DIY tornado ripper. A hand cultivator for a gardener is an essential tool. Homemade manual cultivator from a bicycle

When spring comes, summer residents and owners personal plots begin planting work. First, the soil is prepared for this, and only then the plants are planted. The most labor-intensive process is loosening and digging the soil. Many people use a shovel for this, but there is a more convenient device - a cultivator, with which you can quickly and easily process even large areas.

This tool can be purchased at the store, but with some skill you can make it yourself.

The most common are hand cultivators, whose weight is no more than 20 kilograms, they are compact and have high performance.

By using of this device You can not only loosen the soil, but also remove weeds and apply fertilizer. The tool will also come in handy during the care process after planting the plants; with their help you can perform the following actions:

  • hill up the beds;
  • thin out;
  • loosen the soil between the beds.

Of course, such a hand tool is certainly not comparable in capabilities to a walk-behind tractor, but it is quite suitable for performing the assigned tasks. It can also be used even in hard-to-reach areas.

Cultivators are equipped with cutters, thanks to which they move around the site, and they are the ones who carry out loosening. Besides, it can have the following working attachments:

  • paws for thinning and loosening the soil;
  • sock for cutting and loosening;
  • hiller for cutting furrows for subsequent sowing. Then it will help in the process of hilling the plants;
  • a needle-shaped disk, it is needed if the soil is covered with a large crust;
  • Feeding knives are equipped with dispensers so that fertilizers can be injected into the soil.

Classification of cultivators

There are several types of such devices, but in order to choose one or another option, you should know more about each of them.

For example, rotary ripper design Includes four moving discs, one rotating knife handle and staples. In addition, it is equipped with wheels and a long handle. Using this device you can perform the following actions:

  • loosen the ground;
  • enrich it with fertilizers;
  • remove weeds.

The device is set in motion by pressing on the handle and the sprocket assembly, then it turns.

Another type of device is a mini model. It is specifically designed for use in gardens or small greenhouses. With its help, the soil is cultivated around trees and shrubs, weeds are also quickly removed and holes are dug for seedlings and small garden crops.

Gasoline cultivator is equipped with a motor, which is necessary for the operation of cultivating cutters. Their working depth is 150 mm; they are often used to lay out new landscapes. They can also quickly plow heavy soils and remove weeds by the roots.

Manual cultivator-ripper it looks like a small rake and is equipped with 3-5 curved teeth with sharp ends.

If you apply a little force, they can loosen the soil and break the crust on it. When the teeth enter the soil, the device pulls towards itself to create furrows. Options for tools with long handles are used in the garden, and with short handles - on flower beds and indoor plants.

Root remover - ripper "Tornado" has pointed spiral-shaped teeth with diversified directions. First, the device is placed vertically in relation to the ground, then rotated 60 degrees and buried in the soil, and then turned clockwise again. Then the device is lifted, and the roots are removed with it.

The depth of treatment using Tornado is 20 cm; accordingly, only weeds are removed, and planted crops are not harmed.

Electrical tools They are designed for work in small areas, they are compact and have good maneuverability; accordingly, they can be used next to bushes and trees and hill them up.

Make sure in advance that the cord is long enough to freely cultivate the soil. This cultivator is environmentally friendly and can be used in greenhouses.

It is quite possible to make a manual cultivator with your own hands, and will not require any special tools or materials. The work may take no more than a day, it all depends on the chosen design and configuration of the future tool.

The parts are simple and reliable, but if the tool does break, replacing the broken part will be easy. It can be made from existing materials.

Another advantage of making a device yourself is that it is quite simple to make it even without special education.

Assembly instructions

Build such a device can be made from various available materials, and there are both simple and more advanced options.

Can serve as a basis for manufacturing old bike, which can no longer be repaired, you will also need an old two-handed saw or a head from a used cultivator. The tools you will need are:

  • Bulgarian;
  • drill;
  • saw;
  • keys.

From the bicycle you only need to take one wheel and frame. You will need to attach the cultivator head to the frame, and if it is not there, then half the tip of a two-handed saw, or steel rods, or sharp metal rods with sharpened ends. Attach handles based on aluminum or steel pipes to the bicycle handlebars. A transverse jumper is placed between them.

DIY electric cultivator

In a workshop, you can make an electrical device based on an industrial meat grinder. Moreover, the model does not play a role here. And if you approach the work competently, then in the end you will assemble a fairly powerful device. It is important to note that you will need a welding machine to work.

Manufacturing instructions:

Using such a unit under conditions of rapid movement will allow you to roughly plow the ground, and if it works slowly, you will get a fine fraction.

Do-it-yourself Tornado cultivator

Homemade device "Tornado" will allow you to perfectly loosen the ground due to its twisted teeth. The pipe serves as a lever and is attached to the handle. The pipe must be at least half a meter long. The lever fixed in the pipe should protrude 25 centimeters into both sides of the handle. To strengthen the fastening, you can use electrical tape. Spiral teeth are made on the basis of spring steel, but their diameter should be a maximum of 20 cm. This size is optimal for the convenience of weeding the space between the rows.

