12 Row Folding Narrow Row Cultivator

12 Row Folding Narrow Row Cultivator CULTIVATORS Cultivators (58C) 15-2-10 Roger Wessels, Fairbury, Ill., bought a used IH 133 8-row narrow folding cultivator and cut it in two, adding an extra 10 ft. in the middle to convert it to 12-row narrow. Wessels says the biggest problem was making the split toolbar strong enough to handle the cultivator's weight. After cutting the 5 by 7-in. toolbar in half and inserting a new 10-ft. section, he welded a 3/4 in. thick steel plate, 7 in. wide and 16 ft. long, to the front of the toolbar and a 1/ 2 in. thick, 7-in. plate that's also 16 ft. long to the back side of the toolbar. "The bar doesn't bend at all. It's plenty strong," says Wessels, noting that he had to be careful in welding the reinforcing plates in place so that he didn't distort the toolbar. He paid $3,500 for the 8-row cultivator and then used gangs from a 4-row unit to increase it to 12 rows. He positioned the units on the cultivator so only two gangs mount on each of the folding wings. "I wanted 8 rows on the inside with 2 rows on either end because I've seen too many folding cultivators with 3 gangs on each end that have bent hinges. It's just too much weight." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Roger Wessels, Wessels Shires, Fairbury, Ill. 61739 (ph 815 692-2008).

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