Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Welding/Metal Working). This thread is read-only.
Couple weeks ago a guy down the road was throwing out an old cultivator designed to be pulled behind an ATV. It looked to be a kit of some sort probably user assembled. It was in pretty bad shape. Rusted badly, bent tine plates, not much use as it sit. It was bad enough that I had to cut all the bolts off to get them off. I wanted to salvage the tines to adapt to a 3 point mounted version.
I salvaged the tines and some bar stock from it, drew up a design, and went to work. I cut it apart, ground it clean, and threw the tine plates away. I ground the tines to a mild point to use it as a bare tine style cultivator.
I welded it up with an old Lincoln Tombstone and gave it a coat of Kubota Orange from TSC. It turned out nice and with the exception of the 3 point pins (around $10) and the paint ($5), it’s made entirely out of scrap/salvaged material.
I think it turned out pretty damn good for $15
Note: I used the Magic brand Tractor & Implement paint from TSC. It’s good shit! It thick and takes forever to dry, but it produced good results for sure
Looks brand new!! I bet it took some time
looks brand new to me, great job conductor
Looks nice Conductor any plans on what your going to cultivate yet? Man seeing people with Kobota mini tractors makes me insanely jealous!!
It has 1 minor design flaw. I should have set the stabalizer connection back toward the middle 2″-3″. As it is, the stabalizer bar must be cranked all the way in to attach.
I guess that makes it easy in a way, but a couple extra inches would have put it close to the other implements.
DR99 wrote:
Looks nice Conductor any plans on what your going to cultivate yet? Man seeing people with Kobota mini tractors makes me insanely jealous!!
Just the garden.
The 3 point pins require a 7/8″ hole to mount them. I was honestly embarrassed to have to walk in a machine shop and ask them to drill 2 holes. It’s been a long time since I found myself not having the right tool for a job. I did all the other holes myself, but I just don’t have capability for anything that big and with the press and the bits, I’m looking at about $1000 to add that capability. It might be spring before I can swing it with vacation, football, and then Christmas to save for, but I bet I won’t need to go to a machine shop for 2 holes again
Man great job conductor looks brand soankin new bro. What kinda welder do u have for the your shop?
Sometimes is just makes sense to contract things out 🙂
DR: Yea, you can have a lot of holes drilled for $1000, but I hate burning 3 hours getting it done
Mike: I have a Lincoln “Tombstone” stick welder I use on thicker stuff, and an Eastwood Mig 175 I use on anything 1/4″ or less. I’m not a welder by any means, but I can weld good enough that it holds right and doesn’t look too unsightly.
Conductor562 wrote:
Just the garden.
The 3 point pins require a 7/8″ hole to mount them. I was honestly embarrassed to have to walk in a machine shop and ask them to drill 2 holes. It’s been a long time since I found myself not having the right tool for a job. I did all the other holes myself, but I just don’t have capability for anything that big and with the press and the bits, I’m looking at about $1000 to add that capability. It might be spring before I can swing it with vacation, football, and then Christmas to save for, but I bet I won’t need to go to a machine shop for 2 holes again
I know the feeling, it sucks not having the capability. In my case there were jobs I turned down cause I couldn’t drill a big enough whole. I bought a millwakee mag drill an I really went to town then. To bad it cost me more then 1k to add the drill an cutters. Drill press would of been nice but I don’t have a dedicated shop.
I’ve guessing your talking about a drill press thoe. What would you go with to do it? didn’t you just get that jet drill press, or was it someone else?
Fletcher94 wrote:
I know the feeling, it sucks not having the capability. In my case there were jobs I turned down cause I couldn’t drill a big enough whole. I bought a millwakee mag drill an I really went to town then. To bad it cost me more then 1k to add the drill an cutters. Drill press would of been nice but I don’t have a dedicated shop.
I’ve guessing your talking about a drill press thoe. What would you go with to do it? didn’t you just get that jet drill press, or was it someone else?
This is an older thread that I moved to the proper location as I came across.
I did get the Jet JDP-17 and love it. While it’s a 3/4 hp model and not really rated for holes over 3/4″ in plate steel, I can put 1″ holes in 3/8″ plate with proper technique. I wouldn’t want to have to do it all the time as it’s definitely outside the press’ comfort zone, but a hole like that is an occasional thing for me anyway.
I’m quite happy with the Jet press. I like the belt-less speed changes of the Powermatic, but the Jet serves me well at half the cost.