for the elevator and also makes this unloading process a 2 man/woman operation.

Q—What powers these portable elevators?

A—New elevators will be shipped with a enclosed 1/3 hp electric motor that is powered by your 110 volt power source. We ship these elevators with a small pulley for the motor so you pulling power is increased to the maximum. Don’t worry about stalling out these elevators by putting too many bales on them. The only problem that you will incur when you do this, is to cover up the person in the loft doing the bale stacking. Good help is hard to find, so don’t overwork your helpers. For customers that want to go against our 37 years of experience on power requirements for these new elevators, we do offer a 1 hp 110 volt farm duty electric motor as a option when ordering for a additional $100.

Hay rake dolly

Q—How would a hay rake dolly improve my hay raking ability?

A—This device prevents the rake from riding up on the tractor tire when you accidently turn too short on a corner. They also make hooking to and unhooking from a tractor easy and safer. This device allows you to make a square turn on the ends of your windrow, thus preventing a “windrow loop” at the ends. When you are ready to put your rake up for the winter, you can easily maneuver your rake or manually guide it into you tool shed for storage.

Hay Tedders

Q—Will a hay tedder let me get my hay up faster and with better quality in wet season?

A—Yes, In any season. From our experience here on our farm, we get the hay finished and in the barn a full 1 day quicker by using the tedder 1 time. We have not lost hay to rain since we have owned a hay tedder.

Q—How do you adjust the depth of a tedder before starting on a hay field?

A—Our customers concur that about 1 1/2 inch from the field surface to the tip of the tedder tine is sufficient for good results in tedding hay.

Hillers for making rows

Q—What is the minimum and maximum hill width I could expect to make with the new 4 disc hillers you sell?

A—6 inches to 24 inches

Q—What are the specs on the new Atlas 4 blade hillers?

A—Standard category 1 three point hitch with 4 18 inch diameter disc blades on a 1 inch square axle. The center Furrow attachment point has 3 depth settings and also lowers all the way down to act as a jack stand. In addition, it raises all the way up for times you do not wish to use it. Made in USA.

Moldboard plow

Q—Why would I use a moldboard plow rather than a chisel plow.

A—A moldboard plow turn 100% of the soil over and chisel plow works about 50% of the top layers of soil. A moldboard plow actually flips over the soil allowing the top soil, laden with weed seeds and overgrowth to be put under and get a fresh start when seeding a new field. After using a moldboard plow to turn a field, you will probably need a disc harrow to smooth it down and level it up before you will be ready to sow your seed.

Q—What is the difference in a solid beam plow and a trip beam plow?

A—A solid beam plow has no way to trip when it hits a rock, root or foreign object in your field. When you hit something, you and your tractor comes to a stop, you raise over the obstruction with your tractor 3 point hitch and continue plowing. A trip beam plow can have a shear pin that will let the beam trip back when something is hit and then you get off the tractor and realign the shear pin holes and insert another shear bolt and you are ready to plow again. A auto reset trip beam plow will trip upon hitting a object, you back up 2 or 3 feet and the plow beam automatically goes back to its home position and is ready to continue plowing and you never leave your tractor seat. If you are plowing a small garden or couple small foodplots in soil with no obstructions, a solid beam plow will work fine for you. If you are plowing a unknown field or a know field with known rocks, roots and obstructions, a trip bear plow would be a better investment.

Q—What are the availability of wear parts for a moldboard plow?

A—A name brand plow like, JD, Massey, Ford, Oliver, White, Pittsburg, Ferguson and Dearborn with a “3 piece setup”(moldboard,share and wear shin), replacement part are no problem. We stock most of those here and Tractor Supply usually has good stock and the manufacturers dealers can also provide parts for the used plows we sell. On the other hand, parts for a plow with a “2 piece setup” (moldboard and share) are almost impossible to locate for any price.

Q—I see you sell new plows as well as refurbished used plows, which is the better plow?

