THE ONE POINT HITCH

THE ONE POINT HITCH IS A DEVICE THAT WILL ALLOW THE AVERAGE HOME OWNER TO PLOW, BREAK UP THE SUB SOIL, HILL THE ROWS AND USE OTHER ATTACHMENTS IN THEIR GARDEN WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A THREE POINT HITCH. IT WORKS VERY WELL TO BREAK UP A COVER CROP, HARD PAN, OR WHEN MAKING A NEW GARDEN
The One Point Hitch is a redesigned version of my original and patented manual version. The patent number of the original version is 6286608. The new version uses a linear actuator powered by the tractors 12 volt electrical system to raise and lower the attachments. I have also moved the mounting point of the attachments to behind the transport wheels. The purpose of this device is to allow the average home owner or small market gardener to use heavier attachments that would normally require a three point hitch. The only requirement is the tractor needs a plate type tow hitch or a tonque hitch.
The One Point Hitch is designed to be used with many types of attachments that normally require a three point hitch. Presently, I have designed it to be used with a ripper tooth or sub soiler, a hilling tool, a potato plow and a device to bury a small cable in the ground down to 5". The pictures show the One point Hitch being pulled by my 1975, 14 HP Cub Cadet hydrostatic garden tractor. I recommend using chains for added traction unless you have cleated tires.

This device will allow your garden crops to get down to the moisture and nutrients for their full growth. Your garden crops will live through the drought like the one we had in July of 2002 in north central Maryland where I live. The only time I watered my garden is when the melons were bearing fruit.
The information that follows describes the ripper tooth and hilling tool.

With the ripper tooth, the soon to be patented one point hitch can easily break up your hard pan and loosen your soil to a depth of 12". The ripper tooth can be adjusted to from 8" to 12" using two 5/8" bolts to hold the ripper tooth in four different positions and can be pulled by a small garden tractor with 14 or greater horse power. It is raised and lowered using the switch, usually mounted on the fender with velcro, which operates the linear actuator that is powered by your tractor's 12 volt electrical system. The ripper tooth itself has four different depths it can be set to for optimim performance. This device shown is an improvement to my patent number 6,286,608 B1 and I have applied for another patent for this device.

Below is a picture of the hilling tool. It simply attaches with the same 5/8" bolts. It is used to hill up a row to a depth of 8" and is best used over the deep trenches created by the ripper tooth. This allows the soil to warm up faster in the spring and is great for potatoes, including sweet potatoes.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU MAY CALL 410 374-2293 or e mail me at waf3@toast.net

Dimensions: 58" long, 28" wide, 46" high.

OPERATION: Start with your tractor and sub soiler from one corner of your garden. Set the point on the ground. Start moving forward keeping the tractor and sub soiler in a straight line. Using the switch, lower the sub soiler point as you move forward without stopping your tractor. Now, lower the sub soiler point as much as your tractor will pull without straining your tractor and raising the chisel plow wheels off the ground. Keep plowing until you get to the end of your garden. Raise the point off the ground. You may have to back up a foot or so to release the pressure from the sub soiler point against the dirt. Turn your tractor and plow around and get back into the SAME trench where you just plowed. Plow that trench to the starting point. Raise the plow and move to the next row. Next, place your tractor tires next to the previously plowed area as close to the trench as possible without having your rear tires in the previous trench. Plow this next trench as described earlier and continue until your entire garden is plowed. Your trenches will be about 18" to 20" apart, depending on the width of your tractor. Lower the sub soiler shank and point one or two positions by removing the two 5/8" bolts and installing the ripper tooth in a lower position aand repeat the process. You will have to use your judgement here as to how far you lower the point. I suggest you go one step at a time until you know how it will work in your soil.

Depending on how hard your soil is to till, you may want to loosen the soil between the trenches you have plowed with the sub soiler in preparation for your roto-tiller. I recommend placing the ripper tooth back in the highest position depending on how well your tractor will pull in loose soil. Your goal here is to break up the soil in preparation for your roto-tiller, not to get to the full depth. You can do the entire area and as close as you like. In most cases, you only need to go down about 8" to break up the hard pan created by most tillers. You could also plow at a 90 degree angle to your trenches, but this can be a rough ride. Once this is complete, you are ready to use your roto-tiller.

I want to make one important point here. It is my opinion that a roto-tiller can be very destructive if used too much. You only want to till your garden ONE TIME with your tiller at full depth. Many people see commercials on the television showing how their tiller chews up the soil to a fine, almost sand like consistency. This is the worst thing you could do. I know because I have done it myself. This is pulverizing and KILLING the soil and your earth worms. It also compacts the soil through the downward force of the tiller blades beating on the soil. After you have used your tiller that one time, only use it to till 2" to 3" to reduce weeds and till in organic matter and refuse.

To take full advantage of your new sub soiler for planting, it is advisable to mark the deep trenches you have plowed with small stakes at the ends of each deep trench. This is where it is important to plow the deep trenches in a straight line. This is the best area to plant your transplants such as tomatoes, melons, broccoli, cabbage etc. This is perfect for growing potatoes. Your transplants and potatoes will grow in the deep trench and grow their best in this deep and loose soil. It will also make it easier to remove your potatoes. Most times you can just pull on your vines and the potatoes come up still attached. It is also good to plant all your row crops over the area of the deep trenches plowed with the ripper tooth and after you have used your roto-tiller. This will allow the crops' roots to go down to the full depth of the trenches dug by the plow allowing the roots to access the minerals and moisture down deep. If you forget or don't want to place the stakes at the end of the deep trenches, you could simply push a steel rod or wood stake in the ground around the edge of your garden to find these trenches.

Using this sub soiler will, over time, make your soil loose and full of compost to a depth of 12" or more similar to the double dig method used by organic gardeners. You will notice improved yield and quality especially during drought periods

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COPY AND PASTE THE E MAIL ADDRESS waf3@toast.net

I HAVE BEEN AN AVID VEGETABLE GARDENER FOR 20 YEARS. I ONLY USED A ROTO-TILLER IN MY GARDEN AND ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH PROPER GROWTH AND LOW YIELD IN THE DRY SEASON DUE TO HARD PAN. I WANTED A TOOL TO BREAK UP AND LOOSEN THE SOIL BELOW THE HARD-PAN CREATED BY MY TILLER THAT I COULD USE WITH MY 14HP GARDEN TRACTOR AND NOT REQUIRE A THREE POINT HITCH. AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF EXPERIMENTATION, I CAME UP WITH THIS ONE POINT HITCH PLOW I DECIDED TO APPLY FOR AND HAVE RECEIVED PATENT NUMBER 6286608 FOR THE ORIGINAL MANUAL VERSION AND HAVE NOW APPLIED FOR THIS NEW DESIGN.

Shoes