Also, the Tornado ripper can be made on the basis of old forks. You only need to prepare a pitchfork and a hammer. The teeth are given the desired shape with a hammer.

In this case, the lever can be a metal or plastic pipe attached with self-tapping screws. Its length should be about 50 cm, and it will act as a handle. As a result, it will be possible to work on different, even heavy soils, and remove weeds even with persistent and branched roots.

If you decide to assemble such a tool yourself, do not forget to comply with necessary security measures. Above all, take care of your eyes, especially when welding, no matter what type of welding.

Thus, when arc welding, the danger is represented by the intense light obtained as a result of combustion and arc, as well as scale that appears at the site of the frozen weld seam. When the metal cools, it can suddenly break off and fly to a great height.

If you use gas welding to heat metal for processing or cutting, do not forget about gloves and face shields, since the work is carried out at high temperature. You also need to remember that oxygen, when in contact with oil, creates an explosive mixture that does not even require a spark.

When you decide to make your own farm equipment, you can save on buying it.

And even if you don’t have experience or special skills, you can make your own cultivator from an old bicycle simple type and provide yourself with good help in cultivating the land.

Every gardener cultivates the soil in his dacha. The word "cultivation" came to us from Latin language. Translated, it means to process, to cultivate. But it is so. During the cultivation process, the soil is processed and cultivated in order to get rid of weeds. But the purpose of cultivation is not only weeding. After cultivation, the soil becomes loose and more saturated with oxygen. A cultivator is used to cultivate the soil before sowing and after the crop is harvested. You also need to use a cultivator to cultivate the row spacing, hill up and replant the plants. A cultivator is a very convenient device; it will make work easier and reduce the time of tillage in the garden, flower bed and any other area.

A modern cultivator can be bought at a specialized store. But such equipment can easily be assembled with your own hands. You just need to find clear instructions, necessary details and tools and get to work.

First, you should know that cultivators are divided according to the type of food:

  • manual;
  • gasoline;
  • electric.

They are also divided by weight and power. There are ultra-light cultivators, mini ones, they weigh no more than thirty kilograms, ideal for small garden plots and dachas.

There are light cultivators. Their weight is more than thirty, but not more than sixty kilograms. Such cultivators are used on large areas, on plowed fields and virgin lands. Average cultivators weigh up to one hundred kilograms. Well, the largest cultivators are heavy. Their weight is more than one hundred kilograms. Such cultivators are used on large fields and lands.


There is another classification of cultivators - by purpose:

  • universal - used for cultivating soil in any area, between rows, they are used for weeding;
  • special - for processing a specific variety or crop;
  • plant feeders - these cultivators are designed to cultivate the soil and gradually add fertilizers;
  • pre-planting, steam – for harrowing any soil before sowing, suitable for summer cottages;
  • row crops - for weeding rows in fields where crops have already sprouted.

There are cultivators for cultivating one row, mini cultivators for the garden, and cultivators for cultivating several rows at the same time. They differ in size, because for one row the cultivator is much smaller than for cultivating several rows.

But the most suitable for cultivating the garden and flower beds is a standard manual cultivator. It is lightweight and easy to use. It also takes up little space and is light in weight. There are garden cultivators, they too small sizes, ideal for a summer residence.


Advantages and disadvantages of cultivators

Each type of cultivator has its own pros and cons. Electric cultivators are lightweight and small in size. They don't need to be refueled because they run on electricity. They are also quite simple and easy to use, but are not suitable for a dacha that does not have electricity.

The disadvantages include the fact that they only work in the area where the power cord reaches. Also, electric cultivators do not have high power. With such a cultivator you can cultivate flower beds and greenhouse soil, but in large areas they are completely useless. After all, the length of the cord determines the place where this cultivator can cultivate the soil.

A cultivator that runs on gasoline (gasoline cultivator) has slightly more advantages. It is convenient to cultivate large areas, because such a cultivator has high power and functionality. Disadvantages include difficulties in maintenance, heavy weight and refueling. And the more powerful such a cultivator, the more fuel is needed to refuel it. Gasoline cultivators are often called star cultivators.


Hand cultivator - do it at home

Such a cultivator is the most useful thing on the farm. It has a lot of positive aspects:

  • no stress on the lower back,
  • ease of use,
  • efficiency,
  • availability,
  • compactness.

With such a cultivator you will not spread weeds all over the area, and it loosens the soil very well and does not turn it upside down. But the cultivator is designed for cultivating small areas and only on plowed land. It is ideal for a summer residence.

First, you should understand for what purpose you need a cultivator. After all, the choice of a particular cultivator is influenced by both the set of crops that are planted on the site and the structure of the soil of the site itself. If you have small plot, then a powerful and voluminous cultivator will take up a lot of space. It will only cause harm, there will be no benefit from it.

It is best to create a cultivator with your own hands, this way you will save your money and find an assistant on the farm. Some cultivators can be created from scrap materials, some require additional parts, but their cost will not exceed the cost of a whole cultivator in a store. Do-it-yourself cultivators are ideal helpers in the garden and are suitable for the garden.

