Pre-sowing cultivation – tillage units. Overview and prices

A good pre-sowing tillage cultivator is one that will prepare the soil for sowing with the appropriate structure and compaction, loosen it to a specific depth and leave the field as even as possible. We looked at several domestic machines designed to prepare fields for sowing spring crops.

The sowing of spring cereals and other crops will slowly begin, including legumes, and soon corn. In the traditional plow cultivation system, the key is to properly prepare the soil for sowing after plowing, i.e. settled, cold, often lumpy, lacking aeration and usually with a high water content – this year there is actually a lot of it.

Passive tillage units are most often used for this purpose – tools with a relatively simple design (although, as some of the examples below will show – this is not the rule), which, however, have a serious and quite complex task to perform.

Tillage set – components

The tillage set – as the name suggests – combines various tillage elements or systems so that cultivation can be carried out in the fewest possible number of passes (preferably one). This means that the unit usually includes several types of cultivation elements.

The simplest are cultivators (from two to four rows) with attached rollers (usually string). However, these (especially on heavier soils with a tendency to lump) usually do not work well due to insufficient crumbling of the lumps and insufficient leveling of the field.

More advanced systems contain additional elements, such as drags and additional shafts (including heavy crosskill), which allows for much more effective operation in one pass, but also significantly increases the weight of the set, the demand for tractor power and, of course, increases the purchase price of the tool.

Regarding this last issue, it is also worth noting that the price increases dramatically in the case of wider units that are hydraulically folded for transport. Each manufacturer offers such machines with a width of up to 3 m in a rigid version, and for 4 m we also have a choice: a rigid or foldable frame. Above this width, only foldable versions are available.

The situation is similar with the suspension system – usually from 4 m (especially in more complex structures) versions with a trolley are available, so as not to overload the tractor’s three-point linkage. With larger working widths, it is also worth paying attention to the mounting of individual tillage sections and the ways of regulating their operation. The better the ground following, the better the leveling of the working depth.

Batyra Compact

Batyra Compact is a complex tillage cultivator intended for pre-sowing cultivation. The machine is available in 7 working widths: from 2.5 to 6 m, and all models from 4 m wide are hydraulically folded.

The first working element is the drag strip, which levels the soil just behind the tractor wheels. Next is the string crushing roller. The main working unit is a cultivator, which can be 2- or 3-row. There are three types of flexible working elements with goose feet to choose from: SG with spiral protection with a cross-section of 25×25 mm and a 250 mm goose foot, medium SX 250 mm and 32×12 on a flat bar with reinforcement and 180 mm goose feet.

The working depth is achieved by adjusting the position of the cultivator sections using turnbuckles and pins securing the set height. The maximum cultivation depth is set at 12 cm. After the cultivator, there is another string roller and another drag.

The culmination of the cultivation is the compaction of the soil with a crosskill roller, the cast iron components of which come from the Koneckie Foundry. As the manufacturer assures, after driving the Compact after plowing, the soil surface creates a “table” and ideal conditions for sowing.

Putting together so many tillage components, especially at the end of a heavy roller, is of course a challenge for the tractor. That’s why the manufacturer from Lublin offers a trolley with hydraulics. Any machine 4 m wide and wider can be ordered with a trolley. Interestingly, there is no problem with mounting the trolley to an existing mounted machine if the owner decides that the unit is too heavy.

The 3-meter suspended version costs approximately PLN 30,000. PLN net, and a 4-meter hydraulically folded one – PLN 42,000. zloty. For each additional meter of width, you need to add PLN 10,000. zloty. In turn, you have to pay about PLN 20,000 for a stroller. zloty.

A simple test to check soil compaction

Properly compacted soil for sowing cereals should be plump (aerated) at 2-3 cm on top, and harder deeper to retain water. How to tell? The old method says that it is enough to enter a cultivated part of the field – only the sole of the shoe should be embedded in the soil, i.e. 2-3 cm.

Expom Wicher

Expom from Krośniewice has extensive experience in the production of tillage machines, and the flagship product among tillage units is Wicher. The machine with a rigid frame is offered in versions with widths of 3 and 4 m, and in the hydraulically foldable version – 4, 4.5 and 6 m. The hydraulically folded versions are suspended on the rear three-point linkage as standard, but optionally – similarly to the machines from Batyra – you can order a transport trolley for them at any time.

In the case of the Wicher unit, the first working section is the string roller, and just before it are the toothed tractor track eradicators. Next is the 3-row cultivator section – suspended on the frame in a parallelogram arrangement. The frame is rigidly coupled to the front and rear shafts, so the working depth of the cultivator’s tines is adjusted by raising or lowering entire sections. As standard, this is done using hydraulic cylinders.