A—The older plows are far and above any shortline new plow built today in quality and materials used. Older plows are made from higher quality metals and materials because the farmers that bought and used them relied on these implements to put food on the table for their family and produce a crop to make the farm mortgage payment every year. The new plows we sell today are fine for small garden plots and preparing a yard, however, when the rubber hits the road, you will be glad you own a field ready used plow made when our country knew how to produce quality tools.

Overseeders/Slit seeders

Q—I have a field of grass that has deterioated to the point that it needs to be reseeded, Is this type implement suited for this application?

A—Yes, they work nicely for this application. We like to use the overseeder in the spring or fall. These units will sow a preset amount of seed into your field and the cultipacker rollers underneath will make the seed come into contact with the soil for fast and efficient germination. If you have livestock on your farm, we like to continue grazing this field until the new seed germinate and then pull the livestock off until the grass matures or is ready to cut for hay. This method, helps keep the old growth grasses from competing with the newly seeded cropsArena

Renovator

Q—Do you stock used pasture renovators and what brand new renovators do you sell? How do the actually work?

A—We sell new and used renovators. A renovator usually has shear pin protected shanks spaced around 15 inches apart followed by a drop seeder. These shanks are usually pulled 3 to 6 inches into the soil, thus aerating and preparing a place for new seeds to get started. These are the tool of choice when adding legumes of other seeds to a existing field. The new Hay King and Tufline Pasture renovators are probably the best 2 renovators on the market today. Both brands have the optional disc openers if needed. Call us for a price quote and anticipated delivery time.

Rotary tillers

Q--What tiller would work well with my 23 hp tractor?

A-- The Tarter 48 inch Rotary Tiller will work fine on your machine. You should not have to need offset with this tiller and your tractor. and it also has an inline slip clutch to prevent damage to the tiller or your tractor. They are in stock, it can ship immediately.

Q--Before ordering a new Tarter Roto Tiller, I want to make sure parts are available for Tarter Roto tillers and the time frame to receive after ordering?

A--We stock all wear parts here and any part you would need that is not stiopcked will be drop shipped from the manufacturers facility in Ky or Idaho. Tarter has been in business since 1946 and you can depend on them and Sweet Farm Equipment LLC to take care of your needs now and in the future.
Q--Do you sell any other brand of Roto tillers?

A--Yes, we also sell the Sigma, Sicma and Phoenix Roto tillers and stock most wear parts for them. They are Italian made with quality and great workmanship throughout.

Q--What width roto tillers do you sell?

A--From 40 inch to 120 inch units are usually available for immediate shipment. If you do not see what you are looking for on our website, just Email us at [email protected] and we can usually get what you need for less money than our competition.

Q--Do you sell a reverse rotation roto tiller and what are their advantages?

A--Yes we do. All of the sizes of Tarter roto tillers we sell come setup as forward rotations and can also be converted to reverse rotation if needed. The Reverse rotation setup is a little more aggressive in the attack of the soil. The disadvantage is that if a root, rock or rock is encountered while operating, they will tend to either pull up the object or slip the clutch on the tiller. Phoenix also makes reverse rotation roto tillers and we can beat the competition on any in stock items prices.

Round Bale hay un-rollers

Q—I don’t fully understand what this implement does.Could you explain to me why I would need one and also some of the specifications would be nice to have as I make my buying decision?

A-- We have found the biggest advantage to these un-rollers are when the hay is unrolled, it let smaller or older or sickly animals have access to the feed. This prevents “boss cows or other animals from controlling the feeding area.To maximize the utilization of your hay crop you CAN NOT just set the bale out in the middle of the field, you need to unroll it. Our new “Dirt Dog” 3-PT bale unrollers grasp the hay bale in the center of both sides, and turn on a central axis allowing the friction from the ground to “grab” the hay and start unrolling the bale. The bale un-roller simply connects to the back of your tractor and allows you to roll out your hay bales like a carpet, no pitchfork required. The 3-PT Hay Handler/Unroller is rated at 2000 lbs. for 25-45 HP tractors (depending on whether you have 4x4 or not or front loader or not and actual weight of roll bale being unrolled). The bales may be either 4’ or 5’ in width and up to 6’ in diameter. The hydraulic cylinder is included. The unit’s arms are powder coated. The unit fits both Standard Category 1 and 2 and also Quick Hitches, Includes new hydraulic cylinder and hoses with pioneer ends, 4” x 4” x 5/16” HD square tube frame, Triple lug hitch, Handles 4’, 5’ and 6’ bales with ease, Get you and your animals out of the mud!