The smallest cultivator

"Nimble baby" - small homemade cultivator, it can be called a mini cultivator. It covers only twenty centimeters of territory, but working with such a cultivator is very convenient. All you need to do is attach a few cut metal stars to the axle, and then attach a convenient handle. So the new assistant on the farm is ready. It makes it easy to cultivate between rows when the crop has already sprouted. Its mini size will prevent damage necessary plants. Also, if the stars are well sharpened, they cut weeds without any problems. In this case, the weed does not cling to the cultivator and is not spread throughout the area. Suitable for a summer residence, because it is convenient to transport.


Simple cultivator – “Tornado”

Another simple cultivator that you can make yourself is called “Tornado”. This cultivator is ideal for cultivating light soil. And it is made from the most ordinary forks or springy wire; it can also be called a mini cultivator.

  1. In order to make such a cultivator, you will need a wooden handle, which will need to be modified. The wooden handle of your new cultivator should be strengthened. For this, a metal or plastic pipe cut lengthwise is used. It should not be much larger than a wooden handle. After the pipe is cut, put it on a wooden handle and wind it. This will make the handle much stronger, and it will be easier to work with such a cultivator.
  2. Next, proceed to manufacturing the main part of the cultivator. Take a pitchfork and a hammer, you also need a picture or drawings of the original Tornado cultivator, because you need to exactly repeat all the bends.
  3. A strong blow from the hammer will cause the fork teeth to bend in the direction you point them. But don't overdo it.
  4. Once the cultivator base is created, attach it to the handle and you can till the soil with your new cultivator.


You can also make cultivator teeth from thick springy wire. This option will take more time and effort. But the result is worth it.

Cultivators from an old bicycle

For another version of the cultivator, which you can create with your own hands, you need bicycle parts. So, if you have an old and unnecessary bicycle, make your own cultivator and don’t waste money on the purchase. This is an ideal helper in the country.

  1. We attach a cultivator head to the frame of an old bicycle; it can be part of an old cultivator, iron rods, or a small plow or glander.
  2. A comfortable handle for controlling the cultivator is made from sections of iron pipes or other metal. A crossbar is attached between the handles.
  3. All parts of the cultivator are assembled together using bolts, the nuts on which are tightened as tightly as possible so that the entire system is solid, or all parts can be secured by welding. This option is much more reliable than the previous one.
  4. After the base is ready, a wheel is attached to it; it should not be too large so that the plow fits well into the ground. And not too small, so that you have to put more effort into pushing than is required with a medium-sized wheel.


If you still have an old medium-sized wheel, you can make another version of a home cultivator. Simply attach curved metal handles to the wheel, which also holds a small plow behind the wheel, closer to you. And now the homemade hand cultivator is ready.

DIY disc cultivator

There is also an option for a homemade hand cultivator, which is made from steel discs. There should be five discs in total, three of them have teeth attached to them, with the help of which the soil will be loosened. You can make such discs yourself or order them. After all, they are made on lathe. Two discs will be smooth, and the other three will have special teeth or curved nails attached. When the disks are ready, they are put on the axle one by one, then bearings and washers are installed, and then the entire structure is attached to a wooden handle. The soil is cultivated with the help of these teeth; they alternately stick into the ground and loosen it. These tines also cut the roots of weeds. Due to its weight, this hand cultivator does not require much force. The only drawback is that you will have to periodically clean the teeth from weeds. After all, the cut grass clings to the teeth and spreads throughout the entire area.


You can make a rotary cultivator with your own hands; this type of cultivator is designed for harrowing and leveling the soil after plowing. It is somewhat similar to a disk cultivator, but the disks in it are of a different shape - they are hemispherical and convex. Also, there are not five of them, but only four. In this case, each pair is attached to its own axis. Also, the base remains movable, which helps to change the angle of the discs if necessary. The base will be metal, it can be attached to a comfortable wooden or metal handle, which will have screws for adjusting the angle of the discs. An all-metal cultivator of this type will be heavier, so if you do not have the strength, make the handle wooden. This cultivator is convenient because the grass will not cling to the discs.


Convenient chainsaw cultivator

if you have old chainsaw, which you haven’t used for a long time, don’t rush to throw it away or sell it. From its serviceable parts you can make an excellent hand-held cultivator with your own hands. This option is suitable for those who are technically savvy. You will also need to purchase some materials, lubricants and fuel. After all, this cultivator is gasoline-powered, that is, it runs on gasoline or other fuel.

  1. First you need to make a frame for the walk-behind tractor from the corners. It will be cubic in shape.
  2. Next, the engine is attached to the top of the frame of the future cultivator.
  3. The handles are made of metal pipes; with such handles it is very convenient to work the soil.
  4. You will also need two sprockets, one for the intermediate shaft and the other for the drive shaft. It is because of these details that the cultivator is called a star cultivator.

The disadvantage of this homemade cultivator is that it requires constant refueling.


DIY electric cultivator

If you wish, you can create an electric cultivator at home. But it should be taken into account that he will break the earth into large pieces, this is when fast work. If you cultivate the soil slowly with such a cultivator, the clods will be smaller, and the soil will become softer and plowed. It should also be remembered that the work area will be limited by the length of the electrical cord.

