Tractor Cage Wheels

Cage wheels are bolt-on lugged iron wheels fitted over the pneumatic rear tyres of a tractor or power tiller to provide traction and a "floating" effect in puddled paddy fields. They are a low-cost attachment that converts a standard tractor into a paddy land-preparation unit.

Function

The open-spoke cage geometry, with angled lugs welded between two parallel rings, churns the wet topsoil during forward motion. The lugs propel the wheel against soft mud where pneumatic tyres would sink or spin; at the same time they mix and level the puddled layer, complementing the action of a Roto Puddler and aiding bund preservation.

Design and specifications

Indian commercial cage wheels are typically sized for 35-50 HP tractors, with rolled-steel rings and welded lugs at 30, 45 or 60 degrees. Field-evaluation trials report peak tractive efficiency of 70-73% in puddled soil at lug angles around 45 degrees with wheel diameters near 730 mm; effective field capacity of power-tiller-mounted units is around 0.08 ha/hour.

Operation

Cage wheels are clamped over the tyre using through-bolts. Working speed is kept low to limit splatter, and the unit is operated in already-flooded fields. After paddy puddling, the cage wheels are removed and stored for the next season. They are used together with a Rotavator or Roto Puddler for one-pass land preparation before Paddy Transplanter operation.

Subsidy and adoption

Cage wheels are listed under SMAM tillage and paddy-mechanisation accessories. Adoption is concentrated in transplanted-rice systems of West Bengal, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

References

Tractor with cage wheel for puddling operation in rice cultivation. Khetigaadi.
Draftability of Power Tiller with Different Lug Angle of Cage Wheels in Puddle Soils for Paddy. ResearchGate.