Rotary hoe/aerators

Q—What is the difference in a rotary hoe and a aerator?

A—Rotary hoes were originally designed to bust the hard packed soil surfaces after beating rains came onto the corn and soybean fields so the seed could germinate and push through the soil.. Nowadays, most all farmers are using no-till planting methods for row crops and Rotary hoes are not needed. That is good for people needing a aerator. These machines will penetrate the top layers of grass and help alleviate compaction and aerate grass that is root bound. In addition, they are perfect for incorporating newly sown seeds into existing fields or even new fields. We have used these machines on our farm and are completely satisfied with performance and initial cost vs core aerators for yard use.

Round Bale high lift or Siccsor lift for your tractor 3 PT.

Q—I do not have a front end loaded on my tractor. Will this machine allow me to unload trucks and wagons and feed into my hay rings?

A—Yes, you can feed your round bales into your hay rings and never get off your tractor. The implement will allow you to raise a round bale high enough to offload or load a wagon or truck if the flat bed is no more than 4.5 ft tall. 2 remote tractor hydraulic lines are required to operate a device like this. These machines are shipped with hydraulic cylinders unless otherwise specified in the listings. Usually we can ship with Category 1 or 2 3 point hitch pins as long as you let us know how you want it set up before we ship it. Minimum HP tractor required to use this implement depends on the weight of the hay roll. To lift a 2000 lb roll of hay a 75 + hp tractor would be required and a 800 pound roll would require a 45 + hp tractor.

Sickle Bar Mowers

Q--What is the difference between belt drive and a pitman type sickle bar mower?

A—A beltdrive sickle mower has the Cam mechanism that drives the sickle back and forth at the beginning of the cutter bar. This design allows the mower to have a wider range of cut angles without binding. Usually about 70 degrees below horizontal and 90 degrees above horizontal. A pitman mower is less expensive and has a cutting range of approx 35 degrees above and 35 degrees below horizontal. If you do not have extreme angles to mow, these mowers will perform very well.

Q--Is a hydraulic cylinder needed to raise and lower the sickle to follow different cut angles?

A—No, All sickle mowers we sell require that you stop the tractor and PTO and dismount, manually lower the bar to horizontal, get back on your tractor and the cutterbar will automatically follow the contours up or down as you move forward. When you are finished mowing, you will need to stop the PTO and tractor and dismount to raise the cutterbar back into transport position where you will engage the transport lock. You are now ready to go park the mower until needed next time.

Q—How much trouble is attaching a 501 ford to tractor 3 point hitch?

A—Here are attachment instructions from Ehow.com

1--“Put on your work gloves. Check the frame size for your mower. It will either be a 56-inch frame mower or a 76-inch frame mower. When you have determined the frame size, adjust the tractor's rear wheels to the mower's frame size. For 56-inch frames, adjust the rear tractor wheels to 56-inch centers or less. The same rule applies for 76-inch frames.

2--Back the tractor into a position where you can align its left lower link to the mower's lift link pin. Attach these two parts together and secure the connection with the tractor linchpin.

3--Roll the tractor and adjust the leveling crank until the tractor's right lower link can be attached to the right link pin on the mower. Use the tractor lynch pin to secure the connection.

4--Attach the upper link from the mower to the lower hole in the tractor rocker arm by using the link pin.

5--Start the tractor. Using the hydraulic control lever, lift the mower frame assembly slightly and move the mower to the left to allow attachment of the left stabilizer. Place the stabilizer guide under the tractor's left lift link. Position the clamp over the link and tighten the nut firmly.

6--Depending on the tractor type, install the clamp plate or push rod anchor assembly onto the left lower link. Install the push rod on either the clamp plate or anchor assembly.

