How to Choose a Ridger? Master These Tips for Inspecting Used Machines and Using Them

The ridger is a commonly used machine in the tillage stage. It is mounted behind a tractor, and in one pass through the field it can complete ditching, soil breaking and shaping, turning a flat plot into neat, uniform ridges. It is indispensable for ridge-grown crops such as sweet potato, potato, flue-cured tobacco and vegetables. Only with full, uniform-height ridges is later film mulching and harvesting easy.

How a ridger works

Common ridgers are mostly combined with rotary tillage. The rotary blades on the blade shaft cut the soil, and after the clods are broken up, they are pressed into shape by the rear forming hood and press device, forming a standard ridge shape with a smooth ridge surface and clearly defined furrows. By matching power, there are simple models carried by small walking tractors, wide ridgers matched to medium and large horsepower tractors, and combined models that can complete ridging, fertilizing and film laying in one pass. When choosing, mainly consider whether your plot size, the crop's ridge spacing requirements and the tractor's horsepower match.

What to look for when buying a used ridger

Many people consider a used ridger to save money. Both domestic and imported models circulate on the market, including old machines from some foreign brands. The used farm machinery market is tricky, so when inspecting a machine it is advisable to focus on several points: first, the blade shaft and blade holders, checking the rotary blades for wear, deformation and missing pieces, and whether the blade shaft is bent or cracked; second, the gearbox and transmission parts, turning them to listen for abnormal noise and checking whether the bearings are loose and whether the oil seals leak; third, whether the frame and forming hood have any broken welds, deformation or severe rust; fourth, ask clearly about the machine's age, operating hours and repair history, and it is best to hook it up to a tractor on site and run a test pass to see the ridging effect and how smoothly it runs. For imported used models, pay special attention to the parts supply problem. For some discontinued old models, wearing parts such as blades and bearings are hard to buy, and repair costs are actually higher, so weigh this clearly before placing an order.

Tips for use and maintenance

Before working, adjust the ridge spacing and ridging height to the crop's requirements, and make a low-speed test pass before normal operation; during work, promptly remove tangled grass and stones to prevent blade damage. After each working season, promptly clean the soil off the machine, apply grease to parts such as the blade shaft and chains, replace worn rotary blades, and when storing, prop up the body to avoid the blades touching the ground and rusting, so that starting up next year goes smoothly.

Also, a reminder: many regions have subsidy policies for purchasing farm machinery, and the subsidy standards and scope of application vary from place to place. Before buying, you can first consult the local agricultural machinery authorities and refer to the latest published policies as the standard. Don't rush to place an order.