Farmall Cub

Rudi , those are really explainatory pictures you posted . Now several questions ---- are any of the following impliments the same as the middlebuster ? soil saver , ripper, subsoiler or chisel plow ? and what is a " hipper" ? How do these middlebusters attach to the tractor ? The same as a mould board ? and finally , what is their real purpose ? Do they dig deep to bust up clay pans ?

Guy:

For the "hipper", I think that is a typo and he meant Hiller.... that is used to make the rows for veggies, potatoes and such. That is also known as moldboard's for the Cub-144 Cultivator. In the old days they pulled a pair of moldboards connected to a cross bar made of wood with a horse. That is what we call a Horse Hoe around these parts.

Here is the hiller disks for the 144:



and here is the moldboard hiller for the 144:



As for the other question

are any of the following impliments the same as the middlebuster ? soil saver , ripper, subsoiler or chisel plow ?

I am not familiar much with the middlebusters as that is primarily found out west and in the states from what I understand, but by reading a bit it would appear to me that the answer would be probably no. My understanding is that the middle buster is used to bust up the middle of the rows between the tires - which would be the hills made by the moldboards or disks in veggie gardens and maybe a corn field. I think Jim would be a better person to answer this though.

I am really hoping that someone will find and Owner's Manual for the Cub-16 Middlebuster and send a photocopy to post on the server.....

Hope this helps some

Countershaft, I have seen 3 types of middlebusters. One is for the Cub without hydraulics and one with hydraulics. The lifting arms are different. The other one is bolted to the rear toolbar. All were adjustable from side to side depending on what you were doing. To dig potatoes you put it in the center of the tractor and straddle the row. To dig a trench, you put it behind one of the rear tires. The one that bolts to the rear toolbar is easier to put on, but don't necessarily do the better job.

Merlin:

How effiecient is it to dig potatoes, and where can I find a pic of the version for the Touch Control???

I don't know about the pictures. I wish I would have taken some pictures of my neighbors before he sold it. I don't know of anything more efficient because thats all we have ever used.

Rudi, never had a middlebuster to dig potatos with, but I used to take the colter off the molboard plow for my old Homelite garden tractor and run it down the potato ridge each way. Sure cut down on the hand digging.

It's "Hipper". Not a typo. Could be a "regional" nick name, but when you reference most any online farm journal for an implement for rowing up a seed bed......you get "hipper".
But, in my research on how to "small acreage" farm, I've seen it referenced both ways.
hr

Check out homemade middle buster on my site @ dans farmall cub

Hey Countershaft,

I will attempt to answer some of your questions:
1). What is a middlebuster and what is it used for? Well the middlebuster
is used to plow a deep furrow down the "middle" of an existing row
thus turning under the stalks and vegetation from the previous crop.
In effect it moves the rows 1/2 row width left or right from the
previous postion. In addition when you plow an entire field, regardless
of size you will have made "rows". Typically in the south this is done
in fall/autumn and the vegetation deteriorates becomming a soil
builder. The rows thus created can be lightly disk harrowed in the
spring and then you can plant.

We always used a middlebuster to plow up the potatoes and peanuts.

The CUB is only capable of pulling one middlebuster. Whereas a
larger tractor like the Super C could handle two plows. They were
mounted just infront of the rear wheels. Being mounted in this position the wheels always had good traction on solid soil and you can really plow in very wet soil conditions.

2). The Hiller/Hipper. This is a concave shaped disk approx. 12 inches in
diameter center mounted on a vertical shaft. The disk can be
rotated horizontally to vary the "angle of attack" to increase or lessen the amount of dirt mounded up. Hiller/Hippers can be used to either mound dirt up to form a complete row or in the case of grassy
crops it can be used to remove dirt/grass and turn it over in the "middle"/
furrow.

3). A mouldboard/moldboard/turning plow is used to rotate a thickness
of soil 180 degrees, in other words turn the top soil/vegetation under.
This will accomplish the same thing as the middlebuster so far as
turning under the vegetation to deteriorate. However, the soil is left
flat without rows.


Having grown up on a small farm I have used all of these
I hope this helps in some small way.

Rleggitt, you said a middlebuster was mounted in front of the rear wheels. I've never seen one in front of them. Was that a typo?

Yes, there are front mounted middlebusters. They were done both front and rear mounted. The same with listers, which is what the front mounted Cub blackland planters were.

For anyone not familiar with a lister, it is a row crop planter that uses a middlebuster style furrow opener. It further cloud the issue, a "lister attachment" was available for most middlebusters.

Here is a picture of a front mounted middlebuster I took at RPR a couple years ago. This one has been painted black, so it is a little hard to see.

Thats a good picture Jim. Thanks.

all the information that has come forth . Funny , how asking a simple question how compicated it can get !

Hi Merlin,

Good to hear from you. Yes, "mounted in front of the rear wheels. These were on the two-row types of course. Thanks to Jim B. for the pics. The ones on our old Super C were just like those in Jim's pic. They had the depth adjustment wheel also. To my way of thinking the front mounted worked much better that the rear-mounted for three reasons:

1). You had more control over the plow just as with a belly mount
mower.

2). You always had solid dirt for the wheel to run in thus eliminating
most of the slippage [negative traction].

3). And not the least of which, "you could see them in operation" with
out having to look backward.

Just my thoughts mind you.