7--Shift the mower assembly to the right to attach the right stabilizer. Place the stabilizer guide under the tractor's right lift link. Position the clamp over the link and tighten the nut firmly.

8--Raise the mower using the hydraulic control, then attach the mower lift spring to the spring links with the pins that have been provided. Lower the mower assembly and turn off the engine.

9--Remove the tractor power takeoff (PTO) cap and connect the splined end of the mower's drive shaft to the PTO shaft. Secure the connection with the snap coupler found on the yoke.

10--Rotate the leveling crank to lower the frame, ensuring that it is parallel to the ground. Use the leveling crank lock to secure the crank lever.

Q—What are common maintenance tips for better sickle bar operation.

A—Here are a few tips we use on our farm. Keep all zerk fittings lubed. Make sure you check your sections for tightness often. If loose, then tighten the rivets. Make sure your trip breakaway is functioning properly to protect the mower in case you encounter a foreign object while mowing. Check your rock guard ledger plates for excessive wear often. A wore ledger plate will make smooth cutting difficult. Keep your knife sections sharp. Use a under serrated double end section for more overlap and less clogging. Keep your hold down clamps tight against the sickle. Make sure to straighten the rock guards if they get bent our line with all the rest of the guards. Keep your swathboard on the mower and properly adjusted.

Q—In the event I need repair parts, where do I find them.

Q—What is the easiest sickle mower to attach to the tractor?

A—In our experience, it is hard to beat the Massey Ferguson model 31, 41 and 32. My second choice would be the IH/Case/IH or International 100 or 1300 or the New Idea 522 or the Ford 505. My third Choices is divided between the Ford 501, the John Deere 350, the New Holland 450 and 451. The old Dearborn 14-15 sickle mowers are less expensive however, they require a little extra time to install on your tractor 3 point hitch.

Shank Rippers,Tillers or Re-Breakers

Q—Could I use this one tool to prepare my garden or foodplot seedbed?

A—Yes, If you have plots that have already been worked in earlier years and are not compacted, These type tools work well in preparing a small foodplot for the animals or small garden plot. You may need to make several passes to get the soil in the condition that you need before planting.

Q—Do these tools have any other use around the farmstead?

A—Yes, they sure do. Most all of these “shank type” tools are adjustable left to right and also have removable shanks. So lots of our customers will use them as a cultivator in the row type crops.

Shipping

Q--Does a farm qualify as a business for Free shipping? I am 18 wheeler accessible and right on the main road. If not where would it be shipped to?

A--NO, Unfortunatly, The Carriers do not consider a farm as a business. To the carriers, time is money and in their experience, if they can access the the farm, in many cases, the farmer is not at the house with the tractor ready to offload. Many times, a farmer may have a livestock emergency at the back of the farm, gone on short trip on the ATV and sometimes in the house on the phone or using the restroom facilities, etc. If you have us ship to your nearest freight terminal or a downtown commercial business in your hometown, the shipping is free and included in the product pricing as long as you shop in your correct shipping zone on our website. The truck terminal will be glad to load your truck or trailer during regular business hours Monday thru Friday. We do provide you via email the truck terminals physical address and their phone # when your product leaves our facility.

If there is no way you can pickup at a nearby terminal or a non farm business near you we can provide farm delivery for a extra $50 and Call you before delivery for $15 and Hydraulic Lift Gate to put the shipment on the ground for you for $75. All you need to do is check any of these boxes you may need on our product page and we will take care of the rest.

Subsoilers

Q—What is the purpose of using a subsoiler in my fields?

A—To breakup the hardpan in your fields and to allow drainage of water from low areas of your field. After a field has been subsoiled, the moisture that comes down will be held in the trough made by the subsoiler point 16 to 28 inched below the surface until your crops need it

Q--What are some of the advantages of using a subsoiler on my wildlife foodplots and garden?

