Home
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What Is an ATV Cultivator?

Dan Cavallari
Dan Cavallari

An ATV cultivator is a device used to turn soil to help remove rocks and roots, and to add oxygen to the dirt. This device is hauled behind an ATV, or all terrain vehicle, which is an off-road vehicle designed for nimble maneuvering over a variety of terrain. The ATV cultivator is usually attached to the ATV using a hitch system; the ATV will feature a hitch receiver that will accept a tow bar, and the cultivator will have a hitch that secures to the tow bar. The design of the device can vary depending on the user’s needs.

Gardeners and landscapers are most likely to use an ATV cultivator when preparing a parcel of land for planting. The gardener can drive the ATV over a section of land while dragging the ATV cultivator behind the vehicle, effectively turning the soil and aerating it. Sometimes, if the person doing the landscaping needs to uproot sections of grass or plants, the ATV cultivator can be used. This is an effective tool because the tines or wheels of the device can reach deep into the soil to help remove rocks and roots that would otherwise stay in place, affecting the health of plants that are planted after the soil is cultivated.

An ATV is a vehicle designed for driving on all types of terrain, including grass and dirt.
An ATV is a vehicle designed for driving on all types of terrain, including grass and dirt.

In some cases, the ATV cultivator will include pneumatic wheels that help guide the unit during use. This design is usually used when serrated wheels are used for cultivating rather than fork-like tines. The serrated wheels will rotate as the ATV drives forward, thereby cutting into the soil and loosening rocks and roots that would otherwise stay stuck in place. The ATV cultivator will usually feature several serrated wheels, and they will be oriented parallel to each other within a metal frame usually made of steel.

An ATV cultivator is a device used to turn soil to help remove rocks and roots, and to add oxygen to the dirt.
An ATV cultivator is a device used to turn soil to help remove rocks and roots, and to add oxygen to the dirt.

Another ATV cultivator design is sometimes known as a tiller, and instead of using serrated wheels, the device will feature long tines that will dig into the soil. As the ATV drives forward, the tines will simply drag behind the vehicle, turning the soil. The tines will be fixed in place, unlike the serrated wheel design. The tines may be set within a cage-like frame similar to that of the serrated wheel design, or they may be mounted on a wide bar with an extension that will fit directly into the ATV’s receiver hitch. This extension will allow the wide bar and tines to be oriented perpendicular to the ATV itself.

Discussion Comments

golf07

My son has a small landscaping business and when he first got started he would use an ATV cultivator to prepare most of his garden spots.

He had a ramp so he could easily load and unload his ATV from his pickup. The ATV was the biggest initial investment. After that, he bought the attachments he needed as he went along.

Using an ATV disc cultivator made quick work for him and this gave him the opportunity to prepare more garden plots in a shorter amount of time.

He uses his ATV all year long for both business and pleasure. The cultivator is just one of the tools he uses to get the most out of his ATV.

julies

We live on several acres of land, so I have many areas on my property that benefit from using an ATV cultivator.

When we bought our ATV, one of the biggest things we looked at were the number of ATV attachments we could use with it.

If you have ever tilled a garden with a manual tiller or a small hand held tiller you know how much work it is.

Once I used an ATV tiller attachment, I will never go back to tilling my garden the hard way again.

The cultivator also saves a lot of time and work. You can cover so much more ground using something like an ATV than you can with other types of equipment.

allenJo

@Charred - Yes, I rarely buy top soil. I usually will find a plot of land that is empty and has enough of the dirt that I need for my landscaping purposes. I do use a garden cultivator to till that plot of land real well, even digging up weeds or old grass if I have to, and then use the soil in my garden. It’s much better if you do it yourself.

Charred

@David09 - I think that one of the most important features of the ATV tiller is its ability to break up rocks and roots. That junk can really interfere with your landscaping, whether you are tilling a large parcel of land or merely planting a garden.

I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve gone to the nursery to buy some so called “top soil.” Upon returning home I open up the bag and find out that most of the soil is rocks and roots!

It’s practically worthless in most cases, except for filler. I think the manufacturers of such top soil need to do a better job of tilling their soil before they package it and ship it out. I can get better results on my own.

David09

Every now and then you should till and aerate your soil. The ATV implements are perfectly suited for that kind of work. Most of the ATV cultivators are large attachments that are hooked up to tractors, from what I’ve seen, but I’ve also found a few smaller versions that you can hook up to your lawn mower.

Regardless of the size the principle is the same; it breaks up the soil and makes it easier for it to receive seed and nutrients. Where I live there is a lot of clay, compacted soil so this type of a device makes it easier to break up the soil.

I would especially recommend it if you are over seeding existing lawn. Success in over seeding requires that the soil be properly aerated.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • An ATV is a vehicle designed for driving on all types of terrain, including grass and dirt.
      By: Kelly Lambert
      An ATV is a vehicle designed for driving on all types of terrain, including grass and dirt.
    • An ATV cultivator is a device used to turn soil to help remove rocks and roots, and to add oxygen to the dirt.
      By: Vasily Merkushev
      An ATV cultivator is a device used to turn soil to help remove rocks and roots, and to add oxygen to the dirt.