  1. In order to make such a cultivator, you need two metal corners that are attached to the gearbox. Curved handles are attached to them for greater convenience.
  2. The axle for the wheels is also attached to the same corners. The wheels for this cultivator are of medium size. After all, it won’t be very convenient to work with big ones, and small ones will fail.
  3. Next, you need to connect the shaft to a conventional electric meat grinder. You will need to break off the standard nozzle and insert the prepared screw into the resulting hole.
  4. Next, for greater convenience, you can move the power button from the meat grinder itself to the handle of the cultivator, and you’re done.
  5. You should replace the power cord on the meat grinder, because the standard cord is usually very short and will not work.


There are many more options for making cultivators with your own hands. You just need to show a little imagination and ingenuity. After all, having an old but working engine from washing machine, you can also create a well-functioning electric cultivator. You just need to find the parts of an old bicycle and connect them together. You can also add batteries, and you will have a homemade battery cultivator.

After all, not always all the work can be done with a large and professional cultivator. Sometimes it is much easier to cultivate the row spacing with a hand cultivator without harming the plants.

As soon as spring comes and the snow melts, everyone begins to wait for warm weather. Many people want to quickly start cultivating their plots to prepare the ground for abundant harvests. And here every summer resident and gardener will need a manual cultivator. After all, if you loosen the soil before planting, then plants will germinate much faster in oxygenated soil. And when working with a cultivator, no special effort is required, and the work is completed much faster. Both adults and children can work with the cultivator that you made yourself. It takes a little time to learn. The main thing is to follow all the instructions when making a hand cultivator.


With a hand cultivator, you not only fluff up the soil before planting, but it also creates convenient harrows for planting seeds. The cultivator can also be used to control weeds when everything has already sprouted. After all, you don’t always want to pull out the grass by hand. And you need to cultivate your garden often.

Any of the hand-made, home-made cultivators are ideal for a dacha. After all, they are quite small in size and very convenient to work with. In one mini cultivator you will find great assistant in the country.

It is not always profitable to buy vegetables and fruits. After all, there is no guarantee that store-bought vegetables are grown in compliance with all technologies. And it’s much more pleasant to eat vegetables that you grew in your own garden or dacha. Moreover, if you do gardening correctly and wisely, it even lifts your mood. Your physical health, because constants appear physical exercise. To make gardening and gardening more convenient, you should buy or make some tools yourself. If you are technically savvy, then there is nothing complicated, you can easily assemble homemade instrument for cultivating land and removing weeds. If you are not particularly knowledgeable, choose a type of manual cultivator with a simple design. If you want to create a complex cultivator yourself, ask your friends to help you. Together with friends it will be much more interesting and fun to create such useful equipment for the household.

If you have some skills, you can easily make a cultivator with your own hands from ordinary scrap metal or used parts from equipment. Such a homemade cultivator will certainly be inferior in terms of performance, but will make it much easier manual labor and many gardening work.

Cultivator: purpose and characteristics of types

Cultivators are very convenient and popular agricultural tools used to perform surface loosening of the soil, as well as destroying weeds, applying fertilizers and cutting furrows for irrigation activities. In the process of selecting a model of such equipment you must be guided by the basic parameters:

  • relief features of the site;
  • useful area of ​​the site;
  • qualitative composition and characteristics of the soil;
  • scope and criteria of assigned tasks.

Depending on the purpose, there are several main types of agricultural cultivators:

  • continuous tillage during pre-sowing tillage with simultaneous harrowing;
  • inter-row tillage and simultaneous feeding main crops grown mineral fertilizers;
  • pre-sowing tillage, represented by loosening and layer-by-layer grinding of the soil, as well as the destruction of weeds, leveling and compacting the soil.

Equipment can also be classified depending on the operating mechanisms:

  • electrical equipment , used on small plots of land. Operation is ensured by electricity. The equipment is lightweight, compact in size and has no emissions harmful substances V environment. Disadvantages include low power and low mobility;
  • battery equipment, designed for soil treatment in small areas. The difference from electric models is sufficient mobility while maintaining small dimensions;
  • gasoline equipment is the most popular due to its high performance. Such units are quite powerful, mobile and convenient. The main disadvantages of the application are the emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere, as well as the need to regularly perform competent maintenance.

Another fairly popular type of garden equipment among owners of country property is a hand-held cultivator, represented by a simple design in the form of bent hook fingers or metal stars, which are attached to a metal holder. Such homemade products allow gardeners to quickly and easily cultivate the soil, and for manufacturing you will need the correct drawings, a little time and available tools.

Hand cultivator: manufacturing stages (video)

How to make a cultivator with your own hands

Of course, reliable and high-performance devices cannot be cheap, so many gardeners prefer to make simple but effective designs themselves. Properly designed hand cultivators are economical, do not require refueling and can replace several tools at once, including a shovel, hoe and rake. Such devices take up minimal storage space.

Homemade disc rotary cultivator

It is not too difficult to independently make a rotary disk tool designed not only for soil cultivation, but also for leveling the cultivated area. Right assembled structure allows you to level the surface, harrow the area, and break up clods of earth. The main parts of the unit are represented by a disk, an axle, a bushing, large and small brackets, a rod, a pipe and a handle.

