Tillers for the garden: how to choose the suitable model?
Gardeners who are seriously engaged in the garden, can’t do without certain equipment, because the hands are qualitatively earth processes, and health will suffer. The first and main way is to use the cultivator. It is an expensive technique, but the number of functions it is capable of, for the year justify the purchase with a vengeance. It remains to find out how to choose a walk-behind tractor, and which qualities to look for in the first place.
The contents
Are you searching for difference between cultivator and a tiller
In some stores all the equipment for working the soil is represented as tillers of different power and weight. So often in this category fall and cultivators, which are called ultralight tillers. Actually, it’s two different units, and when choosing the equipment for your own garden you should decide that it is beneficial for you.
Tiller is a mechanized tool, which drive shaft is the cutter able to process only the top layer of the earth. In more detail the technique we discussed in a separate article «How to choose a tiller for the garden: what to look for before purchasing?». The function of the cultivator is limited only by the processing of the upper layer of the earth, while the tillers can replace the majority of garden machinery.
Thus the tillers – a kind of mini-tractor. It nozzles work by wheel traction, and the person only operates the equipment, following her. And power and abilities are much stronger tillers the cultivators and completed a large number of attachments. It is these units we will look in more detail.
That may walk-behind: opportunities mini-tractor
Dreaming of tillers, gardeners rely mostly using it to cultivate the land. But this technique is much more functions.
Earthworks
Naturally, the main functions are land tillers work, specifically plowing, harrowing, hoeing, cutting series, etc.:
- Plowing. Plow the land with a plow hung on the unit, and powerful models are able to raise the virgin. This feature is especially useful to novice gardeners that we must first bring the earth to its normal state, then to that plant. The tillers, in contrast to the tiller, raises the deeper layers of the soil, shoveling and stirring the soil, and thus nourishes the earth with oxygen, makes it more airy. In such a soil and the moisture level and air circulation is much better than dug in under the shovel.
- Harrowing. The harrowing is performed by a separate nozzle with teeth. The goal is to destroy the crust on the soil surface, which is formed by the drying of the top soil under the sun. Because the crust is broken the access of oxygen to the root system of vegetable crops, and is not stored in the soil moisture. Besides, with harrowing effectively removed the weeds.
- Hilling. For the hosts, who are planted at dachas potatoes (4-5 acres), tillers will be useful as a Hiller. A special attachment will help to raise the furrow to give the tubers the opportunity to better-ventilated, and free them from excessive moisture. Hilling helpful and strawberries, especially if it is grown in the lowlands, where the increased moisture causes damage to Botrytis berries.
- Digging and planting vegetable crops. Using these tips as a planter and kartoffelpuffer tillers will facilitate the planting and harvesting «second bread». The hopper volume is made up of about three buckets of planting potatoes, which can fill either the farmer or his assistant. For planting seeds, cloves of garlic and used onion planter.
The harrowing is performed, while the potatoes are still barely appeared on the surface of the earth, to help him break through the dried top layer of soil
Kartvelishvili accommodate different amounts of planting material, but the most common variant, which is filled about 3 buckets
Whether a planter to plant the autumn crops, which are usually used to fertilize the soil and rid it from weeds. Spring green sprouts are closing
Offer you to view videos with helpful tips from experienced residents (especially service units):
Lawn care and flower beds
In addition to excavation works, tillers are able to perform lawn care services. To do this, it goes in the configuration of the rotary lawn mower that cuts the grass trimmer is not worse, capturing just about a meter of turf. And if you buy another nozzle aerator, your lawn will get extra food and oxygen to grow thicker.
With the nozzle » lawn rake» you can collect grass clippings and simultaneously proletariat the ground to give greater oxygen to the roots
Useful addition can be called grinder, which will grind all kitchen waste for compost bookmark.
The chopper can be used to create green compost from plant waste and also to grind the cut branches of trees and shrubs
For watering the garden and flower beds to the tillers connected pump.
Winter chores
In winter, the tillers also will not be idle. It turns into a snow car, thanks to special adaptations:
- the brushes that scrub the track from the soft, just-fallen snow;
- snow shovel with knives, which cuts and removes the Packed snow;
- snegootbrasyvateli, which rake blades snow to a depth of about 20 cm and throws him off the track.
Here’s how it looks:
Freight
Full of happiness, the holder of the tillers need to buy a trailer. Then we proudly sit in their vehicles and travel around the garden, picking up trash, cut branches or carrying manure, fertilizer, bags of potatoes, etc. With a trailer you can even bring the bags of cement from a nearby construction store or collect stones on the roadside fields for the erection of the fence. This way you will reduce the load on your own back and arms, entrusting the carriage of goods technology.
The trailer makes full walking tractor mini tractor, on which to sit and transported to site of various heavy loads
All of the above tips, in addition to the cultivator, and the wheels do not go with the tillers in the kit. Buy them separately, given the power of technology. And the more «horse strength» in the unit, the more functions it can perform.
What criteria select power tillers?
When deciding which tillers to choose, take into account three aspects:
- what is the area of land he will have to handle;
- the soil type on the site;
- the amount of work required to perform the technique.
The calculation of the performance of the unit
Power tillers starts from 3.5 HP and ends 10 HP More powerful units are rare. When selecting power should focus on the amount of land that will have to handle.
- If the area to 15 acres, enough for 3.5-4 «he was worth». In this case, the width is about 60 cm.
- For processing parcels in 20-30 acres take equipment with a capacity of 4.5-5 HP and a width of 80 cm.
- For a plot of land of half a hectare worth buying model in the 6-7 HP and a width of 90 cm.
- For acres or more – up to 10 HP and the width of the meter.
- Four hectares of land to better handle the tractor to tillers, and for his master the volume is too heavy.
Note, however, that fuel consumption will grow in proportion to productivity.
The dependence of the mass of tillers of the soil type
The soil in the area plays a significant role in the selection of equipment. For heavy clay soils and development of virgin lands slaboroslye units are not suitable. First, their capacity is not enough for shoveling such land, and the engine will run with high congestion. Accordingly, and fly fast. Second, low-power equipment weighs less, and therefore, will not provide deep capture of soil will slip when plowing.
Guided as follows:
- if the soil is light produced, it is possible to buy a model up to 70 kg weight. These tillers come with 3, 5 – 6 HP;
- on clay soils effectively work units from 95 kg weight;
- for development of virgin lands will need a mini tractor to 120-150 kg. And he needs to go in the kit metal wheels, which are called grouser.
Petrol tillers are renowned for faster speed and thereby effectively crushed the ground, but the repair of gasoline engines easier, and in sub-zero temperatures on diesel will not go.
Lugs, or metal wheels, due to the blades tightly bite into the soil and give the tillers to slip when plowing virgin land and heavy
What elements affects the functionality of the tillers?
Before selecting a walk-behind for a vegetable garden, it is necessary to study its design, to ensure that on this model you will be able to hang all the desired equipment.
- So, if you use a walking tractor to transport goods, the technique should have a large pneumatic wheel (450 mm).
- Power accessories (water pump, snegootbrasyvateli, mowers) requires the PTO. There are models in which the caps have nowhere to hang.
- For winter use must be a petrol motor, with well-known firms to start on the first try.
- A useful element is the electric starter, through which the tillers are easier to start.
Desirable elements:
- adjustment arms;
- unlocking the differential;
- emergency handle emergency stop.
If there is a choice between domestic and foreign equipment, it would be cheaper «native» units. In addition, they are not as sensitive to fuel quality. But because of the poor workmanship often require repair parts. From foreign manufacturers such problems are rare.