How to choose a tiller for the garden: what to look for before purchasing?
To facilitate country efforts, far-sighted owners acquire all sorts of equipment. Especially carefully select the aggregates to work with the soil, because it requires not only annual sckopke, but loosening, harrowing, removal of weeds etc. And in this case indispensable to the cultivator for the garden. But they produced so many variants that it is difficult to choose the most suitable. It is important to consider how you plan to use land out of any difficulty and how often. Analyze the existing types of cultivators from the point of view most advantageous for their application.
The contents
Hand cultivators: get in any crack
Despite the apparent mechanization of country labor, do not rush to dismiss such a useful thing as a hand cultivator. It will be useful in those areas where machinery on wheels will not work on Alpine slides, flower beds, perennial borders, near the fence, etc. For the life of flowers and perennials, periodically «to bother» the soil to give the roots more oxygen. Appliances rosary will not be processed, because you can damage neighboring plants, and to turn around there’s just no place. Therefore, in the narrowest places comes to using a hand cultivator.
Cultivator star (rotating)
Its cutting mechanism, the shaft on which the discs are worn, resembling stars. The cultivator is face down on a long handle to stir the soil without bending. Due to the uneven, pointed shape discs tool cuts into the soil and grabs her, lifting and slightly twisting. Together with the soil and the weeds out.
Manual cultivator rotary type capable of operating in the most remote places, such as Alpine slides, narrow ridges, and along fences
It is very convenient to move high ridge cucumbers, Spud potatoes, locally planted manually (e.g., varietal), treating the soil under conifers on the lawn or flowerbeds etc.
The only drawback of the tool – bad moves hard, crusted earth. He is not able to break up clay soil.
Cultivator-cultivator
Is a fixture with three or five curved teeth, sharpened at the ends. They are easy «bite» in compacted or beaten by rain the soil, breaking the crust. When you work with power swing and lower the cultivator so that the teeth went deep into the soil and then pull towards yourself. There are models on a long handle (for the garden) and a short (for the cultivation of seedlings in boxes and potted plants).
Cultivators-rippers with a little handle is convenient to work in the greenhouse, which is grown in seedling boxes or potted plants
Cultivators: light, medium and heavyweights
In addition to the manual models, manufactured cultivators powered by gasoline or electricity.
Depending on power and weight, they are divided into three groups: light, Featherweight (medium) and heavy. But it is impossible to say what group «hiding» the best cultivator, because each has its pros and cons.
Light cultivators
In this group most of the units – electric. Due to the lack in the body of the motor, this technique has a high maneuverability. It’s easy to use. And when you consider that many of the earthworks we have to make women, these cultivators was created for the weak gentle hands. The total weight of the aggregate is not more than 15 kg, but there are very tiny versions – about 9 kg. to take the mouse and move it to another edge of the plot is not difficult, because mass is equivalent to a ten-litre bucket of water.
Light cultivators are easy to manage and light-weight, so any woman with them will cope without the help of men
The main problem with electric cultivator — underfoot cable. It is necessary to ensure that it does not fall under the cutter and popped out of the socket
Light vehicles are not able to cultivate the soil to a depth of over 20 cm (because of its weight). It is designed for processing of small areas (10 acres) with loose, well-dressed soils. Heavy ground her teeth. But in the greenhouses where space is limited, such «beast» will be a good helper. The only disadvantage of electric options – cord, which limits the area of work and underfoot.
Cultivators of average power
This group includes units whose weight ranges from 15 to 35 kg. the Level of their capacity (3-4 HP) allows you to process sections of 10-30 acres. Most of the representatives of «the middle class» petrol. Due to more heavy weight of the deeper they treat the soil and not afraid of hard, beaten by the rain and feet of the soil. But to manage them is more difficult than the easy technique, because for seniors and women, this unit is not recommended.
Cultivator of average power is most suitable for suburban areas of 10-15 acres, because it shows good endurance combined with a reasonable price
Powerful cultivators
This group is the most heterogeneous, because it includes not only the actual cultivators, and tillers. Won’t make such mistakes, because the tillers is a kind of mini-tractor, and he has his own problems on the site. Therefore confine ourselves to models whose weight ranges from 35 to 60 kg and has a capacity of up to 6 HP, This group only gasoline because it is designed for areas of 30-50 acres, and the same amount of work electric cultivator simply will not pull.
Powerful unit the most deeply dig the ground, so if the site is not virgin land, they can produce a fall and spring plowing of the garden
Should take into account the substantial weight of the cultivator and its dimensions. The narrow garden beds, this technique is very clumsy. Her field of activity – planting potatoes, beets, carrots, which have a wide furrows and are arranged in long rows. Very comfortable powerful cultivator digging of borehole in circles of trees. It easily lifts wheat grass, sow Thistle and other weeds, helps to maintain the garden in a tidy condition. But again, between the trees must be free space that the technique could maneuver.
Attachments for cultivator: what are the most useful?
To each cultivator are attached to the nozzle, which allow to carry out different agricultural operations. The part goes directly into the set, and some are offered as optional equipment.
Before choosing a cultivator, check what is included in its package. But keep in mind that the lighter the model, the fewer operations it is designed. For example, nozzle «potato» will be only in the group of heavy equipment, because it works at great depths.
The most desired accessories:
- Hiller;
- ploskorez;
- the potato;
- plow;
- aerator for lawn;
- rotary lawn mower;
- shredder garden waste;
- shovel-snow blower.
Note that the width of the cutter will depend on the capacity of the cultivator. Than «beast» stronger, the wider the capture of cultivated land. This can be a disadvantage if the beds are small. So pick up the technique to the size of your garden.