Content
- 1 Choosing the right model
- 2 How to plow correctly with a walk-behind tractor with a plow
- 2.1 How to properly adjust the plow of a walk-behind tractor for plowing
- 2.2 How to adjust the plowing depth on a walk-behind tractor
- 2.3 What speed to adhere to when plowing with a walk-behind tractor
- 2.4 How to plow a garden with a walk-behind tractor
- 2.5 How to plow virgin soil with a walk-behind tractor
- 3 How to plow correctly with a walk-behind tractor with cutters
- 4 How to plow a vegetable garden with a walk-behind tractor with a front adapter
- 5 Do I need to plow the garden in the fall with a walk-behind tractor
- 6 Why the walk-behind tractor does not plow: reasons and how to troubleshoot
- 7 Conclusion
Modern means of mechanization make it possible to plow fairly large land plots. Moreover, such devices are highly mobile, which allows them to be used in places where access to tractors and other large agricultural machines is impossible. In addition, plowing with a walk-behind tractor allows you to independently carry out work, not depending on other persons.
Choosing the right model
Before buying a walk-behind tractor, you need to determine for what work the unit will be used. The simplest devices are lightweight (up to 100 kg) and are equipped with 4–8 hp engines. from. and are equipped with a small set of working attachments.
They allow you to perform the minimum required list of works:
- plowing;
- disking;
- harrowing;
- driving ridges.
Some devices are universal. They allow the use of additional equipment, for example:
- potato digger;
- snow blower;
- motor pump;
- lawn mower.
Small walk-behind tractors with a 4-5 hp engine. from. and a width of the working area of 0.5-0.6 m are suitable in order to plow a small land plot, not exceeding 15-20 hectare in area. For larger plots, more serious equipment is needed. If the size of the plot exceeds 20 acres, it is more expedient to use a unit with a capacity of 7-8 liters. from. and a working width of 0.7-0.8 m. Land plots of up to 1 hectare are cultivated by motor-blocks with engines with a capacity of 9-12 liters. from. and a working area width of up to 1 m.
When choosing a walk-behind tractor, you need to pay attention not only to the parameters of the unit, but also to its manufacturer. High-quality models are equipped with engines of well-known manufacturers (Forza, Honda, Subaru), have a disc clutch and gear reducers. Such models are the most reliable and, when using high-quality fuel and oil, serve for quite a long time.
The better to plow: with a walk-behind tractor with a plow or a cultivator
Plowing is the simplest tillage operation. If the area is small and the ground is loose enough, a cultivator can be used. These devices are lighter and more maneuverable than walk-behind tractors with a plow, and their less powerful engines consume less fuel. If the soil is heavy or virgin soil is to be plowed, then you cannot do without a walk-behind tractor. Unlike motor-cultivators, these self-propelled units can process plots using attachments: plow, disc, cutter.
Motoblocks, as a rule, are equipped with rubber pneumatic wheels, which makes it possible to use them as a tractor, for example, when towing a trailer.
Can a walk-behind tractor plow virgin soil
Unlike a cultivator that works only on loose soils, the walk-behind tractor can be used for plowing heavy soil, including for virgin lands. The ability to use a variety of attachments makes it possible to use a rotary plow, which is best suited for working on neglected areas.
How to plow correctly with a walk-behind tractor with a plow
If conditions permit, it is recommended to plow with a walk-behind tractor along the long side of the site. Often the first furrow is plowed along the taut rope to make it straight. In the future, each next furrow is plowed so that one wheel goes along the edge of the plowing of the previous row. This results in an even and even plowing of the entire area.
How to properly adjust the plow of a walk-behind tractor for plowing
The plow adjustment process consists of several stages:
- Depending on the required plowing depth, the walk-behind tractor is suspended above the ground at the same height. To do this, you can drive it onto a stand made of boards or bricks.
- Install a hitch on the unit in accordance with the operating instructions. The plow tine should be vertical and the field board should be in contact with the soil along its entire length.
- If necessary, adjust the angle of inclination of the field board.
- Create one or two furrows depending on the type of plowing.
Once the furrow is ready, the plow shank angle must be set. Since one of the wheels will follow the plowed furrow, the walk-behind tractor itself will roll, but the stand must remain vertical. To adjust the angle of inclination of the stand, it is necessary to place a stand of the same height under the left wheel of the walk-behind tractor as it was when adjusting the depth.