As standard, spring tines with goose feet are installed, operating at a depth of up to 15 cm, but optionally, you can choose straight spring tines. The last element is the cast iron crosskill shaft, which works freely without being pressed or adjusted. A minor change recently introduced is the addition of side scraping plates (screens) along almost the entire length of the unit (apart from the final crosskill shaft).

The 4-meter-long, suspended Wicher with a hydraulically foldable frame has a catalog price of PLN 49,900. PLN net. The 4.5-meter one is PLN 3,000 more expensive. zloty. A 6-meter one costs PLN 63.9 thousand. zloty. Versions with a rigid frame will be much cheaper. A whirlwind with a working width of 3 m costs PLN 33.9 thousand. PLN, and a 4-meter one – PLN 42.9 thousand. zloty. In this case, the transport trolley costs PLN 13,000. PLN net.

Best command

The Gliwice-based agricultural machinery manufacturer has been offering the Best tillage cultivator for less than 4 years. Its design – compared to the machines already described – can be said to be slightly more traditional, which does not mean that it is not modern. Here, the cultivator’s teeth were attached to rigid frame beams with yokes. The entire frame with teeth constitutes a whole, and the working depth is regulated by changing the position of the pressing roller.

The teeth are arranged on as many as 5 beams, which gives 50 teeth for a 4-meter-wide beam, and as many as 72 teeth for a 6-meter-wide beam. There are three types to choose from: straight 32×12 mm, straight 45×12 mm or spring 32×12 mm “S” type.

Just like when choosing the cultivator’s tines, the buyer of the machine can configure virtually every element of the machine, depending on the working conditions and type of crop, starting from the tractor tire mark eradicators, the spring-amortized straight trowel or the hydraulically adjustable crossboard trowel.

After the cultivator already described, a roller is installed. Here it is possible to choose one of three options: a string roller, a toothed tandem with a diameter of 300 mm each, a beam with claws in front of the roller and a single toothed string roller with a diameter of 300 mm behind it, or a beam with claws in front of the roller and a toothed string roller behind it. tandem with a diameter of 300 mm each.

Due to the relatively light construction, a cast iron pin shaft is not installed here (unlike the Flex unit). It is worth adding that the machines are equipped with rubberized support wheels as standard.

The Best unit is available in two working width versions: 4 and 6 m. Both models have a hydraulically foldable frame, but are relatively light and suspended on a three-point linkage. The list price of the first one is PLN 41.3 thousand. PLN, while a 6-meter one – for PLN 48.9 thousand. zloty.

Send Flex

In turn, the Flex cultivator is a proven design that has been offered by Mandam for over a dozen years. Flex is offered in working widths from 3 to 6 m in a mounted or semi-mounted version (Flex-K models). The unit is structurally similar to the described Expom Wicher and Batyra Compact units, because the main working section, i.e. the cultivator, is divided into fields suspended longitudinally to the tractor on round pipes, and transversely on parallelograms, thanks to which each part adapts well to the shape of the ground. The working depth of the teeth is set mechanically.

Mandam - the top Flex unit and a new product - a disc harrow with an applicator

In the front section, the machine is equipped with track eradicators, and after the cultivator section there is a light leveling drag, and then a set of two rollers. The first one is a light string roller with a diameter of 300 mm, which is responsible for crushing remaining clods of earth. The second, pin-shaped one is a heavier, cast-iron structure with a diameter of 400 mm that compacts the soil for good plant emergence.

According to the catalog, the 3-meter Flex costs PLN 33.4 thousand. PLN net, but a 4-meter hydraulically folded one costs PLN 53.6 thousand. zloty. In turn, the 4-meter Flex-K with an additional wheeled suspension system costs PLN 90.7 thousand. zloty. According to the manufacturer, you can currently count on significant promotions for Flex units.

Metal compartment U457

Metal-Fach also offers an interesting new unit for pre-sowing cultivation. The company offers one model in this respect: U496/83, with a working width of up to 8.3 m. It is therefore a very efficient machine, and at the same time relatively light – mounted. The weight with the tiller shafts is 2,800 kg, and the manufacturer estimated the power requirement in the range of 180-250 HP. According to the manufacturer, the new cultivator is not only efficient, but also versatile and easy to use. Hydraulic folding allows the wide machine to be folded to just 3 m.

The working depth is mechanically regulated – at the rear on a double string roller, and at the front on 4 rubberized (low-pressure) support wheels. Standardly, spring teeth of the “S” type (32×12 mm) are used, but straight spring teeth can also be used. They are placed on 5 beams and there are a total of 83 of them. In addition, the standard equipment includes tractor track eradicators and LED lighting for the unit. A leveling strip is available for an additional fee.

The Metal-Fach U496/83 unit has a catalog price of PLN 79.9 thousand. PLN net, but the manufacturer informs that by the end of April this year. there is a “warehouse sale” and you can count on up to 30 percent. discount.

Metal-Fach Viking N272/6 with automatic dosing system