Spherical-type working parts in the form of convex disks must be welded to bushings that fit onto the axle. Using a cotter pin, the axial ends are fixed in brackets. Using a special ledge, a pipe is passed through a large bracket, as well as handles and a crossbar. The diameter of the rod is 2.4 cm with a length of 25 cm. This part is welded onto a small bracket. A rod with a cross section of 1.6 cm must be screwed into the rod, which should partially protrude above the surface of the crossbar.

The main difficulty in manufacturing the unit is represented by the need to give the disks a neat spherical shape using fairly strong hammer blows. The angle of the disk installation relative to the movement must be adjusted using wing nuts that are attached to the crossbar.

How to make a Tornado cultivator with your own hands: drawings and manufacturing steps

In the gardening market, a relatively simple, in terms of design, but quite effective device called the Tornado cultivator is increasingly found. This unit is a kind of corkscrew, mounted on a vertical stand and having a horizontal handle.

The easiest way to make this version of manual equipment yourself is to use ordinary gardening forks and a plastic handle attachment for the cutting. Step-by-step technology manufacturing homemade unit"Tornado" is as follows:

  • prepare a segment plastic pipe, the length of which should be 50 cm;
  • the diameter of the plastic blank should slightly exceed the thickness of the plastic handle attachment;
  • the pipe must be carefully cut lengthwise, which will allow you to turn it out and put it on the handle, and then secure it with electrical tape;
  • a correctly assembled handle has edges protruding on both sides of the handle by about a quarter of a meter;
  • The teeth on the forks need to be given a corkscrew shape characteristic of the working unit using a regular hammer.

The bends on the teeth should imitate as accurately as possible the shape of the working part of the original Tornado cultivator.

Homemade manual cultivator from a bicycle

To make a convenient and durable unit yourself using available materials, you need to prepare an old bicycle frame and one wheel. The step-by-step method for assembling such an agricultural unit is as follows:

  • fix the cultivator head on the frame, which can be used as ready-made parts of an old device or a self-made structure based on steel rods;
  • install a frame, which is best used as a small plow;
  • such a homemade cultivator is controlled using a handle made on the basis of a standard steel pipe;
  • install a crossbar from a pipe with a diameter of 20-30 mm.

It is recommended to securely secure all parts of the structure assembled from the bicycle. bolted connection. To ensure ease of control, the unit is complemented by a medium-sized wheel, which is secured with locknuts. This version of the cultivator is optimal for removing weeds between the beds.

Homemade manual cultivator with attachments (video)

How to make an electric cultivator

There are several options for making such a device, but the most popular type is homemade electric cultivator based on the engine of a conventional meat grinder:

  • the gearbox and electric motor are located on the frame;
  • the working parts of the mechanism are fixed to the output shaft of the gearbox;
  • The steering wheel and wheels are attached to the frame.

The device moves independently or manually, using a pair of handles on which the engine start button can be located.

Standard set of parts and materials required for the manufacture of an electric cultivator:

  • engine from a meat grinder;
  • tubes and angles;
  • medium-sized bicycle wheels;
  • screw and crowbar;
  • welding machine, hammer, pliers and a set of wrenches.

Technology self-made:

  • adjust the parts to the size of the engine from the meat grinder and assemble the frame;
  • weld a couple of corners onto the gearbox housing;
  • weld a couple of pipes to the corners on the gearbox;
  • bend the ends of the welded tubes to make it easier to grip the handles and weld a crossbar to add rigidity;
  • grind the shaft out of scrap and secure the cast iron bushing of the meat grinder, then weld the screw that acts as a lug.

When moving a homemade electric cultivator on high speed, using a screw, the soil is broken into large lumps. In the process of slow movement, the rolled soil acquires a finer structure. The productivity of this design is about three hundred square meters at a time. Average electricity consumption varies within 2 kW.

How to choose the right ready-made cultivator in the store

The process of choosing such a technically complex product as an agricultural cultivator does not cause difficulties, but requires the following nuances to be taken into account:

  • power parameters for gasoline models are expressed in horsepower, and for electric models in kW;
  • the standard power range, regardless of engine type, is 4-8 hp, but the optimal and most economical power is 6.0-6.5 hp.
  • the value of the working width is determined by the distance between the leftmost and rightmost cutter, but in amateur models it is limited to 85 cm.
  • the presence of four or more cutters in the working body of the equipment makes it possible to change the working width towards decreasing and increasing;
  • in a medium-static mechanism, the tillage depth is most often 330 mm, but if necessary, you can choose more or less productive models;
  • a significant part of low-power and light models are equipped with one standard gear, which allows forward movement, and a small force helps to turn the unit in the direction required for work;
  • on heavier models, the presence of reverse gear is a necessity, allowing you to give heavy equipment the desired direction;
  • The engine can be two-stroke or four-stroke, which has a direct impact on the power of agricultural equipment.

It should be noted that two-stroke engines easier to maintain, but quite noisy. When choosing factory models, you must also remember that a flat cutter exclusively trims all newly emerging shoots, and the use of flat cutters allows you to make a kind of batch from the soil.

