Dealers 
Sales portal Cover Crop Crimper
The Cover Crop Crimper, or roller crimper, terminates a standing cover crop and leaves it flat on the field. We build it in Plum Coulee, Manitoba, on three frames: Mini from 8' to 15', Inline from 10' to 20', and a 3-section machine in 30', 34', 40' and 42'. Every one runs the same 36" drum with a 1/2" wall and the same crimping bars.
What it does in the field
The bars bend and crack the stems every 7 inches instead of cutting them. The crop stops growing and stays on the ground as a mat rather than standing back up. That mat shades the soil surface, so fewer weed seeds get the light they need to start, and the residue breaks down into the top few inches where the next crop can use it. Seeding goes through the mat without a tillage pass first.
Drum and bars
The drum is 36" across with a 1/2" wall, turning on 3" HD bearings. Crimping bars are 3" x 3/8" Grade 50 steel on 7" spacing. The machine carries about 530 LBS per foot of width, and all of it works through those bars. Frame tubing is 8" x 4" x 3/8" and every corner is steel reinforced.
Bolt-on or weld-on bars
Bolt-on bars come off with a wrench, so a damaged bar is a field repair and you can change a full set when they wear. Weld-on bars are fixed to the drum: nothing to loosen, but replacing them is shop work. Pick bolt-on if you crimp heavy acres every year, weld-on if you do not expect to change bars.
Frames and transport
The Mini transports at unit size plus 12", on 6-Bolt hubs. The Inline goes down the road at 7'-7" on ST235/85/R16 14 Ply tires and 8-Bolt hubs. The 3-Plex folds to 11'-6" on ST235/80R/R16 10 Ply tires, and gets a hydraulic floating hitch and hydraulic dual wheel steering so a 42' machine turns at the headland instead of being dragged around it.
Hookup and standard equipment
Cat 3 pintle hitch is standard, with a clevis hitch insert available if that is what your tractor pulls with. An LED light package and a safety chain come on every unit. Horsepower requirement is 6-8 HP/FT, so multiply by the width: a 20' crimper wants roughly 120 to 160 hp.
Sizes and options
- Mini models: 8', 10', 12' and 15'.
- Inline models: 10', 13', 15' and 20'.
- 3 Section models: 30', 34', 40' and 42'.
- Drum: 36" diameter with a 1/2β wall thickness.
- Bars: 3" x 3/8" Grade 50, 7" bar spacing, bolt-on or weld-on.
- Bearings: 3" HD bearings.
- Frame: 8" x 4" x 3/8" frame tubing, all corners steel reinforced.
- Weight: approx. 530 LBS per foot.
- Hubs: 6-Bolt (Mini), 8-Bolt (Inline), 6-Bolt (3-Plex).
- Tires: ST235/85/R16 14 Ply (Inline), ST235/80R/R16 10 Ply (3-Plex).
- Transport width: unit size +12" (Mini), 7'-7" (Inline), 11'-6" (3-Plex).
- 3-Plex only: hydraulic floating hitch and hydraulic dual wheel steering on all 3-plex crimpers.
- Hitch: Cat 3 Pintle Hitch standard, Clevis Hitch Insert optional.
- Standard equipment: LED Light Package and safety chain.
- Power: 6-8 HP/FT.
- Other rollers: smooth drums for rolling rather than crimping on the Single Landroller and the 3-Plex Landroller.
| Bar size | 3"Γ 3/8" - Grade 50 |
| Bar Spacing | 7" |
| Drum Diameter | 3"Γ 1/2" |
| Bearing Size | 3" |
| Hub Size | 6-Bolt (Mini), 8-Bolt (Inline), 6-Bolt (3-Plex) |
| Frame Tubing | 8"Γ 4" Γ 3/8" |
| Tire Size | ST235/85/R16 14 Ply (Inline), ST235/80R/R16 10 Ply (3-Plex) |
| Transport Width | Unit Size +12" (Mini), 7'-7" (Inline), 11'-6" (3-Plex) |
| Approx Weight (per ft) | 530 LBS |
| Recomended HP (per ft) | 6-8 HP/FT |
6-8 HP/FT of width. A 15' machine sits around 100 hp, a 42' around 300. The crimper runs about 530 LBS per foot, so check the drawbar rating as well, and it hooks to a Cat 3 pintle hitch or the optional clevis insert.
Bolt-on if you crimp every year: a damaged bar comes off with a wrench and a worn set changes without a welder. Weld-on bars sit fixed on the drum and suit an operation that will not be replacing them.
Mini covers 8' to 15' and transports at unit size plus 12". Inline runs 10' to 20' and folds nothing, travelling at 7'-7". The 3-Plex comes in 30', 34', 40' and 42', folds to 11'-6", and carries the hydraulic floating hitch and dual wheel steering.
The bars crack the stem every 7 inches, which stops the plant rather than cutting it off. The crop lies down as a mat and stays there, which is the point: the residue holds the surface and shades it while it breaks down.
A herbicide burndown pass on the cover crop, or a tillage pass run to get rid of it. You seed through the mat instead of working it in, and the residue stays on top where it keeps the soil covered.
