Equipment manufacturers are building disc cultivators stronger so that they last longer at higher speed
FARGO, N.D. — The speed of high-speed disc cultivators seems to be getting faster and faster every year. One good example is the 45-foot Kwik-Till, which is designed to work at 15 m.p.h.
The Kwik-Till vertical tillage machine is built by Norwood Sales in Cooperstown, N.D. It’s been on the market for six years, and in that time almost no problems have been reported, says Todd Parkman of Norwood.
“There are a lot of cultivators in this market, and there’s so much similarity. The thing that sets us apart is heavier rolling baskets and the ability to control the basket height,” Parkman said.
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“We have the standard rolling basket plus we have an optional spring or a rubber basket with the scrapers. The standard cage roller we have here is best for dry soil that isn’t sticky. It destroys any clumps and leaves you with a smooth seed bed and moderate compaction.
“You’ll notice it’s a shorter frame than most others. That’s a matter of how they designed the frame and how they attach the baskets. Our engineers say we carry the load better this way, and customers seem to agree.”
Parkman said the optional spring packer is better suited for heavier dense soil. The optional rubber roller is an all-purpose packer that’s suitable for any type of soil and moisture condition. The 20-inch discs can be any combination of notched or plain flat. The front row is usually notched for better chopping, set at 17 degrees. The back row is usually smooth for better seed bed preparation, set at 14 degrees. The engineers arrived at those disc angles after extensive testing in typical North Dakota soil conditions. Sizes range from 10 to 45 feet.
The machine requires 10 to 12 horsepower per foot of cultivator. Most farmers run 12 m.p.h., but you can run 15 m.p.h. no problem if you’ve got enough ponies to pull it,” Parkman said.
“It’s a maintenance free machine. There are no grease zerks except for in the tires. People love that because some other machines have one grease zerk per disc. Some machines here have a decal that says, ‘grease daily.’ Boy, that takes a long time to get them all. The bearings on this cultivator are all oil-filled bearings. They last a long time.”
Bearings are SKF Agri-Hubs designed for tillage discs. The unit employs a flanged outer ring that’s pre-drilled and tapped to accommodate the disc. A stationary inner ring is fitted with a threaded stub shaft for easier mounting. In the prairie provinces, Kwik-Till is available from George Adair Sales in Swift Current, Sask. This SKF bearing is found on many high-end cultivators.
