I plow, sow, plow, remove snow from the alley, transport the harvest to the storage place — these are just a small part of the functions provided by a quality cultivator. Find out in this article what to consider when choosing it, how to use it correctly and other relevant information about using this product.

For those who take care of medium or large land areas, cultivated with cereals, vegetables or greens, the cultivator is an essential machine. Electric device or heat engine, it helps to dig and loosen the soil efficiently, preparing it for sowing. If you are thinking of buying a household cultivator, here are some things you should know about this product.

Electric or heat engine

The electric cultivator has a lower power than the one on gasoline or diesel, being often assimilated to the category of chainsaws and intended for shallow works and for gardens that do not cover large areas. You can use it to ensure that fertilizers penetrate the soil and to loosen the soil before the layers form. Such a cultivator is enough to prepare the land in front of the house for planting flowers, vegetables or greens.

On the other hand, you will need a model powered by gasoline or diesel if you have a larger garden, for which we recommend a version that can generate at least 7HP. Equally useful are these strong variants for soils with loamy or hard soil or that have not been dug for a long time.

The gasoline supply offers you, besides the superior power, also increased mobility compared to the electric ones, allowing you to work without problems several hectares of land without having to return home.

The width of the cutters

The width of the cutters that the cultivator works with determines the distance that you can cover in a single pass, as well as the time needed to dig a large field. If you work a small garden, you will definitely manage with a model provided with cutters of 50–60cm, while for larger plots you will be better with versions over 100–120cm, which will reduce the number of turns that you have to make them to cover the whole surface.

An often overlooked aspect is the correlation of milling cutters with engine power. If you choose a version with a low power engine and wide milling cutters, you will overload it and it will wear out quite quickly. Specialists recommend motors with a minimum power of 5HP for cultivators equipped with cutters up to 60cm and 7 to 9 horsepower for those provided with cutters of 110cm.

Compatible accessories

A high-performance cultivator can be used together with a variety of accessories, becoming a multifunctional machine that is good to have at home.

The list includes: snow cutter — very useful for cleaning the alleys in the garden and the exit from the garage, the rotating brush — which can help you clean the pavement, plow, plow or remove potatoes, weeders, seeders. You can also attach the trailer to transport fertilizers, seeds, crops or branches and debris collected after harvest to clean the land.

It is good to always look for models compatible with your cultivator and not to overload the motor exceeding the degree of stress it can cope with.

power

If you have chosen a diesel or petrol cultivator, it is important to supply it with quality fuel and to respect some important conditions for your safety and that of those around you. Both categories of fuel are flammable substances, which can ignite very easily, which is why the tank is always supplied at a safe distance from any source of flame or spark, including cigarettes. The engine must also be stopped and allowed to cool.

Equally dangerous is diesel or gasoline spilled on the ground or on the cultivator when refueling. It is important to never start the engine until you have thoroughly wiped the fuel from the machine, if it has been contaminated, and until you have removed it from the area where the liquid was spilled on the floor.

It is just as useful to remember that during operation, these devices heat up in the engine area enough that you can burn yourself if you put your hand on it before it has cooled down.

When using the cultivator

Specialists say that as long as it is not cultivated, the soil must remain black, ie reclaimed, loose and free of weeds. So you can start plowing it as soon as you have finished gathering the last harvest.

The soil is best plowed when it is only slightly moist. If it is too dry, passing it through the milling cutter you will get large lumps of earth, which you will then have to grind, an extra effort, not to be neglected. The process can become just as problematic if the ground is too wet, in which case the knives will reveal pieces or belts of earth that harden when they dry and reach the same point of need for crushing.

Maintenance and storage

In order to be able to use the cultivator efficiently and for as long as possible, it is important to maintain it correctly. This includes cleaning accessories and the device after each use, lubricating the moving parts with oil, periodically checking the device for loose nuts or bolts or cracks or bends in the structure.

Storage for a longer period is always done with the tank empty, so don’t forget to remove all the petrol or diesel before putting the cultivator in the garage for a few months. Place it in a clean space, away from dust, moisture and as much as possible from extreme temperatures. Make sure that the little ones do not have access to the machine or to the cutting accessories that you use together with the cultivator.

Before re-use, check all components again and make repairs where necessary.