# My DIY S-Tines food plot cultivator



## USMCarcher26 (Apr 2, 2005)

It started as a section of stackable pallet racking. I cut it up a bit for the intended purpose if using the bottom frame piece as the main platform for the build and use the cut pieces to form the rest. I bought the wheels, S-tines, points, trailer jacks and all the hardware for the build at my local Rural King store and borrowed a friends welder and went to work. finally finished off today with a coat of Rustoleum farm equip. Ford blue paint and then assembled. nearly 8' long total, frame is 53" and the width w/out the wheels is 48". I obviously haven't gotten to use it yet. Missouri certainly needs some rain but, I am doing my plots the first week of August with or without rain.


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## boneheadoutdoor (Jul 16, 2007)

Very nice!


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## brownstonebear (Apr 10, 2006)

Looks great. Nice job.


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## USMCarcher26 (Apr 2, 2005)

Appreciate it! It was a fun project and I look forward to seeing how it works.


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## ftshooter (Jul 26, 2003)

Good looking job...Well done..


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## jwedel1777 (Oct 12, 2011)

Nice work! Do you think you could have gotten by with only one jack in the middle, instead of using a jack on each end? The way your have the axle mounted would have made it easy to use only 1 jack, but the axle itself would twist if it wasnt study enough.
I always thought it would be neat to build my own plot plow to pull with an ATV, but I couldn't justify it since I already have this:


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## USMCarcher26 (Apr 2, 2005)

jwedel1777 said:


> Nice work! Do you think you could have gotten by with only one jack in the middle, instead of using a jack on each end? The way your have the axle mounted would have made it easy to use only 1 jack, but the axle itself would twist if it wasnt study enough.
> I always thought it would be neat to build my own plot plow to pull with an ATV, but I couldn't justify it since I already have this:


The jack is supposed to support 1000 lbs. I chose to use 2 because it would provide the extra support. May have been able to get away with only using one but they were only $25. I could do a lot with what you have pictured there so I don't blame you for not taking the DIY plunge either. I have about $175 into this one. Probably could have found a few more used parts but, I didn't want to have to keep going back to refabricate after every use. I over engineer everything anyway.


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## driver79 (Feb 27, 2008)

Must have been the week for DIY Cultivators. Here is the one I build last week.


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## driver79 (Feb 27, 2008)

How wide of sweeps did you use? I need to go wider with mine as they penetrate farely well but dont turn the soil. Not sure if wider sweeps will bog down the atv or not.


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## USMCarcher26 (Apr 2, 2005)

I used 3 sweeps that are semi spaded they measure 2 3/4" wide and then I used 2 that are like yours and staggered one spade in front and the rear of that one and flanking it the standard sweeps. In the back row and furthest outboard are the remaining spades sweeps. Hope you can picture all of that. I am not sure yet how my arrangement will work yet but, I am hopeful the wider sweeps will cut and loosen without biting/ bogging down the quad. I believe what will happen is the S-times will flex enough not break sweeps but not so much to not be effective.


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## USMCarcher26 (Apr 2, 2005)

This is also why I wanted to incorporate a mechanism to control depth hence the jacks. They raise high enough for towing and will go down incrementally so I can make multiple passes to break things up before going to a max depth of about 5".


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## driver79 (Feb 27, 2008)

Depending on the soil type and how much vegitation is there mine will cut 3-4". If I set the depth any more than that the quad can't pull it. I use my tractor for most of my plotting but I built this because I have an area that I want to plant but cannot get my tractor to.


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## Cadet (Aug 21, 2010)

Both very nice! I could put my dad (the welder) on a new project!


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## H20fowlkiller (Jan 19, 2009)

driver79 said:


> Must have been the week for DIY Cultivators. Here is the one I build last week.
> 
> View attachment 1406603
> 
> ...


Do you have to lift the back tire some how to get that flipped with enough down pressure to dig?


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## driver79 (Feb 27, 2008)

No there is enough play in the spring of he tines and the hitch to flp it over. A couple 2x4's under the rear tires would also work.


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## hoytrulez (Jul 27, 2009)

I like them both, might have to try one of them this year we sold the tractor I use for food plots.


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## USMCarcher26 (Apr 2, 2005)

I had been wanting to do this for a couple of years now. It's hard getting all the work that needs to get done on our huntin property because of guys work schedules plus the tractor is sometimes broke down or we need to brushhog or it's being used on another plot. I figured this way, I could at least use the extra mechanical advantage and make some progress during weekend work days. It's the kind of work that I love doing.


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