Cultipacker - Finally!

yoderjac

5 year old buck +
It is really hard to find cultipackers at a reasonable price in my area. I've been looking for several years. I found one on Craigslist a couple years ago but before I could even get to see it, someone called the guy and gave him the asking price over the phone sight unseen. A week or so ago, I was googling around and found on in a neighboring stage about 4 hours away at a dealer. It was a 10' brillon for $950 and looked in good shape. I called and they said it sold recently.

Then, on Friday night after working at the farm I just happened to check Craigslist and found one just posted that was only a 20 minute drive. It was an 8' double cultipacker. I made arrangements to see it Saturday AM. It has one broken wheel and another cracked wheel on the back cultipacker but the front looked in good shape. The grease fitting all took grease easily. The guy was only asking $600 for it so I jumped on it. When I've needed to use a culipacker in the past I used my Kasco no-till versadrill. It uses a cultipacker to cover the seed, but it is only a 4' drill. So, it takes forever if I'm just using it as cultipacker.

Here it is:

61b991ec-1d82-485a-9cf2-355c55ddb380.jpg


There is a sprocket on one of the axles. I presume it was at one time part of a seeder. I'll see how it works with my spring plant soon!

Thanks,

Jack
 
That thing looks nice and solid. I have a single 10’ that I picked up at a farm auction for $350 a few years back. It’s old and rusty looking like yours but works great.
 
Nice find Jack, they are darn hard to come by.
 
nice, them double row one's work a lot better than the single rows, so good find for the price, and there are many places that have old one's that you can get replacement disc for them, so there rebuild-able , if you wish to do so and make whole again!
 
nice, them double row one's work a lot better than the single rows, so good find for the price, and there are many places that have old one's that you can get replacement disc for them, so there rebuild-able , if you wish to do so and make whole again!

I've been looking on line to see if I could find wheels. The back row where they are missing roughly measure 11 1/2" in diameter and the shaft appears to be about 1 3/4". This is just eyeballing with a tape measure. I have not put a caliper on it. I haven't found much on-line. The front wheels are larger, I haven't measured them yet since they look OK. The other issue I have is that as old as it is, who knows if I'll be able to disassemble it to replace the wheels. Nuts could be permanently attached to threading. I could get it apart and not be able to reassemble it.

If the front set of wheels do well, I was wondering if some kind if 2 piece bolt on shaft collar might be a reasonable patch. If the wheels are too far apart, I presume they will cant and could wallow out the hole.

Thoughts? Ideas? Leads on wheels this size if I get brave and try to replace broken ones?

Thanks,

Jack
 
Jack,
You might be able to find split wheels and not have to fully disassemble your shaft. At least my old cultipacker has a few split style on the outer row on one shaft. My rig is also a double
 
Is that an old Brillion? There are places like Messicks that have kinds of diagrams that specify part numbers for all sorts of Brillion equipment. I don’t know for sure if they have cultipacker parts.
 
I know even I took mine apart, I just used all new hard ware to re assemble, wasn't super cheap to rebuild, but it was done and should last for another 30+ yrs
I'm almost certiain that Brillion might even still have some for sale, or make them still?
if you can find model of packer, here you might get OEM parts for them

https://www.messicks.com/vendor/brillion/models/all

they WON"T be cheap from them however, and pretty sure AG supply sells them too!
an example here

https://www.agrisupply.com/cultipacker-wheel/p/62078/

this place is not too far from me and they ALWAYS have them for sale they buy broken and beat up ones and make new one's
they might be willing to sell you some if they have right size
here is a add for him , but info is in the add
https://reading.craigslist.org/grq/d/summit-station-brillion-cultipacker-and/7106251254.html



but if not, I would contact a lot of the older larger tractor salvage yards, cultipackers were very common things yrs back, so many are laying about in pieces in salvage yards
or try these places
http://hardacrefarm.com/cultipacker-wheels-10-piece.html
https://www.abilenemachine.com/parts/brillion



But you should be able to fully rebuild the thing, if you wish too
once done, and taken care of, they will last a life time

her is the last one I re did!
10 ft wide double roller!
sweet et up, atv pulled it just fine too, made you go slow, which is what you want to firm good and NOT damage thing when you hit rocks, going too fast is the biggest reason you break damage wheels on them!
 

Attachments

  • disc5.jpg
    disc5.jpg
    261.6 KB · Views: 52
  • disc6.jpg
    disc6.jpg
    338.2 KB · Views: 48
  • disc7.jpg
    disc7.jpg
    335.5 KB · Views: 45
  • atv cultipacker 2.jpg
    atv cultipacker 2.jpg
    284.6 KB · Views: 46
  • atv cultipacker.jpg
    atv cultipacker.jpg
    298.4 KB · Views: 47
also, about any GOOD old long time farm tractor shop should be able to treack them down for you too, if you don't want too, them old shops have manuals and catalogs from decades ago LOL with real part numbers and many know just where to order new one's from!
again, will clost you more, but there out there if you want to rebuild up fully!
steel wheels will be easier to find and cheaper too I think, but casts one;'s again are out there!
 