How to make a cultivator with your own hands (video)

The most popular and highly productive models of cultivators are sold at fairly high cost, but are equipped with a whole set of replaceable working parts, which makes their use convenient and multifunctional. However, availability is relatively small area for processing makes it possible to use self-made, practical units.

Cultivator – garden tools of varying degrees of complexity, designed for cultivating and loosening the soil. With its help, you can significantly simplify pre-sowing work and reduce the time you spend in the garden several times. However, even the simplest hand cultivators, despite their primitive design, are not cheap and, lacking extra funds, many summer residents continue to make do with a shovel, turning loosening the soil into slave labor. But it’s quite easy to find a way out of this situation - you need to make a cultivator with your own hands. We will offer at your discretion several ways to manufacture this garden unit, starting with the simplest manual model and ending with a tool with an electric motor.

A homemade cultivator can have a rather complex design - a model based on a chainsaw

There is often a product on the market that is very simple in design - the Tornado cultivator, which is a kind of corkscrew on a vertical stand with a horizontal handle.

"Tornado" - a manual cultivator for easy loosening of soil

Making such a manual cultivator with your own hands is as easy as shelling pears using ordinary pitchforks. To do this, purchase a plastic handle-shaped attachment from a hardware store - they are used for both forks and shovels to make working with the tool easier. Since the handle in the original “Tornado” is made in the form of a long horizontal tube, our nozzle will also have to be improved. To do this we take the segment plastic pipe about 0.5 m long.

Its diameter should be slightly larger than the thickness of the horizontal handle of the plastic handle we purchased. Carefully cut the pipe lengthwise so that you can turn it out and put it on the handle handle. It is advisable to secure the tube so that it does not slip during operation and does not jump out of its designated place. The easiest way is to tape it with electrical tape. At the end of the work, we will receive a handle, the edges of which will protrude on both sides of the handle by about 25 cm.

Now it’s time to get to the fun part and give the fork teeth the necessary corkscrew shape. To do this, use a regular hammer, with the help of which the metal will bend in any direction. It is advisable to have a photograph of the original Tornado cultivator on hand and try to repeat all the bends that exist on it.

Bicycle-based cultivator option

The next manual cultivator, which we will present to your attention, is more complex in design and to some extent mechanized. To make it you will need old frame from a bicycle, as well as a bicycle wheel.

A cultivator head is attached to the bicycle frame - this can be a finished product from an old cultivator or made independently from sharp steel rods. If desired, a small plow can also be used in this capacity. The handle for convenient control of the tool is made of steel or aluminum pipes. For the crossbar, take a small piece of pipe with a diameter of 2-2.5 cm. All components are secured with bolts, but so that the connections do not dangle - the entire structure must be rigid.

It is better to take a wheel that is neither small nor large, but of medium diameter. It is secured to the frame with special wing nuts or regular locknuts.

Despite the fact that this cultivator is homemade, it can be used to easily remove weeds and weed the space between the beds.

Toothed manual plower

The next model of a homemade cultivator consists of five steel discs-pancakes, which rotate on an axis 320 mm long and 16 mm in diameter. Three discs contain sharp curved teeth, which will be used as a working tool for loosening the soil. At the ends of the axle there are trunnions with bearings, on which steel brackets are fixed, converging on a wooden handle.

Diagram of a gear cultivator: 1 - disks, 2 - teeth made of rods, 3 - axle, 4 - axle, 5 - bracket, 6 - wooden handle

Steel disks and axles are turned independently or ordered from local craftsmen who know how to work on a lathe. Five holes are drilled on the side surfaces of the three disks, into which teeth made from a steel rod with a diameter of 10 mm are inserted. The resulting disks with teeth are hung on the axle, then axles with bearings and washers are installed.

When such a cultivator operates, the teeth on the discs plunge into the ground and turn over the surface layer. Sharp “claws” cut off the roots of weeds, loosen the soil and help saturate it with air.

Disc rotary cultivator

You can also make a rotary cultivator with your own hands, which can be used to harrow, break up large clods of earth and level the surface of the garden. The diagram of this model is shown in the figure and it is called a disc cultivator.

Homemade disc cultivator: 1 - disk, 2 - axle. 3 - sleeve, 4 - large bracket, 5 - small bracket, 6 - rod, 7 - pipe, 8 - handle

The working body of the cultivator is spherical convex disks. They are welded to bushings, which, in turn, are put on the axles. The axial ends are secured in brackets using cotter pins.

A pipe with handles at the end and a crossbar passes through a special ledge made in a large bracket. A rod 250 mm long and 24x2 mm in diameter is welded to the small bracket. A 16mm thick rod is screwed into it, part of which protrudes above the crossbar.

Manufacturing steel disks can be a little difficult. They must be spherical, and it is quite difficult to give such a shape to ordinary metal plates 4 mm thick. It is necessary to use a hammer, “knocking out” the bowl in the center of the workpiece with strong blows.

Wing nuts on the crossbar allow you to adjust the installation angle of the spherical discs in relation to the direction of movement of the cultivator. When the nut is rotated clockwise, the rod rises up. At the same time, the large bracket will bend and the angle of the disks will change.

