Hydraulic Blade Behind Rotary Ditcher Makes Perfect Ditches in Just One Pass

Although his rotary ditcher makes good ditches, Earl Tester wanted the ditch banks to be feathered out in the way a blade can make them.

Now that he’s built and added on his own V-blade to the ditcher, today he is able to perform both functions in just one pass. 

Tester found and purchased an 8-foot blade at a farm sale. After cutting it into two 4-foot lengths, he then welded a lift arm to act as a hinge.

This hinge allows a hydraulic cylinder to raise and lower the blade as needed to adjust the feathering of the ditch bank, Tester explains.  

“The improved shape of our ditches now makes it easier on the equipment when we cross them while spraying. This is also an issue during harvest with a tractor and wagon,” he says.  

“I have used it on all the property that I farm,” says Tester. “There are pull-behind V-blades to use after the ditcher, but I prefer doing the job all at once.”

Rotary Ditcher: As the ditcher digs, the mounted V-blade immediately widens and smooths out the cut.

Two 4-Foot Blades: The two sides of the V-shape unit are welded onto a lift arm forming the pivot hinge needed for raising and lowering.

Earl Tester

Operation: Tester and brother Jim grow corn, beans, and wheat, and finish hogs in Morrisonville, Illinois.    

Hobbies: Tester flies an ultralight plane he built himself.

Family: Wife Anita has a home embroidery business. They have three sons: Neil is a crop adjuster who also works on the farm; Jake is a heavy equipment operator; and Clint is an apprentice welder.

Fun project: To interest his sons in working on machinery, he let them repair and paint two auger wagons however they wanted. “I have the only two 150-bushel auger wagons in the world with flames painted on them (that I know of).”   

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