The plow post must then be positioned perpendicular to the ground.
Which wheels are better to plow with a walk-behind tractor
Most motoblocks are equipped with rubber pneumatic wheels. This allows the machine to move on the ground and roads without damaging them. For normal movement and even for transporting a trailer with a load, the adhesion of the rubber wheels to the road is quite enough, but the plow offers much more serious resistance when plowing. Therefore, at the site, rubber wheels are usually replaced with grousers - all-metal cylinders with a welded-on herringbone made of metal plates. These devices significantly increase the weight of the walk-behind tractor, due to which such wheels literally bite into the ground.
Practice shows that the use of lugs as a propeller noticeably improves traction with the ground and increases tractive effort, while rubber wheels, even with a large pattern, are prone to slipping. This is especially noticeable when plowing heavy soil or virgin land. Another danger of using pneumatic rubber wheels for plowing is that the rim can simply "turn", and the wheel chamber will become unusable.
How to adjust the plowing depth on a walk-behind tractor
The plowing depth can be adjusted by raising or lowering the plow. In the plow post, the design provides several holes into which an adjusting bolt is inserted. The holes are at different heights. To ensure the desired plowing depth, the adjusting bolt is threaded through the desired hole and secured with a nut.
What speed to adhere to when plowing with a walk-behind tractor
As a rule, the gearbox of the walk-behind tractor allows you to change the speed of movement. This is done so that the unit is more versatile and can move in transport mode at a higher speed. However, for plowing, especially if the work is carried out manually on dense and heavy soils, the transport speed is too high and will not provide the force necessary to operate the plow at the desired depth.
Typical manual plowing speed is 5 km / h.This allows the plowman to move at a calm pace behind the walk-behind tractor. However, this speed can be doubled if you use the transport and plowing module instead of the walk-behind tractor frame for fastening the plow.
How to plow a garden with a walk-behind tractor
Depending on the time of year and the goal, there are two ways to plow the land in the garden with a walk-behind tractor.
- Wrecked... With this method of plowing, the seams are turned in opposite directions relative to the central axis of the plot. Work begins from the right edge of the field, go through it to the end, then drive the unit to the left edge and return along it to the starting point. Then, with the right wheel, the walk-behind tractor is installed in the furrow and plowing of the second row begins. The cycles are repeated until the last furrow is plowed, which should run exactly along the central axis of the site.
- Vsval... Plowing a plot using this method begins with plowing the central furrow along the axis. Then the right lug is placed in the furrow and returned to its original location. Then the cycle repeats. Plowing is carried out in both directions from the central axis, gradually filling the entire area. In this case, the layers turn out to be turned towards each other relative to the central axis of the site.
The first method is most often used for spring plowing, it allows you to evenly embed fertilizers in the soil, spread out or scattered over the surface. When plowing with the second method, deeper furrows remain, so they are often plowed before winter. In this case, the ground freezes more strongly, which kills pests, and snow remains in deep furrows longer, keeping the soil moisture.
How to plow virgin soil with a walk-behind tractor
Plowing virgin lands with a plow is a rather serious test, both for the walk-behind tractor and for its owner. Heavy caked earth, intertwined with grass roots, creates a very high resistance, which often leads to breakage of the hitch and other unpleasant consequences. Therefore, it is better to develop virgin lands with heavy equipment, namely a tractor. If the site does not allow this and the only option is to dig up the ground with a walk-behind tractor, then it is better to choose the following work procedure:
- Clean the area as much as possible from weeds, dry grass, from everything that can interfere with the walk-behind tractor.
- Go through the area with a shallow cutter to destroy the top layer of sod.
- Set the plow to a small depth (about 5 cm), plow the area.
- Increase the plowing depth. Re-plow the area.
It should be noted that the concept of "virgin land" is rather arbitrary. This is usually the name for untreated soil, but in terms of density and composition, it can differ significantly. Therefore, not all virgin lands can be plowed with a plow. Sometimes it is more expedient to use cutters for this purpose, if they go through the area 3-4 times, then even serious dense soil can be literally broken into fluff.
Video on how to plow with a walk-behind tractor with a plow:
How to plow correctly with a walk-behind tractor with cutters
The advent of milling cutters for walk-behind tractors has greatly simplified the procedure for cultivating the land for many gardeners. Instead of traditional work, such as plowing and harrowing, a complex operation has appeared, which allows one to obtain a loose soil structure suitable for sowing. This significantly reduced labor costs and provided significant time savings.
