Selection and use of hillers for a mini-tractor

Currently, land owners have an excellent opportunity to ease their work, thanks to modern equipment sold on the market. One of its most popular varieties is the mini-tractor hiller, which is irreplaceable when working with potatoes and other crops.

The hiller for a mini-tractor allows you to create uniform grooves, that is, grooves, for planting crops, and then cover them with earth. This device greatly simplifies the process of growing potatoes, increases the speed of cultivating the land, providing the opportunity to obtain the best result. As a rule, a tractor hiller consists of a contour made of metal, a pair of wheels, a hitch, as well as duckfoots and dumps. With the help of paws, the soil is cut to a depth of up to fifteen centimeters, and the use of lattice dumps allows you to huddle potatoes. The details on the frame are fixed with steel fragments. A standard tractor hiller works the soil an average of one hundred and forty centimeters wide and about ten centimeters deep.

The speed of movement of the device is fifteen kilometers per hour, and the mass of the hiller itself is about one hundred and eighty kilograms. As for the size parameters, they usually look like 180 by 122 and 100 centimeters. By the way, the hiller is connected to the tractor (the T-25 is mainly used) through the rear hitch of the latter and is fixed with an automatic coupler. It is also important to mention that the lancet feet are easy to remove if you just plan to huddle the potatoes. The cost of this attachment ranges from twenty to thirty thousand rubles.

Basically, a tractor hiller is needed for planting potatoes. This canopy is responsible for hilling and cultivating the space between the rows, from where weeds are pulled out, which subsequently leads to an increase in yield by about twenty or thirty percent. Hilling itself provides better air flow to the roots and, as a result, intensive development of the root system and rapid growth of tubers.

In today's market there are several varieties of tractor hillers.

• Lister equipment for a mini-tractor is considered the simplest model. Work with the ground is carried out thanks to the presence of a pair of connected and slightly spread wings. Thin strut prevents overloading when the moving device is immersed in the soil. It is important to mention that the lister hiller does not have the ability to adjust the grip, that is, the row spacing must correspond to the equipment, and not the canopy to adjust to the existing beds. The grip width of the device is always fixed and ranges from twenty-five to thirty centimeters. This gap is sometimes not enough for processing large areas, which, of course, is a drawback of this variety.
• A model with a variable working width is considered more convenient for operation, which indicates the possibility of adjusting the processed space.

• The disc hiller is considered a versatile device, very convenient to use. Such equipment allows you to cultivate the land not only during planting, but also when the potatoes are actively developing.Models made of alloy steel and equipped with special rolling bearings instead of sliding bushings are considered the most reliable. The large diameter and thickness of the discs are also important.
• The next type of hillers is called propeller-type devices. As you might guess from the name, hilling of the soil in this case occurs with the help of propellers. These parts rotate, crush clods of earth, and then transport them from the space between the rows to the beds themselves. As a rule, propeller-type hillers are mounted on moving vehicles with two forward gears. Such a condition is necessary so that in the second gear, the power of which reaches 180 rpm, in addition to loosening, the earth is also thrown over.

• The two-row hiller allows you to simultaneously cut furrows for further planting of crops and immediately huddle the soil. During the use of the canopy, the soil between the rows is loosened and transferred to the bottom of the planted plants. Such a device, as a rule, makes it possible to adjust the working width by spreading the blades, and also to keep them at the required depth. The two-body hiller allows processing of two rows, which favorably distinguishes it from the rest of the model range. The blade width in this case varies from 250 to 430 millimeters.

It is worth mentioning that many craftsmen make such attachments on their own from improvised means., since the Internet contains a large number of suitable drawings and instructions. The role of discs is usually played by lids from old pots without enamel coating. The diameter of the circles in these cases varies from forty to fifty centimeters, and the edges of the covers must be sharpened and, if necessary, slightly bent. A contour is assembled from pipes and bushings, on which the disks are then fixed. The frame itself also has to be supplied with wheels for movement.

Most often, the hiller is selected depending on the work performed, the planting areas, as well as the correspondence of the canopy to the existing tractor model. Of course, you shouldn't forget about the possibility to make the device yourself. If you design the hiller correctly, then its performance will in no way be inferior to the purchased counterparts. In addition, a handmade canopy will turn out to be affordable and budgetary, since all parts are often at hand, and their assembly does not take much time.

Before starting work, the equipment must be set up and checked. The first step is to check the presence of all parts, as well as their condition, after which it is assessed whether the bolted connections are well tensioned. It is immediately important to pay attention to the adjustment of the position of the hiller. If it is necessary to increase the height of the ridge, then the discs come closer together, their angle of installation increases, as well as their depth. Lowering the height of the ridge is carried out by moving the discs apart, as well as decreasing the specified parameters.

To change the space between the discs, you will have to slightly unscrew the nuts on the brackets, change the position, and then tighten them again. To adjust the installation angle, loosen the bolts. Then the hillers line up in the desired position, the bolts are tightened again. In the event that a change in the depth of penetration is required, again it will be necessary to unscrew the bolts, correct the situation, that is, raise or lower the hiller itself, and then fix everything back. It is not customary to place the hillers on the front hitch of a mini-tractor, so they are fixed at the rear using a double hitch.

When everything is checked and adjusted, it is worth checking the work of the hiller in an empty area, if something is wrong, adjust it again. During the test run, it is important to note both the functioning of the individual parts and the entire mechanism.Having started the operation of the hiller, sharp turns at the end of each bed should be excluded. It is necessary to turn smoothly in the first gear of the mini-tractor. If it is nevertheless necessary to make a sharp turn, then at this moment the hitch with the hiller should be raised.

When the mini-tractor needs to be taken to a storage location or to a new cultivated area, this should be done exclusively in the transport position. In the event that the vehicle, together with the hiller, must be transported over a long distance along unsatisfactory routes, then this must be done with the help of vehicles, partially disassembling the agricultural equipment and fixing its position. In general, the operation of the hiller for a mini-tractor should be carried out in accordance with the instructions attached to the attachment, in compliance with safety requirements.

After work, the hillers must be cleaned of plant residues, soil and dirt. You should immediately inspect the equipment and assess if everything is normal. If necessary, the fasteners are immediately tightened. It is necessary to store the hiller for a long time in a dry room with the necessary protection from the resulting moisture. Before moving the device there, it should be cleaned, wiped dry and smeared with a thin layer of special grease.

In a protected room, the equipment is fixed in a stable position, after which, if necessary, it is tinted with paints and varnishes. The drums with bearings are washed separately, dried and treated with a suitable product.

When purchasing a hiller, it is important to understand that most of the faults can be fixed with the help of warranty repair, however, with some exceptions. The manufacturer will refuse to accept equipment damaged due to the fact that it does not close when exposed to the sun for a long time or is immersed in water, that is, the operating rules are not followed. In addition, the device should not be disassembled on its own in case of breakdown and try to replace parts, it is better to immediately contact a specialist. Denial of warranty repair may result from mechanical stress and numerous external damages, such as chips and scratches. In all other cases, the manufacturer must solve the problem.

For information on how to make a disc hiller for a mini-tractor, see the next video.