Cultivators

How it works

A tine cultivator has rows of legs, or tines, fitted with points or wider shares. As they are pulled through the soil they lift and crack it, and wings on the shares cut off weeds and volunteer crops right across the width. A disc cultivator uses concave discs set at an angle; they roll and slice through stubble and throw soil sideways, chopping and mixing straw into the surface.

Many machines have both, with tines or discs at the front, levelling tools behind and a heavy roller at the back that firms the soil, controls depth and helps keep moisture in. Depth is set with the roller or wheels, often hydraulically. Stone protection is by shear bolt or spring-loaded legs that reset themselves.

Main types

• Stubble (tine) cultivator: Heavy rigid legs for loosening stubble and mixing in straw. Wide shares work shallow; narrow points go deeper, up to about 30 cm.
• Short disc cultivator: Two rows of independently mounted discs that work fast and shallow, from just 2 to 3 cm up to around 16 cm on some models.
• Spring tine cultivator: Lighter vibrating tines for seedbed work and weed control, needing less power.
• Row-crop (inter-row) cultivator: Hoes or sweeps that work between the rows of a growing crop to cut out weeds, from one row to 36 rows wide.
• Disc harrow: Traditional gangs of discs on a common shaft, used to break up ploughed land or work in residue.

Hooking it up to a tractor

Smaller cultivators hang on the three-point linkage, while wider ones are trailed and fold hydraulically for the road. Unlike a power harrow or rotavator they need no PTO drive, so power demand comes from pulling. Disc cultivators are usually worked fast, and deep tine work needs the most draught, so match width and depth to your tractor.

A short history

Farmers scratched out weeds with hoes for thousands of years, and ganged hoes pulled by animals led to the first harrows and cultivators. Many horse-drawn designs appeared in the 1700s and 1800s. Motor cultivators were tried around 1915 to 1920, and International Harvester's Farmall of the 1920s was built to cultivate row crops as well as pull. Weedkillers later took over much weed control, but cultivators remain central to stubble work and organic farming.

Buying and care tips

• Tine or disc?: Discs suit fast, shallow stubble work and mixing in straw. Tines are better for deeper loosening and pulling out weed roots.
• Shallow first: A shallow first pass after harvest creates a stale seedbed so weeds and volunteers germinate and can be killed before the next crop.
• Wearing parts: Check points, shares and disc diameters, and feel disc hubs for worn bearings.
• Roller and protection: Pick a roller that suits your soil and check the auto-reset springs or shear bolts are in good order.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between a tine and a disc cultivator?

Tines are pulled through the soil and can work deep, loosening and lifting it. Discs roll and slice at shallow depth, chopping and mixing in straw at higher speeds.

What is the difference between a cultivator and a plough?

A plough turns the soil over and buries the surface. A cultivator loosens and mixes it while leaving it the same way up, which is quicker and keeps more residue near the top.

What is a stale seedbed?

A seedbed made early so weeds and spilled grain sprout first. They are then killed by cultivation or spray before the crop is sown.

Related equipment

Sources

1. Cultivator (Wikipedia)
2. Stubble cultivators: forgotten heroes or surplus to requirements? (AMTEC)
3. Carrier disc cultivators (Vaderstad)

Last checked 2026-11-01

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