ATV Cultipacker vs. ATV Roller?

[GloryDaysDesign]

Sorry, I continue with the rookie questions, but you guys are seriously helping me immensely. Thanks so much.

Looking to add some food plot implements to my arsenal. We are not doing huge food plots. 1acre Max as of right now - mainly 1/4acre Kill plots. We do have the potential to possibly put in a some bigger plots (4acre max) down the line, but will still be using an ATV.

My question: If you had the choice, would you buy a cultipacker over a roller? Does the cultipacker do the same thing as the roller, or is the roller only used to press down the seed a little, as opposed to the cultipacker, which actually presses the seed in a bit? Trying not to buy things I won't need.

My budget is $1000. Not sure if anyone has any recommendations. We already use a GroundHog Maxx which does a great job for our small areas. Although, our eventual goal is to do no-till and let our crop cycling do the work.

Thanks!

 

[Tree Spud]

A roller creates a flat smooth surface which is not good when it rains.

A good cultipacker creates ridges and/or dimples in the soil ... much better for water retention and minimizing soil wash out during rain.

I know have a tractor & a 6' cultipacker, but I still use my King Kutter cultipacker. I can attach to my ATV and not have to take the 3 point disc off my tractor.

https://kingkutter.com/store-product.aspx?id=3535

 

[ToddG]

I use a roller. It seems to do an ok job. If I was going to purchase, I would go cultipacker.

 

[GloryDaysDesign]

I am looking at that KK too...


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[ToddG]

The KK appears to be well built. I have been looking for a while now trying to find a used one.

 

[Nova]

I used to use a roller, then got a cultipacker. I will never go back. It just flat out works better.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I've never used a roller, but cultipackers work great. If you keep an eye out on Craigslist or old farm auctions you can find some of the old cultipackers for sale. I have one of the little pup cultipackers that are maybe 42" wide and I added a frame and hitch so I can pull it behind my atv. It works great. You can probably find one like that for a couple hundred bucks if you are patient. Some of the larger 8' section can often be found for $500-$1000 and will work great with a larger ATV or small tractor.

 

[Tap]

The only thing better than a cultipacker is a cultimulcher, but a roller is still better than nothing.

 

[Someday isle]

I boght this one last year. Pulled it behind a Can Am Outlander 450. It could not have been better. It's plenty darn heavy and bigger than you think.

 

[MRBB]

cultipacker wins hands down, BUT there NOT all made the same and don't work the same
weight is what you want in one
a simple drag will work better IMO than a roller, as it will get into more area's
a roller will miss many things if you have rocky soil, and like said above leaves smooth surface which if you are on any slope and get rains, before roots develop, you can issue's with soil erosion .

most folks DO Over think planting most things we hunters plant
MOST seeds just need to have some contact with soil and will grow just fine, we are NOT planting things for a living and needing the MAX yields we can get to turn as much a profit as we can!

just look at how many do well with just throw and grow of seeds?? to show how most things will grow
just a very light disc, and throw even better
MOST food plot seeds have no need for soil to be turned over more than say 2 inches??
and most seeds we plant will grow at 2 inches deep if they made it that far??
food for thought??

I pulled a 10 ft wide double roller cultipacker for 20+ yrs on one site, made nice pretty lines in the soil, worked great too, and I just sold it about a month ago LOL
(have others, si just didn 't need this one any longer LOL)

 

[Ben Glantz]

I use a lawn roller now but I have been looking for a used cultipacker for a couple years. I think the cultipacker will do a better job setting the seed and covering it. The lawn roller has worked reasonably well and I have had good results with it but I think the cultipacker would do a little better.

 

[Someday isle]

Here's a better picture of what my trails looked like last year when using a cultipacker after spreading oats and rye. You can see where the seed came up almost in rows.

 

[j-bird]

If you feel you have to use something use a cultipacker. A cultipacker will "float" better where a roller tends to only press on the high spots and not even touch the low spots. A packer also creates a condition to help the soil hold the rain as well. Now I say all of this and I don't have or use either. I simply run over my plots with my tractor or lawn tractor tires and everything works just fine. It's a little more time consuming, but it works. I have no intentions of buying either.....my biggest plot is an acre or so in size. I tend to just use my tractor, but if the kids insist on helping I can pull the deck of the lawn tractor and let them just drive and drive and drive.

 

[BobinCt]

Has anyone tried the Packers from Edwards Implements out of Tennessee I believe. They advertise on Craigslist. Just curious to get some feedback . I'm looking for an ATV packer too, but their prices are really high. If their packers are built that much better than others , then I don't might paying it.

 

[alldaysit]

I searched for two years until I found a cultipacker for cheap but in bad shape. Works though.

I did rent the lawn roller from the hardware store for $10 a day before that, and used a drag after I rolled. It worked great and I will use it while I am fabbing my cultipacker down to 5' and attached to my 3pt 5' disc. Can't wait for that project to pop up in the "projects" section. I've been trying to figure out a way to add a seed box to it.... but we will get there.


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[MRBB]

a good packer is a 150 bucks or more a ft IMO
quality is what makes them worth the added costs, I just sold a nice 10 ft er for 1500.00 a double row , and it was about 50 yrs old and like new yet, quality lasts

 

[yoderjac]

A cultipacker basically does several things:

1) Breaks up clods from discing.
2) It presses seed into the ground removing air pockets while firming the seed bed to improve seed/soil contact.
3) It puts an irregular surface on the soil helping rain water to soak in rather than pond or runoff.

A roller does an acceptable job of 1) and 2) above. It does not address 3).

I've used both. I like a cultipacker much better with my clay soils, but a roller will give me OK results. It is much better than doing noting unless you have a good rain in the forecast. Rain immediately after broadcasting seems to be so beneficial that cultipacking doesn't add a lot for me.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[TreeDaddy]

check out cultipackers at everythingattatchments.com

great piece of equipment

very happy with mine

bill

 

[bbcoach]

Build your own. 1 1/2" square tube, cultipacker wheels from Agri Supply, solid steel rod to fit the ID of the wheels, 2 rolling block bearings, 2 wheels and 2 spacers for the wheels to bearings

 

[scott44]

I vote for a cultipacker, check Craigslist.