RC Garden Cultivator Ideas

[sikeston34m]

Ok, I'm ready to embark on an entirely different project here.

I want to build a Remote Controlled Garden Cultivator System, but I need some ideas from you guys.

I plan to pull it using a Modified E maxx. On 10000mah 4S Lipo, I plan to use an AXI 2826/10 geared about 14/52 using Mod 1 gears. This makes for a top speed of about 15mph, but it will be able to pull you around in a wagon without overheating. 7" tall Monster Tires will provide the Bite.

I'm planting a 50 foot X 150 foot garden. The soil is not hard, it will be fresh tilled to a fine powder with a tiller behind a tractor.

Now for the cultivating attachment. This is where I need some ideas.

I could use a simpler idea, such as two rows of discs. Much like smaller versions of the large units used in the fields. I have a welder on hand and MANY RC parts. Problem is, the discs themselves NEED to be dished to be effective.

The Disc could use the suspension from a REVO complete with tires that were remotely raised and lowered. Dual High Torque servos would handle this task, attached where the shocks normally attach on the conventional setup.

Or I could come up with a powered tiller attachment, more complicated but could be more effective. Some sort of RC hitch would have to be created to raise and lower it. It could be something that is pulled along behind, having it's own ESC, outrunner and power source.

What websites can I go to for ideas?

What ideas can you guys point me at?

Thanks in advance.

[traxxasrevony]

for the power tiller.

you could use a maxx bulkhead mounted to the rear end of your emaxx with a suspension arm on it, then maybe have a custom rear tower and mount a rc winch on it. search around on rccrawler.com some guy was making these and they were very powerful, like hooked the winch to his desk and picked up a 1/6th scale crawler that had to weigh 15 pounds.

just an idea


edit- heres aquick drawing using paint so its 2nd grade quality but paint is all i have on my laptop

[sikeston34m]

Originally Posted by traxxasrevony

for the power tiller.

you could use a maxx bulkhead mounted to the rear end of your emaxx with a suspension arm on it, then maybe have a custom rear tower and mount a rc winch on it. search around on rccrawler.com some guy was making these and they were very powerful, like hooked the winch to his desk and picked up a 1/6th scale crawler that had to weigh 15 pounds.

just an idea


edit- heres aquick drawing using paint so its 2nd grade quality but paint is all i have on my laptop

That's some good ideas. We'll have to see what the finished weight is of the "attachment". But even so, extra weight can be added to the front of this tractor.

I wonder if a pair of high torque servos with long arms would be strong enough to pick it up. Hmmmm..........

The reason why I keep going back to servos is, the third channel on Radio can be used for this control. Ya gotta be able to move it across areas that aren't getting tilled.

[sikeston34m]

OK, a little more brainstorming on the tiller attachment idea.

It's gonna be fairly large. Powered by an AXI 4120/14.


If you notice, that is a transmission output shaft. Attach a driveshaft between it and a diff. A diff that resides between a pair of e maxx bulkheads.

There's going to be some lower frame rails involved and a modified upper chassis.

We're going to need the chassis for extra Battery room and a esc to power the AXI.

Our "Tine" speed will be controlled by a servo tester. A potientometer dial for esc speed control. No radio required for the attachment. Infinite "tine" speed control.

Shortened drive shafts for the "tines". We want them as close to the bulkheads as possible.

Now on to the subject of tines. Tires really dig.

How about some of these?

https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/c....pl?pn=MPI1701

2 sets of dual wheels? Hmm..........beadlocks. This makes the tires replaceable while using the same rims.

Tire choice? Hmmmmmm.......how about 4 Paddle Tires?

Then let's build a shroud around the back of it and put a heavy drag bar to smooth out the dirt behind. Hmmm...........

[traxxasrevony]

i would use a servo like this then


http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXAAD4&P=0

[Metallover]

Hobbycity has some of those.

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s..._33kg_/_.21sec

33kg of Torque!! :jaws: Thats over 450 oz in! I think it should serve it's purpose.

