Cultivators, Rotavators, 2 wheel Tractors & Compact Tractors

[happybonzo]

Advice on Cultivators, Rotavators, 2 wheel Tractors & Compact Tractors needed
I know that Rotavators do not "dig" as deep as a Cultivator. I have previously had Tractors and would have ploughed and then rotavated before planting.
Now, we're on Allotments having moved to East Anglia and doing things on a smaller scale is new to us both.

We have 2 Cultivators
One is a small "Earthquake" and it makes a very good seedbed - https://www.getearthquake.com/Produc...t-weeding-tool

The other is a Viking HB585 - https://www.viking-garden.com/new-vi...ling-work.aspx
What we never realised that is that you need to be very fit and strong to handle the brute. The poor chap that we bought it from came back from his Allotment, sat down and had a Stroke! Having used the machine twice I can understand how it happened.

So would a 2 wheel Tractor ie a BCS, Bertolini, Goldoni be any easier to use or should we play safe and go for a small Kubota or Iseki? We now have enough Allotment space to warrent buying one 2nd hand.

(Moderators: If posted in the wrong section, please move)

[nickdub]

Can't help you from personal experience but I've noticed a fair few two-wheeled cultivators being used in other parts of the world like Greece - in fact on Crete they used to hitch a trailer to them and use them for going to market too.

My point being that the rural poor in these areas are usually in for getting their money's worth, so it might be worth finding out what machines they're using these days.

[veggiechicken]

Hi and welcome.
Can't help you with these gadgets - as I'm a No-digger . You must have a huge allotment if you want a tractor.

[4Shoes]

Many of the Hire companies have 2 wheel tractor cultivators, so best idea is to hire one.

Example here : -
https://www.jewson.co.uk/tool-hire/l...or-heavy-duty/


Try one out. Many of the tools can be fitted across the range with the appropriate coupling. Can also get a tow bar and convert to cart like Barbara and Tom in the "The Good Life"

[Chestnut]

Hi and welcome to the vine.
Afraid I cannot help much either - did our half plot the hard way with a brush hook and 2 spades (one each!).
However, one plot at our site was looking totally weed/plant free and ready for sowing last weekend, so I suspect a similar gadget was used. I will see if I can bump into the plot holder and ask how they did it

[Mr Bones]

Hi and welcome to the vine. I had a Honda F501, it didn't pull the operator around like many of the modern machines and I could use it with one hand. It would dig to about 11 inch depth.
Had a change of direction now though and the plot is no dig

[ESBkevin]

Hello and welcome.

For background my father was a commercial hotriculturalist with a smallholding and I've done some time behind big rotavators in my youth (thats an understatement).

I now have a Honda FG315 for use on the plot. I also have a Isiki Compact tractor with a plough, subsoiler and rotavator, but we are banned from having vehicles on the plots now so that's little use there.

The trick to using the Viking (like my Honda) is the rear leg. Stop trying to hold the machine back or fight it all the time, just press the leg down into the soil to hold it so it digs, then lift the leg briefly to encourage it to move forward. Sometimes lean on one side then the other so it digs deeper either side before settling down in the centre too on harder spots. It's still not the easiest of things to use for us of a certain age! Hard dried ground will make it rock about and is harder work on the arms. Best done after a rain soaking and it can be done in two or three passes to get full depth.

My experience has been one of going for less digging or no dig, in the first year I had to double dig by hand half the plot to remove bindweed (mostly successful), rotavating would have made that situation far worse. The other half I passed over with the rotavator every few weeks to control weeds until I was ready to use it for the second season. It left a hard 'plough pan' (already there when I took it on), which I ignored for the second year. The compact tractor couldn't break through it (even with me stood in the subsoiler- comical moment). So in the end I double dug the worst area in the centre and grew root veg there.

I have now gone No dig on that second half and the rotavator hardly gets used, I lend it to new plot holders to get started more than I use it myself.

Which part of East Anglia are you in? We might be neighbours.

[JMCKG]

Cannot add anything about these specific machines. Our Allotment Association bought 2 rotavators and lots of other equipment. Three years down the line all are gathering dust as just about everyone has gone no dig. Two out of 30 still dig but for therapeutic reasons!!