Easy, convenient loosening of the soil without turning over its layers can be carried out precisely by a cultivator for summer cottage. You will learn how to choose the most suitable model by reading the information below. What is a cultivator? This is a kind of equipment for working in the garden, vegetable garden. Why do we need a cultivator in the country? With its help, loosening, weeding, other cultivation activities on the site is much more comfortable.
These devices vary in appearance and design. They are manual, electric, gasoline.
Which cultivator to give is better? Before choosing equipment, it is necessary to take into account the volume of the processed area and the estimated complexity of the work. Cultivators may have additional functions of soil cultivation: weeding, rakes, aeration of the lawn, hiller, and others. Let's consider them in more detail.
Cultivator for giving gasoline
These are models with a gasoline engine, optimally suited for the cultivation of large areas of land. Such units are characterized by high performance, they are not “tied” to the electric cord (mobile), they make it possible to process the most remote zones on the site. The device is equipped with a gasoline engine - push-pull or four-stroke. The first works on a gasoline-oil mixture, the second - exclusively on gasoline. The four-stroke engine is considered to be more advanced, when working with such a cultivator there will be less noise, fuel consumption, vibration.
Before choosing a cultivator for giving with a gasoline engine, you should study their varieties.
These units are divided into:
- ultralight (up to 15 kg);
- lungs (up to 40 kg);
- medium (45-60 kg);
- heavy (more than 60 kg).
A light cultivator for a summer residence can have a motor with a power of 2.5 to 4.5 horsepower, a surface grab of 40-50 cm with the possibility of loosening the soil to a depth of 15-18 cm. Often, light aggregates are equipped with a hiller, with which it is convenient to form furrows (beds). Such devices are designed to handle small areas (6-8 acres), they are maneuverable, easily transported. Most light analogs are equipped with a worm gear, and its presence does not allow the equipment to be rolled back, for example, in contact with roots or stones in the ground. Therefore, when buying a unit, choose a model with a reverse (reverse) - this is a more convenient option. If you chose a cultivator with a plastic gearbox, then check for grease in the transmission every 50-60 hours, periodically add it.
Light models, as well as their ultra-light counterparts, fall under one definition - mini cultivators for gardening. Ultralight cars are equipped with engines with power from 1.5 to 3 horsepower, they are convenient for processing small gardens, flower beds. The surface capture of such devices is small - 20-30 cm, the depth of immersion in the soil is a maximum of 8 cm. Such units are very compact, they can be easily transported in a bag, transported in the trunk of a car. The presence of removable handles also optimizes the transportation process of this equipment.
If clay soil prevails in your area, then mini equipment will not work for you. The maximum depth of tillage is indicated on the basis of ordinary soil. If you plan to work on loam or marshy lands, then you have to buy a cultivator for summer cottages with special modification cutters designed for such functions.
Medium cultivators have 4-6 horsepower engines, milling cutters from 40 to 85 cm, the depth of excavation of such units is from 25 to 80 cm. Such machines can work with clay soil. Some representatives of devices with medium power are equipped with a chain gearbox, which is much more durable than a worm gear (longer life). Such cultivators may have an additional plow, mower, harrow.
A heavy cultivator for summer cottages has a capacity of up to 10 horsepower, with its help it is possible to process not only small summer cottages, but also areas of more than 10 acres. It is suitable for work on virgin lands, has less vibration, significant weight, it can be supplemented with various tools (potato planter, plow, mower, etc.). Such a machine is not suitable for narrow paths and beds.
Electric cultivators for gardening
An excellent alternative to gasoline analogues is an electric cultivator for gardening, it is lightweight (from 6 to 20 kg) and more environmentally friendly. When working with it, you will not have to breathe gasoline exhausts, take care of timely fueling and oil level. In addition, the maintenance of an electric cultivator will cost you less than gasoline technology. The main thing is the presence of a long cord and an electrical outlet within reach. These machines are not very powerful, but for processing a small area of 2-5 hundred parts are quite suitable. It should also be borne in mind that electric cultivators have a power limit, and the depth of loosening of the soil is slightly less than that of gasoline models. At the same time, this technique is great for working with hard lumps of earth and dense heavy soil.
Manual cultivator
For a summer cottage, a manual cultivator will be indispensable in small beds, as well as between shrubs and trees, where electrical equipment or a gasoline car with a wide grip will not make it. Small hand cultivators are easy to operate and inexpensive.
To loosen soft soil, hand-held rotary models are ideal. The cutting mechanism of such a device is a shaft with star discs.
The width of the device is determined by the number of these disks. Such manual cultivators are complemented by weeding knives that can cut grass and remove its roots from the ground. Using this technique, it is very convenient to process places along borders and fences, vegetable beds, alpine slides, flower beds. It should be borne in mind that manual cultivators are not suitable for working on clay soils and places covered with dense earth crust. This technique can have both long handles and short ones.
Before choosing a cultivator for a summer residence, you need to take into account all the parameters and requirements: the size and characteristics of the plot (what grows on it, the presence of borders, flower beds), the type of soil. Also important is the choice of the manufacturer, mainly quality, the life of the equipment depends on this factor. It will be very good if you first test several models, how they work, for example, at your neighbors in the country. Working with a cultivator should be comfortable for you, because this technique is acquired to optimize a difficult work process.
Cultivator for summer cottage - how to choose and not be mistaken among the variety of models? Always see which accessories are included. The most necessary for the farm are plane cutters, hillers, choppers, weeds, snow blowers, grass mowers, lawn aerators, potato diggers. Keep in mind that the lighter the cultivator, the less functions it is designed for, the width of the cutter also depends on the power of the unit (wider - more powerful). Choose equipment according to the size and needs of your site.