Electric version based on a meat grinder

At home, you can make not only hand tools, but also an electric cultivator with your own hands.

The photo shows a cultivator made on the basis of a production meat grinder. This design is quite simple to make. Two corners are screwed to the gearbox housing, to which two pipes are welded, the ends of which are bent to obtain comfortable handles. Another piece of pipe is placed between them for strength. Wheel axles are also welded to the corners. It is advisable to use medium-sized wheels, since too large ones will be inconvenient, and small ones will sink into the soil when moving.

The shaft of the structure is machined from ordinary scrap. The attachment of a production meat grinder is chipped with a sledgehammer and a cast iron bushing remains. A workpiece machined from scrap is placed in it and a grouser screw is welded. The engine switch is located, for user convenience, on the handle.

When moving quickly with such a cultivator, the screw breaks the earth into large clods - the result is rough plowing. If you move slowly, the loosening is more accurate - the soil turns into dust.

Here's another interesting video, which tells you how to make an electric cultivator with your own hands, using a frame, chain and sprocket from a bicycle, and a motor from a washing machine.

There are many more ways to make units for plowing land at home, for example, you can make a homemade cultivator from a chainsaw. All you need is the ability to understand technology and a little imagination.

Evgeniy Sedov

When your hands grow from the right place, life is more fun :)

Content

Cultivation is a method of processing a layer of land without turning it over. Such superficial work Leveling, preparing for sowing, hilling potatoes, clearing weeds, and harvesting can be facilitated by using hand cultivators. They will become indispensable assistants on small areas, V hard to reach places, when working in small greenhouses. If you need to cultivate areas of more than 3 acres, it makes sense to think about purchasing or creating a motor cultivator powered by electric or gasoline traction.

Types of hand cultivators

The variety of devices for cultivating land is determined by the types of agricultural work that must be carried out from early spring to autumn. Some types of hand cultivators are used all year round for care indoor plants or greenhouse crops. Based on the type of movement, they are divided into moving and point. Moving machines include all types of rotary openers, hillers, scarifiers, and harrows. Point devices are tornado root remover, potato digger, indoor plant cultivator.

Rotary hand cultivator

The operating principle of a rotary cultivator is based on the rotation of 4-5 finite stars or cutters, the ends of which are bent and sharpened. They are driven into rotation either by an external mechanical drive or by manual pressure. Rotating cutters cut the roots of weeds, pull them out, and crush them upper layer land. At the same time, the surface is loosened. Such a device without a mechanical drive can only be used on improved lands. If virgin soil cultivation is required, you must purchase an electric or gasoline motor cultivator.


Ripper

To improve irrigation, quickly remove weeds and apply fertilizers in a personal garden or personal plot you need to buy a manual cultivator. It consists of 3-4 hooks curved to the bottom, which can be attached to a long handle for cultivating an area or attached to a short handle for loosening the soil of indoor plants. It is possible to attach the ripper, as one of the replaceable devices, to the frame of a wheeled manual cultivator or with a mechanical drive.

Root remover

To get rid of weeds, it is necessary to remove the plant root from the ground. A manual plant remover along with roots will help solve this problem. It consists of three sharp rods welded to the base, the ends of which are bent in one direction for screwing into the earth crust. The base is welded to a tubular element with an extended cross handle. This device is called “Tornado” and works as follows:

  • position the tool so that the weed is in the center between the tips of the rods;
  • holding the ends of the handle, screw the root remover into the ground clockwise to the depth of the weed roots;
  • pull out the plant along with the roots;
  • shake off the soil along with the weed.

Potato digger

Traditionally, villagers use pitchforks to dig up potatoes. A small improvement in their design will turn them into a simple manual potato cultivator for people of any age. This requires a small transformation:

  • the forks are not positioned vertically, but are bent at an angle of 30-50 degrees to the ground;
  • a vertical pointed pin is welded to the tulle;
  • instead of a handle, a metal pipe with a horizontal handle is inserted into the tulleka;
  • Digging up potatoes is done by sticking the tool into the ground near the bush, turning it around an axis until the fork penetrates under the bush and tilting the handle until the tubers are extracted.

For indoor plants

Hand garden cultivators are used for indoor plants and include a ripper and a shovel. With the help of a ripper, the top layer of soil is loosened, making it more accessible for the penetration of moisture, oxygen, and fertilizers. The spatula is used when replanting plants to add fertilizer. They are made from of stainless steel with rubberized handle. Hand tools for caring for plantings can be used not only for indoor potting, but also in small greenhouses, greenhouses, when decorating dachas, garden plots, and loggias with flowers.

Flat cutter

The theoretical basis for the use in the reclamation of virgin lands, in contrast to flat-cutting plows, was laid at the beginning of the twentieth century, and was practically implemented in the 50s of the last century during the development of Kazakh virgin lands. In this case, the flat cutter cuts off the roots of weeds, loosens them, but does not turn over the top layer, which does not disturb the soil structure and increases productivity. A flat cutter consists of several sharpened flat peaks or flat knives attached to vertical rods made of reinforcement, which, when moving, go to a depth of 10-20 cm and cut the upper layer.

