Design and construction of portable hand tilling device

Rabiu Ahmad Abubakar

doi:10.59400/mea3273

Design and construction of portable hand tilling device

Rabiu Ahmad Abubakar
The Institute of Mechanical Design, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China

Article ID: 3273

Keywords: portable hand tiller, manual agricultural tool, soil tillage device, fixed rake blade, ergonomic farm equipment

Abstract

This study investigates the design, fabrication, and field evaluation of a portable, manually operated hand tilling device equipped with a fixed rake-like blade and a single guiding wheel. Targeted toward smallholder farmers in low-resource or rural settings, the device was engineered to offer an affordable and sustainable alternative to mechanized tilling tools. Constructed using mild steel for the tilling blade and aluminum alloy for the frame, the unit emphasizes simplicity, robustness, and ease of use. Field experiments were conducted on loamy, sandy, and clayey soil types to assess their performance based on tilling depth, area coverage per minute, and the manual force required for operation. Results showed that in loamy soil, the device achieved a tilling depth of 12 cm and covered 1.5 m²/min using a pushing force of 45 N. Sandy soil conditions allowed for 1.8 m²/min coverage at a slightly reduced depth of 10 cm with only 35 N of effort, indicating optimal performance in light soils. Conversely, clayey soil presented a more challenging environment, where tilling depth decreased to 8 cm and area coverage to 1.2 m²/min, with the highest force requirement of 50 N—still within ergonomic thresholds set by ISO 11228-1. The consistent structural integrity and ergonomic compliance across soil types validate the device’s utility in real-world farming scenarios. While particularly effective in loamy and sandy terrains, its limitations in high-resistance soils highlight potential areas for design refinement. Overall, the study underscores the device’s promise as a low-tech, high-impact agricultural solution for small-scale farming systems, contributing to sustainable agricultural development and local food security.

Published

2025-08-19

How to Cite

Abubakar, R. A. (2025). Design and construction of portable hand tilling device. Mechanical Engineering Advances, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.59400/mea3273

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Issue

Vol. 3 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Brief Report

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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