Crop Roller Mounts On Cultivator

Crop Roller Mounts On Cultivator CULTIVATORS Cultivators (58C) 34-5-2 Rollers have become popular in recent years as a way to eliminate problems with rootballs, rocks and corn stalks during soybean harvest. They don't come cheap, though, costing up to $40,000 for a 45-ft. model. A Minnesota company says you can save money by turning your existing row crop cultivator into a roller. Tebben Mfg. displayed its new Culti-Roller units at the recent Farm Fest show near Redwood Falls, Minn. Each roller is 16 in. in dia. and made from 1/4-in. thick steel. A clamp-on toolbar mounting bracket mounts on front. The idea is to remove the back shanks from the cultivator, and bolt the Culti-Roller units in their place. The crop slides through between the rollers, which are equipped with metal shields on both sides. According to the company, Culti-Rollers can be used any time after planting and on soybeans up to 12 in. high. The rollers can be filled with water or sand for more weight, depending on the weight of the cultivator toolbar. "Waiting until the crop comes up to roll is a new idea, but we think it has a lot of potential. Along with using trash cleaners on the planter, Culti-Rollers will produce the same results as a land roller for about 25 percent of the cost," says Mike Tebben. "So far we've built only enough Culti-Rollers to test the idea on a Deere 875 18-row cultivator, but we plan to make units for other cultivator brands and models. "Most farmers use trash whippers on their planter that move the trash away from the row, followed by press wheels that smooth out the soil. So most of the need for rolling is between the rows." Rolling later during the growing season helps eliminate any erosion problems caused by high winds or heavy rains, says Tebben. And it leaves you more time to pick rocks before rolling. One problem may be that Culti-Rollers apply only 275 to 375 lbs. per ft., compared to about 475 lbs. per ft. for conventional rollers. "If you have a lot of really hard rootballs, Culti-Rollers won't put as much downpressure on them. However, the amount of downpressure depends on the location of the springs on the cultivator and how adjustable they are." Farmers are using rollers more all the time, says Tebben. "One reason is today's high yielding corn hybrids and higher plant populations - rootballs are getting so big and full of dirt that they're not decomposing over the winter. You don't want rootballs, rocks and trash taking out sickle sections or going through the combine. Also, the threshed crop will be a lot cleaner when you don't bring in that stuff. When you unload soybeans from a combine into a truck, you can usually tell which fields were rolled because the threshed sample is much cleaner." The company offers 2 different Culti-Roller models. A 14-in. wide model is designed for 22-in. rows and uses 10-in. rollers on end rows; the other is a 22-in. wide model that's designed for 30-in. rows and uses 18-in. rollers on end rows. The 14-in. wide model sells for $591 per unit; the 22-in. wide model for $661 per unit. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tebben Enterprises, 10009 Hwy. 7 S.E., Clara City, Minn. 56222 (ph 320 847-2200; mtebben@hcinet.net; www.tebben.us).

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