Any land plot intended for growing fruit, vegetables and cereal crops needs processing and care. A variety of equipment is presented on the modern market, which greatly simplifies the preparation of soil, allowing you to clean it of weeds, loosen the soil, form beds, harvest and carry out a number of other agricultural work. It is necessary to choose a walk-behind tractor or cultivator, starting from the area of the plot, budget, tasks and other factors.
Features, pros and cons of walk-behind tractors
The motoblock is a type of minitractor and is a compact uniaxial agricultural machine equipped with a diesel or carburetor engine. Motor-blocks are equipped with separate wheelsets and have a simple construction, so they are easy to operate and maintain. Among the main advantages of motoblocks:
- compact sizes;
- multifunctionality;
- installation of additional attachments;
- high speed of work.
Using a walk-behind tractor, you can plow a plot of 10 acres or more in the shortest possible time and perform many other actions, from harrowing and trimming lawns, and ending with the transportation of goods and snow removal. Most modern models are equipped with large size all-terrain wheels and multiple gears, which allows you to work with the equipment for a long period of time without the risk of breakdown and reduced performance.
In the case of using an additional rotary scythe walk-behind tractors can be very effective for harvesting hay. Such equipment can even be used for irrigation, but you will need to purchase a special pump. It is preferable to process neglected land plots with heavy machinery, since considerable effort is required when working with light walk-behind tractors. Otherwise, they will "jump" out of the ground.
Motoblocks on the market today are equipped with good comfortable handlebars with knurled handles to prevent slipping even when operating in bad weather conditions. Motoblocks come with either diesel or gasoline engines. Diesel-powered power units are considered more functional and reliable, however, they are characterized by high fuel consumption and often there are difficulties with ignition at negative air temperatures.
Many modern models are equipped with special transport wheels, simplifying the task of moving them from place to place. The owner of the walk-behind tractor can replace the star-shaped cutters with disk cutters, as well as make adjustments to the various units of the unit at their own discretion. You can attach a trailer to the walk-behind tractor, turning it into a real uniaxial mini-tractor, with the help of which it will be possible to side up the field, harvest and transport the tool a short distance within the village. The disadvantages of motoblocks include:
- high cost in comparison with cultivators;
- greater consumption of the fuel mixture;
- impressive weight and transportation difficulties.
There are electrical models that do not require refueling, and due to the lack of exhaust gases they can be used in greenhouses and greenhouses. To increase the indicators of autonomy, it is worth choosing units equipped with batteries. In diesel units, unlike gasoline, the possibility of not only air, but also water cooling is provided. Motor-blocks with gasoline engines have enhanced functionality and higher mobility.
Features, pros and cons of cultivators
Cultivators are usually equipped not with wheels, but with disk cutters.They are manual and automatic. Motocultivators are equipped with electric or gasoline power units and are intended for deep soil cultivation. The weight of medium-power units, as a rule, does not exceed 47 kg, and the power can reach 6.5 hp. Such models do an excellent job even with heavy and “difficult” soil. The cultivator is a structure consisting of the following elements:
- axle and wheels;
- transmission;
- power unit (gasoline, diesel or electric);
- system responsible for managing the unit.
Gasoline cultivators of high power (over 6.5 hp) are designed to work with any soil and can be used to cultivate areas of several tens of hundred parts. The motor-cultivator copes with the tasks of cultivating the soil, weeding beds, destroying weeds and harvesting. As practice shows, an aggregate with a capacity of up to 3-3.5 hp is quite enough for soil treatment at a speed of up to 2 hundred parts per hour. It is about normal soil without hard lumps. For difficult soils, it is worth choosing models with pneumatic tires that significantly increase the permeability.
Cultivators are considered more narrow-profile machines than walk-behind tractors. Such equipment is intended primarily for cultivation and tillage and is distinguished by:
- high maneuverability;
- light weight and dimensions;
- low cost in comparison with motoblocks;
- high productivity when loosening the soil;
- simplicity in operation and maintenance.
The difference between a walk-behind tractor and a motor-cultivator for summer cottage is that the last units are more suitable for owners of small plots, since they are much easier to manage and operate. Cultivators do an excellent job of loosening the soil, breaking up large clods of soil, mechanically cutting the roots and green parts of weeds. The disadvantages of cultivators include:
- limited functionality in comparison with motoblocks;
- relatively high cost of top models.
Cultivators are steam (designed for soil pretreatment) and row cultivators (used to process crops). Depending on the design features, such units can be equipped with chain, gear or worm gears. The disadvantage of models with worm gears is the relatively low efficiency. Chain gearboxes are mounted on medium power cultivators and are characterized by high wear resistance.
How to choose between a walk-behind tractor and a cultivator
The main difference between a walk-behind tractor and a cultivator is a higher power, which allows processing fields of impressive size. It is preferable to choose a walk-behind tractor or cultivator for a plot of 10 acres from a well-established brand, because if you buy cheap equipment, repair costs can make such an acquisition unprofitable. When choosing a suitable unit, the following key technical characteristics should be considered:
- fuel tank capacity, which affects the battery life;
- series, make and volume of the engine;
- plowing depth;
- cutter size and working width.
Before buying a cultivator for summer cottage, it is important to foresee the possibility of connecting additional equipment if it is necessary to use a plow, a device for digging potatoes and other nozzles that expand the functionality of the cultivator.
The main technological difference between the walk-behind tractor and the cultivator is a special power take-off shaft, with which you can use various attachments. The cultivator is usually equipped with a simple transmission that supports reverse and forward gears, as well as a neutral position. The motoblock may have a more complex gearbox that supports multiple speeds.
Owners of gardens, the area of which exceeds 10 acres, should think about purchasing a walk-behind tractor. It is not recommended to purchase a unit equipped with unnecessary functionality, since each additional option increases the cost of equipment. Both cultivators and motoblocks need regular maintenance, including the removal of dirt and dust, washing elements that are not amenable to mechanical cleaning and timely replacement of worn parts and elements.