[traxxasrevony]

this power attatchment might weigh 5 lbs by the sounds of it. a servo might not be enough, 2 of them might be needed.

[sikeston34m]

OK, I've been putting alot more thought into this project.

Instead of dually wheels/tires, we need something ALOT more like a regular tiller.

A miniature version of the real thing. One that has sharpened steel tines.

To accomplish this, we gotta get out the welder and the bandsaw.

The Tines will be made from a 1" slice of 2"x2" angle (1/8" thick angle), sharpened, and then welded into a suitable arrangement on a pair of rotating steel hubs. I'm thinking each side will be approximately 6" wide and will dig 1" deep.

The hubs will be cut from steel pipe that has a 3" ID. A bulkhead will be welded into the center of these hubs.

The bulkhead will have a hole drilled in the perfect center so as to be mounted on the end of the driveshafts coming from the differential.

To hook up to the driveshafts, I will split a 14mm 6 point socket. The resulting 14mm hexes will be centered and welded to the bulkheads.

Instead of A-arms on the bulkheads, a pair of 3/8" threaded rod will be used. This will allow us to bolt up to the regular ball carriers and use the standard sealed "wheel" bearings.

This will also eliminate the need for the weaker tierod ends to hold things in line.

There are still other ideas needed. How to attach it to the rear of the truck and how to raise and lower it.

It will use a modified E maxx chassis and lower frame rails.

[sikeston34m]

OK, some progress and some testing!

Have you ever seen the Garden Weasel?

http://www.gardenweasel.com/weasel_red.html

Well I bought two of them and designed my own pull behind cultivator. The E maxx has been modified to be the "Tractor" for this farming experiment. It is now setup as follows.

7" tall "Tractor" Tires to provide the Bite
MM ESC with Capacitor Mod and CC BEC
AXI 2826/10 geared 20/68 - Top Speed 15mph but will pull Granny off her tricycle.
4S 10,000mah Lipo setup.
A Pair of MG995 200oz. servos handle steering "chores"







Two Weasels combined together is about as wide as the truck is....I mean Tractor. A tray was added in case extra weight is needed for compacted soil.

Believe it or not, this thing really churns up the dirt. I tore up about half of my front yard in about 20 minutes. LOL

I also spent some time out in the garden with it. It works really well, but it's bad about picking up sticks. When it does that, it just drags it's butt, like a dog trying to wipe. LOL

I'm gonna have to rake the garden if this is going to work really well.

With no weight added, it's digging about 1" deep in the soft yard right now. We've had alot of rain.

After about 35 minutes of "Cultivating", the MRC returned 4000mah to the 4S setup. Not bad on that part.

Plans are in the works for a rear mounted Rotating Tine Tiller. A Powered miniture version of the real thing.

40+ sharpened tines that rotate on 3" hub drums. It's gonna take me some time to complete that project though. But as they say, "Get-er done!"

At least before the weeds take over.

Some of you may think this is kinda "far side", but I can almost taste that Sweet Corn Now.

[traxxasrevony]

i have a idea.

use a 4 inch drum and put sheet metal screws in from the inside out use like 3 or 4 inch screws and put nuts on the outside for extra strength. do a corkscrew pattern arond the pipe

[Dafni]

Good luck with your garden tool, sounds like fun.

I have a Revo-based lawnmower

[sikeston34m]

Originally Posted by Dafni

Good luck with your garden tool, sounds like fun.

I have a Revo-based lawnmower

Hi Dafni,

Thanks. This venture should be alot of fun. I know its gonna take some trial and error, but along the way I should learn alot.

Wow, are you serious? Could you please post some pictures here for us?

I would love to have a RC lawnmower, even if it were only used for trimming.

[Dafni]

Yep, it's basically "just" a G-Revo, with appropriate electronics and gearing, towing an old-fashioned mower thing, but it works perfect.

Sure I can snap some pics for you. I plan to mow the lawn today anyway

[Arct1k]

By appropriate gearing I assume you mean 50kph :)

[Dafni]

Here you go, my lawnmower

http://rc-dc.ch/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=34


cheers

Daf