Jack,
You might be able to find split wheels and not have to fully disassemble your shaft. At least my old cultipacker has a few split style on the outer row on one shaft. My rig is also a double

Thanks! I never heard of split-wheels. I'll have to explore that. Sounds like a great option if I can find them.
 
The guy I bought it from thinks it was a predecessor of the Brillion seeders. The side has a name on it. It starts with a V, Versalle or something like that. I'll check tomorrow and get the spelling correct.
I know even I took mine apart, I just used all new hard ware to re assemble, wasn't super cheap to rebuild, but it was done and should last for another 30+ yrs
I'm almost certiain that Brillion might even still have some for sale, or make them still?
if you can find model of packer, here you might get OEM parts for them

https://www.messicks.com/vendor/brillion/models/all

they WON"T be cheap from them however, and pretty sure AG supply sells them too!
an example here

https://www.agrisupply.com/cultipacker-wheel/p/62078/

this place is not too far from me and they ALWAYS have them for sale they buy broken and beat up ones and make new one's
they might be willing to sell you some if they have right size
here is a add for him , but info is in the add
https://reading.craigslist.org/grq/d/summit-station-brillion-cultipacker-and/7106251254.html



but if not, I would contact a lot of the older larger tractor salvage yards, cultipackers were very common things yrs back, so many are laying about in pieces in salvage yards
or try these places
http://hardacrefarm.com/cultipacker-wheels-10-piece.html
https://www.abilenemachine.com/parts/brillion



But you should be able to fully rebuild the thing, if you wish too
once done, and taken care of, they will last a life time

her is the last one I re did!
10 ft wide double roller!
sweet et up, atv pulled it just fine too, made you go slow, which is what you want to firm good and NOT damage thing when you hit rocks, going too fast is the biggest reason you break damage wheels on them!
Thanks for the leads. I've only seen 9 1/2" wheels at Agrisupply.
 
yeah the 9-1/2 are all I seen really quick, many times they have things they don;t list online or in mail catalogs
as I said, talking to older tractor ag shops will be your best bet if wanting new one's

used one's, should be able to be had too, and if you find some buy extra's never hurts to have some on hand
that craigslist place, would be a good place to see if they have used one's as I know for yrs they been building and selling em!

but there are countless salvage yards that should have some too!
many brands used all like designs and thus , any models might fit different OEM's packers of like era any how!
 
OK, I checked the cultipacker today for markings. The name on the side is Vestal and it was built in Tenn. I actually found a serial number plate:

3ec0f1fc-9faa-4b99-8f8e-0556e0b1758e.jpg


I'll see if this helps in my search.

Thanks,

Jack
 
some things I found for you, I know not close, but shipping possible??

this place builds and makes there own, they might MAKE teh size you need and there carbon steel, so should last forever!
https://www.customcultipackers.com/product-page/cultipacker-double-gang-red

or possibly used one's
https://www.fastline.com/farm-equip...sylvania/a53be338-673d-4518-b66b-d5ef1870a579

https://www.shoppok.com/eastidaho/a...eed&utm_campaign=global&trmsource=clazoutfeed

https://rochester.craigslist.org/grd/d/hamlin-2-cultipacker-wheels/7113444916.html


maybe could weld on a new center of correct size if needed?
pending if you have a square axle or round>?
https://rochester.craigslist.org/grd/d/hamlin-2-cultipacker-wheels/7113444916.html


maybe buy for parts??
https://www.shoppok.com/dayton/a,50...eed&utm_campaign=global&trmsource=clazoutfeed


and again, just contacting some tractor farm equipment salvage yards might get you what you want
there are a LOT of these things out there in pieces in salvage yards!

but the above is a few I found with a quick look for you
 
Thanks!
 
Well, the company is still in business, so I figured I'd email them to see what they had to say. Here was the response:

Jack,

You have found a real antique with this cultipacker! When Vestal was founded in 1946, cultipackers and farming equipment were some of the first products our company made. Production was discontinued sometime in the 1950’s when the company moved into masonry fireplace products. Unfortunately, we have no parts or information regarding cultipackers. Actually, I have worked for Vestal for the last 20 years and have only heard about them. I have never seen any literature or a picture.

Thank you for showing this to us. This is a true gem. I am sorry that we cannot help.