How to adjust the plowing depth with a walk-behind tractor with cutters
The maximum cultivation depth with a walk-behind tractor (this is how it is more correct to call the process of plowing with cutters) depends to the greatest extent on the diameter of the cutter and is usually half of this value. Attempts to plow to great depths will result in the cultivator simply burrowing. It is necessary to regulate the depth into the soil within the required limits using the opener.
How to dig up a vegetable garden with a walk-behind tractor with cutters
The standard process of cultivating the land with a walk-behind tractor is usually carried out in 2 stages.
- Set the opener to a small depth. The site is processed over the entire area, bypassing it in a circle and gradually moving towards the center. In this case, the cultivator works at low speeds or in first gear.
- Set the coulter to the required cultivation depth. The plot is cultivated over the entire area at high speeds or at 2 speeds.
As a rule, in order to dig up a previously processed area with a walk-behind tractor, 2 passes are enough.
How to plow virgin soil with a walk-behind tractor with cutters
Plowing virgin soil with a walk-behind tractor with cutters is carried out in several stages. The first pass at low speed with minimal deepening violates the integrity of the turf, destroying the strongest surface layer. On the second and subsequent passes, the deepening is increased, and the engine speed is gradually increased. In total, 3-4 treatments may be required, this greatly depends on the density and structure of the soil.
Cultivation of the land with a walk-behind tractor in the video:
How to plow a vegetable garden with a walk-behind tractor with a front adapter
The use of the front adapter, in fact, turns the walk-behind tractor into a mini-tractor with all the ensuing consequences. Such units can be used for a wide variety of agricultural operations, as well as for the transport of goods. It is much easier to operate a walk-behind tractor with a front adapter, and due to the additional weight, the adhesion of the unit to the ground increases.
The convenience of the design allows the operator not to waste energy on following the plow and constantly guiding it. A walk-behind tractor with a front adapter allows you to work on large areas, but it is not as maneuverable as a conventional manual power unit. Therefore, in conditions of limited space, the use of such units is difficult.
The plowing procedure itself is no different from the usual one. Many adapters are equipped with a special hitch that allows you to use levers to control the depth of the plow. The plowman can only drive his mini-tractor with one wheel along the furrow, maintaining speed and straight-line movement. Upon reaching the border of the site, the operator will raise the attachment with the plow to the transport position, make a U-turn and again lower the plow to the working position. This is how the entire area is gradually processed.
Do I need to plow the garden in the fall with a walk-behind tractor
Autumn plowing is optional, but this procedure has many positive effects.
- The depth of soil freezing increases, while weeds and pests wintering in the soil and their larvae die.
- Plowed soil retains snow and water better, staying moist longer.
- The soil structure is improved, so that spring plowing is faster and with less labor.
In addition, during autumn plowing, many gardeners add organic fertilizers to the soil. During the winter, they will partially decompose, which will increase the fertility of the soil.
Why the walk-behind tractor does not plow: reasons and how to troubleshoot
The walk-behind tractor has a certain power and is designed to work with a certain type of attachment.Attempts to independently change anything in the design of the unit often lead to a negative result. In addition, there may be several reasons for the poor operation of the walk-behind tractor with a plow.
- The wheels are turning, the plow is stationary. This indicates insufficient adhesion of the wheels to the ground or too much depth of the plow. It is necessary to reduce the plowing depth and replace the rubber wheels with lugs. Additional grip to the ground can be provided by increasing the weight of the walk-behind tractor; for this, additional weights are hung on the wheels or on the front.
- The plow buries itself in the ground or jumps out of the ground. Most likely, the tilt angles of the rack or field board are incorrectly set. It is necessary to hang out the walk-behind tractor with a plow and make the necessary settings.
- Wrong choice of plowing speed. Selected empirically.
In addition to these reasons, malfunctions with the walk-behind tractor are possible, it may not develop the required power, have a breakdown in the transmission or chassis, the frame or hitch may be bent.
Conclusion
Plowing with a walk-behind tractor has long become commonplace for modern gardeners. These units significantly save time and effort, and allow you to perform work on soil cultivation much more efficiently. An important property of such devices is their versatility, which allows not only plowing a vegetable garden with a walk-behind tractor, but also using it for other equally important work.