A--The subsoiler opens up the soil below the hard pan and helps drain excess moisture away from the surface in wet periods and hold moisture at the deeper levels until it is needed during a drought or low moisture period in the growing season. University Field trials have also shown better root penetration of your crops, thus giving you a better chance of improving your yield.

Transplanter

Q--What Type Plant or Seedling or Seed will a Transplanter plant or sow?

A—Our New or Used Mechanical or Holland conventional trans planters will plant bare root and green house cell type plants up to approx. 16 inches long. (Your transplanter will need the finger extensions installed when planting green house type cell plants) We keep these in stock here. A Carousel transplanter will only plant greenhouse or cell type plants and will not plant dry root plants. We have many customers that will plant corn, beans, peas, watermelons etc with their conventional transplanters. They remove the 8 pocket plant chain from the unit and then a operator can set on the units seat and drop the seed into the row opener and the water will be applied automatically as you drive along. The closing wheels in the back finish the job covering the seed crop. Note: Some operators will add a little liquid fertilizer into the water tank and let it mix with the water. By doing this, you are actually giving the seed a dose of fertilizer to promote a quick start on germinating.

Q—What is the purpose of the water barrel and how does it work?

A—The water tank usually holds approx. 50 gallons of water and is located above the planter so gravity feed for the water works great. There is a water valve trip lever beside the plant holder chain that is bumped by each finger pocket as it passes by. In doing so, the water valve releases a adjustable amount of water automatically on each plant as you move down the row.

Q—How many acres per day can I plant with one of these units 1 row units?

A—If the plants are kept in supply to the transplanter, it is easy to plant 2-4 acres per day (depending on plants and row spacings). A 2 row unit will about double that.

Q---How is the planting depth controlled?

A—With the depth control lever on your tractors 3 point hitch. Once you determine you desired planting depth, set your depth control stop on the lever on the right side of your tractor seat.

Q--How many operators are required to operate one of these transplanters?

A—1 to drive the tractor and then 1 or 2 to feed the transplanter, depending on how fast you want to plant? 2 row units require1 tractor driver and either 2 or 4 operators on the transplanter, depending on how fast you want to feed the planter.

Q--What is a track plow?

A—These are spring loaded C shanks that plow out the tractor tracks as you drive and transplant.

Q—What about parts availability for Mechanical and Holland brand transplanters?

A—We stock most wear parts for both brands and if you can provide us with part numbers and quantity you need, we can supply you with about any part on either Brand transplanter very quickly.

Tub seeder/spreaders

Q—What is the lowest seed flow rate that I can adjust these seeders down to?

A—Usually around 5-7 lbs per acre. If you need to go down to 1-2 lb per acre, we sell the new and usually used Herd M-96 Precision Seeders. Email [email protected] for availability and price quote,

Q—Can I spread salt or pelleted lime with these funnel seeder/spreaders?

A--Yes, However you must thoroughly clean and lubricate after each use if spreading salt. These machines are great for spreading pelleted lime.

Wheel rakes

Q--Can a 4 or 5 three point hitch wheel rake be shipped inexpensively?

A—Yes, We ship these unassembled and banded down to a wooden pallet and shrink wrapped. This keeps the shipping profile compact and inexpensive to ship to you. These assembly time is about 1 hour for 1 person with basic mechanical skills a a couple wrenches. Italian wheel rakes have proved their reliability and dependability for over 25 years.

Q—Are there advantages to using a 3 point hitch wheel type rake versus a conventional pull type “bar rake”?

A—Yes, Many university studies have found the wheel rakes handle the hay more gently than a bar rake, thus, saving hay leaves and therefore enabling the farmer to go to the barn with a hay bale that is higher in Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN). The windrows put out by a wheel rake are more fluffy and will let air flow through the windrow to provide quicker dry down times before baling. A 4 or 5 wheel rake can be configured to spread the hay to help dry in Rainey weather or rake into a windrow or turn the hay into 2 smaller windrows to let hay on the bottom get air circulation. We use a doble 6 wheel rake here on our farm and these rake do not leave any hay on the ground. They rake very clean. Our typical rake speed is 12 MPH (if the field is pretty smooth)