Sincerely,

Jason Hall

800-456-9562


www.vestalmfg.com

Thanks,

Jack
 
I still say, older farm Ag shops would have info on possibly where to buy new wheels or get used one's , if you know the size of them, as in remove one and measure or if can be done on axle?

as many many of these packers way back then all used the same designs on things
and I am positive if one really wanted, any GOOD machine shop can MAKE em too, not sure if cost would be worth it, but never know
it also goes to show you that the things made way back when, were made to LAST, they were not throw away items that force you to NEED to buy new again every few yrs
and why I still like using a lot of the older things(tractors for sure, they were made simple and over built and all the main models still have parts every where to be had)


this s also why I said, if you rebuild it, it will last decades again with basic simple care and respect when using it!
 
I still say, older farm Ag shops would have info on possibly where to buy new wheels or get used one's , if you know the size of them, as in remove one and measure or if can be done on axle?

as many many of these packers way back then all used the same designs on things
and I am positive if one really wanted, any GOOD machine shop can MAKE em too, not sure if cost would be worth it, but never know
it also goes to show you that the things made way back when, were made to LAST, they were not throw away items that force you to NEED to buy new again every few yrs
and why I still like using a lot of the older things(tractors for sure, they were made simple and over built and all the main models still have parts every where to be had)


this s also why I said, if you rebuild it, it will last decades again with basic simple care and respect when using it!

I don't disagree with any of that, and that is my long term plan. I just posted the response because I found it interesting just how old it is to be in such good condition.

Here are my plans:

1) use it as-is this spring and evaluate it.
2) look for a 2-piece bolt-on shaft collar to reduce any side to side movement of those rear wheels so they don't wallow out the center hole. Keep things from getting worse.
3) Determine if I can confidently disassemble and reassemble it and if so, find some wheels.
4) In a year or two build some hydraulic transport wheels for it.

By the way, a rough measure of the shaft and rear wheels looks like 1 3/4" shaft and roughly 11 1/2" wheels.

Thanks,

Jack
 
sounds like a good plan,. just some FYI< from my experience
there will always be and there designed to have some side to side play in them to hep contour about rocks and such, so don;t get them too tight, or they can break, as cast iron will do that, and another reason again, go slower than fattier using it, I normally tow mine at about 4 mph not much past that f any! slower is better, but takes longer for sure
but this will also come down to how rocky your soil is, here is a LOT of rocks all over!

next, adding transport wheels is going to a harder deal on a the double roller set up
as if you lift them your going to be adding a LOT of stress to the hanger arm that connects the rear to the front roller
if you want to MAKE a way to move without just owing it, I would try to think of a design of something like a dolly you tow the whole unit on, order lifting it like other packers
breaking them arms/bearing housings will be LOT harder to replace
I cracked a few over the yrs( I have gotten had about a dozen of these design packers for several properties I help manage)

you really need to find someone that is VERY GOOD in working with cast iron to repair then so they will last, and its IMO a dying trait anymore, with so few using cast for much!

so lifting them for long periods of time and or bouncing while lifted, IMO< wouldn;t be good on things
have to remember-its 70 yrs old now and could have stress cracks you don;t see

making a like dolly or trailer shouldn;t be too hard, but not sure how cost efficient it would be, and would be getting pretty wide to tow down any roadways if needed!
pending what way you load it! side ways or straight on?
but I am a big fan of these style packers, they work very nicely IMO
best of luck to you!
 
sounds like a good plan,. just some FYI< from my experience
there will always be and there designed to have some side to side play in them to hep contour about rocks and such, so don;t get them too tight, or they can break, as cast iron will do that, and another reason again, go slower than fattier using it, I normally tow mine at about 4 mph not much past that f any! slower is better, but takes longer for sure
but this will also come down to how rocky your soil is, here is a LOT of rocks all over!

next, adding transport wheels is going to a harder deal on a the double roller set up
as if you lift them your going to be adding a LOT of stress to the hanger arm that connects the rear to the front roller
if you want to MAKE a way to move without just owing it, I would try to think of a design of something like a dolly you tow the whole unit on, order lifting it like other packers
breaking them arms/bearing housings will be LOT harder to replace
I cracked a few over the yrs( I have gotten had about a dozen of these design packers for several properties I help manage)

you really need to find someone that is VERY GOOD in working with cast iron to repair then so they will last, and its IMO a dying trait anymore, with so few using cast for much!

so lifting them for long periods of time and or bouncing while lifted, IMO< wouldn;t be good on things
have to remember-its 70 yrs old now and could have stress cracks you don;t see

making a like dolly or trailer shouldn;t be too hard, but not sure how cost efficient it would be, and would be getting pretty wide to tow down any roadways if needed!
pending what way you load it! side ways or straight on?
but I am a big fan of these style packers, they work very nicely IMO
best of luck to you!

Very good points that are really challenging my thinking about transport wheels. I would probably need to replace the hanger arm with tubular steel. That might make it cost prohibitive. I'll have to do a lot more thinking about that part of the plan. As far as the packer wheels go, I realize there needs to be some side to side movement and they should not be tight, but do you think a missing wheel or two would be too much side to side movement?

Thanks,

Jack
 
Top