"Two years ago I wrote about CADEN Edge hard-surfaced field cultivator shovels for a FARM SHOW story and was impressed enough to try them myself," says Contributing Editor Lorn Manthey. "I installed two rows of the CADEN shovels and two rows of OEM shovels on my Deere 2210 at the same time to see how they compared. After 1,200 acres the OEM shovels had worn about 1/2 in. narrower than the CADEN shovels, which looked like they'd hardly been used." 

Manthey says the patented CADEN Edge manufacturing process uses robotic equipment to infuse a fine bead of tungsten carbide into the tips and leading edge of shovel sweeps.  That ultra-tough surface resists abrasion, unlike the OEM shovels that quickly show signs of wear, especially on shanks behind the wheels or on the front row of a field cultivator.

Manthey says even though CADEN Edge sweeps cost more than regular sweeps, it looks like they'll be wearing 3 or more times as long. For him, that certainly makes the extra investment worthwhile.

USM Wear Technologies, which carries the CADEN Edge patent, also produces a "Wheel Tracker" shovel for field cultivators. Designed to mount on shanks behind tractor or cultivator wheels, the Wheel Tracker has a metal "fin" that extends 3 in. below the center of the shovel to cut a narrow slit in those more compacted areas. Manthey mounted those shovels on his and a neighbor's field cultivator two years ago with excellent results.  "Those we put on the DMI have covered more than 1,800 acres and don?t show hardly any wear," Manthey says.  "The fins are the same size that they were when the shovels were new."  About 400 acres of their use was in heavier clay soils with a fair amount of rocks.  "It looks to me like these shovels are tough enough to outlast the shank arms that hold them," Manthey says.

Farmers interested in CADEN shovels can ask their equipment dealer or contact U.S. Manufacturing in Eldora, Iowa at 800 800-1812 or service@uswearttech.com.