Not Your Grandfather’s Spring Tooth
The short answer is no, read below to find out the differences.
The Hillco model can be hydraulically spread out and set up without getting out of the cab saving your body and saving you time. The dual wing wheels pivot from transport to field mode as you wing the Springtooth cart out.
The Hillco Spring Tooth comes in 60’ and 72’ widths.
Spring tooth technology has been around for a long time and has remained virtually unchanged. So, you may be asking yourself, “Why would I try a Hillco Spring Tooth? Isn’t it the same as all the others?” The short answer is no, but let’s dig in a little further than that.
Pros & Cons
The older Spring Tooths are great at a few things but also lacking in a few areas. For instance, they are typically wider than a field cultivator and can be pulled faster, meaning more acres per hour. Spring tooths are also great at leveling ground and leaving a nice finish on your field.
But the benefits came at a cost. Right out of the gate, the setup is less than ideal. The grower must get out of the tractor and manually set up the Spring tooth. Your back may be aching just thinking about it.
Then once you’re finally set up and running the amount of residue that would inevitably build up under the Spring tooth would lift your c-tines out of the soil leaving you pulling a big pile of dirt or straw around the field. Cleaning the residue out to get it ready for transport is not the most fun job in the world.
Let’s shift gears. What is it that raises the bar for the Hillco Spring Tooth?
Setup & Transport
If you’re familiar with the way our Hillco Harrow works, then you know how the Spring Tooth will work. Compared to the old ones that you had to wing out manually, the Hillco model can be hydraulically spread out and set up without getting out of the cab saving your body and saving you time. The dual wing wheels pivot from transport to field mode as you wing the Spring Tooth cart out.
Trash Clearance
The Hillco Spring Tooth solves the trash clearance problem by using S-tines instead of C-tines which are a taller style of shank allowing for significantly more residue to flow through. Many of the older C-tine cultivators had 2-3 rows of shanks while the Hillco Spring Tooth has 4 rows of shanks, accommodating more room between S-tines, giving ample room for residue clearance.
Size
The Hillco Spring Tooth comes in 60’ and 72’ widths, a much wider option than was previously available. The 8” tube supporting the frame of the cart is built for longevity and offers a much sturdier option than previous carts.
Seed Bed Preparation
The individual sled design of the Hillco Spring Tooth allows for even contouring of the ground where the rigid structure of older Spring tooths had issues once the ground became uneven.
Each sled of the Hillco Spring Tooth is adjustable, so you can control the depth of the S-tines anywhere from 1 inch to 5 inches. This will allow you to prepare a great seed bed for shallow crops like canola, yet level very uneven ground such as chiseled or plowed ground.
The Spring tooth is followed by 7 sections of flex harrow that leaves an even finish on your field while protecting the moisture deeper in the soil.
Best Conditions for Use
Like any tool, the Spring tooth does best in the conditions it was designed for: Using it in the spring, on chiseled ground, is the sweet spot for the Hillco Spring tooth. As canola becomes more prevalent, a Hillco STH1010 might be just the tool to implement in your operation.
If you have any questions on price or availability, send us an inquiry on our website or give us a call!
