Should I use a Scarifer or a Cultivator?

Nov 20, 2023    Posted by Stewart Knight

So you're looking to do some primary or secondary tillage and fine up your soil profile? You may be asking should I use a Scarifier or a Cultivator. It's a great question let's dive in and discover which machine is best suited to your property.

What is a Scraifier?

A Scraifier is a tined implement used to till the surface to increase aeration & water flow, to destroy weeds or crop residue through uprooting or disruption of soil profile and root structure, and for tilling soil to create a fine seed bed.       

Increased aeration and looser soils have many benefits, from increased growth & better plant resilience during drought to reduced water ponding time after heavy rain.

Cultivation is all about creating the ideal seedbed for your crop. The sort of ground conditions you are faced with, and the desired crop will determine the best cultivation setup for you.

Scaifiers continue to hold their place in the cultivation scene of the Australian market as the most cost-efficient means of primary and secondary cultivation. With very little moving or wearing parts, these implements require little to no maintenance. This makes them one of the most useful implements a farmer can own due to their wide range of applications, whether is breaking up pasture in preparation for planting, knocking down ploughing, or tilling soil to dry it out in early spring or soil preparation for crops like spuds. In some cases, it can be the only implement used pre-sowing.  

Ideal for mixing in fertiliser, removing weeds without chemicals, and with a low horsepower requirement (tine foot depending) you can till large areas of land faster and at a lower operating cost than powered equipment.

Scarifer’s can also be fitted with a rear roller. Rear rollers come in many different designs with the most common being the crumble roller. Rear rollers have the added benefit of assisting with depth control whilst also helping to crush larger clods and consolidating the soil, thus creating the perfect seed bed.

Most scarifier’s have narrow straight feet for primary cultivation but they can also be fitted with “duck feet” wide V shaped blade feet that are designed to run just under the soil surface cutting off weeds at the roots and disturbing as much of the soil surface as possible to wipe out unwanted weeds.

What is a Cultivator?

A cultivator is a light spring tined implement designed primarily for moving the topsoil - with a vibrating action that breaks it down to create a fine seedbed. It is designed to simply move the topsoil and shatter small clods to create fine tilth for small seed to be planted into.

Cultivator tynes and in essence to same shape as a scarifier tyne but with less than half the breakout strength they won’t penetrate the same. Still operating on the same principle they use their vibrating action to move and shatter clods but won’t dig down and bring fresh soil up to the surface.

Like scarifiers, cultivators can also be fitted with rear rollers to help break down clods. Some cultivators are also fitted with levelling bars to spread the soil out and fill small divots. These levelling bars can also assist with breaking down clods of large clumps of turf. 

Cultivator or Scarifier which is the machine for me?

Both are similar looking implements, the main difference being the tyne strength and application.  A scarifier is mainly used for primary cultivation, it has longer shank tynes with a high spring break out point and is better suited to primary cultivation. Or secondary applications for deep rooted crops like carrots or potatoes.

To fine up ground for smaller seed like grass or cereal crops where deep tillage isn’t required a cultivator is better suited. Cultivators also have a much lower hp requirement due to the fact they are not operating near the subsoil.

Whether you need to achieve fine soil at depth or simply require fine tilth at the surface will affect the decision of which is the implement for you.

Unsure if a scarifier or cultivator is the best unit for you reach out to the Delmade team we are very happy to answer questions you may have. You can also check out our learning centre for more information or click here to submit your question to be answered! Phone 1800 335 623.