How to make a hand cultivator with your own hands

You can make manual cultivators for cultivating soil in the country with your own hands. For this you may need:

  • metal narrow strips or pins,
  • wooden or metal handles with the possibility of attaching horizontal handles;
  • standard set of tools - screwdriver, hammer, grinder, pliers, vice, chisel, screws.
  • Some products may require grinder and welding work.

Manufacturing a flat-cutter cultivator

The most famous hand-held cultivator is the Fokina flat cutter. A design close to it can be made independently. For this you will need:

  • steel strip 3-5 mm thick, 40-50 cm long and 4-6 cm wide;
  • wooden round or square handle;
  • 4-8 wood screws.

The manufacturing process will include several steps, for which you will need a vice, pliers, a chisel, and a sharpening machine. To make a flat cutter, perform the following operations:

  • drill 4-8 holes in the strip on one side for fastening it;
  • bend the steel strip in the form of the number “7” with its lower part straightened;
  • harden the workpiece - bring it to red color blowtorch or put it in the fire, then let it cool;
  • on one side of the square wooden handle, make a handle that is comfortable for the hand (if you have a round handle, use a chisel to make a flat surface on one edge for attaching the strip);
  • secure the strip to the flat surface of the handle using self-tapping screws;
  • sharpen the horizontal part of the flat cutter on a grinding wheel.

Tornado

If it is not possible to purchase a Tornado fork root remover, you can make it yourself. The most in a simple way is a change in the shape of the teeth of a conventional fork - the bases of the teeth must be placed evenly around the circumference, and the sharp ends must be bent in one direction in a spiral. Instead of a handle, it is advisable to weld a vertical corrugated pipe up to the owner’s chest length with a transverse handle 80 cm in shape resembling the letter “T”. The handle should be comfortable to grip with both hands on the edges, and increasing the leverage will make it easier to cut into the ground as you turn it.

DIY star cultivator

The main tasks of the star cultivator are cutting the roots of weeds at depths of 10-20 cm and mixing the top layer of soil. Low-power manual electric and gasoline motor cultivators easily cope with this task. To simplify the creation of such a homemade unit can be used in the design of an old bicycle with transmission of wheel rotation to the star by means of chain transmission. For those who want to make a simple star cultivator, you need to stock up on:

  • sheet metal thickness 2-3 mm;
  • a smooth rod with a diameter of 5-8 mm;
  • a tube 20 cm long and an internal diameter of 7-10 mm, which should correspond to the diameter of the rod;
  • a tube 15-20 cm long and an internal diameter of 30-40 mm to create a tulle; a metal or wooden cutting with a diameter of 30-40 mm and a length according to the height of the farmer.

Creating such a device on your own involves the difficulty of solving the problem of rotating stars or cutters without friction. Using a complex mechanism with bearings for this purpose will create many additional tasks - the need for lubrication, protection from the ground, and moisture. Instructions for making a simple star cultivator include:

  1. From available sheets of steel, 6-7 ray stars are cut out with a grinder with a ray length of 5-8 cm from the disk and a hole in the middle.
  2. The tube is cut into 2-3 equal parts and welded to the sprockets.
  3. The resulting rotary disk element is mounted on the rod (rotation on it must be free).
  4. The rod is bent to give it a bottle-like appearance (in this case, its ends are connected together; the arc of the bent rod should not interfere with the movement of the rotation element).
  5. The ends of the rod are inserted into the pipe and riveted or welded to the tulle.
  6. A handle is inserted into the tulle and secured with a self-tapping screw.
  7. A strip 3-5 cm wide is cut from a sheet of metal, which is given U-shape.
  8. The strip is attached to the rod closer to the tulleka.
  9. After anti-corrosion painting, the tool is ready for use.

Cultivator from an old bicycle

An old bicycle can be an ideal blank for creating a cultivator. To do this, you need a frame, a steering wheel, and one of its rear wheels. A drawing of such a modification can be found on the Internet. Do the following:

  • remove the front wheel;
  • turn the steering wheel with the handles outward and fix it (can be welded);
  • remove the levers with pedals;
  • axle shafts with cutters can be attached to the front sprocket axis on both sides;
  • if you leave the chain, the rotation of the wheel will be transmitted to the sprocket and rotate the cutters; to speed up the rotation, it is advisable to swap the positions of the large sprocket and the sprocket on the wheel;
  • on the lower part of the vertical seat tube, secure a pipe with fasteners with bolts for additional attachments - rippers, plows, hillers, crevice machines, harrows;
  • control of such a unit consists of pushing the handles with the wheel forward;
  • You can adjust the depth of penetration of the cultivating tool into the ground by pressing down.

Advantages and disadvantages of hand cultivators

Agricultural work - digging and weeding - is hard physical labor. Therefore, any means of simplifying it will always be appreciated by farmers. Caring for indoor plants and flower gardens in the country will require the use of hand rippers and spatulas. Garden plots with an area of ​​more than 3 acres will be difficult to cultivate without a universal motor cultivator with a set of different attachments. For small plots, difficult places or greenhouses, the use of hand-held cultivation tools is justified. Their advantages are.