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In the 1935 Farm Tools catalog, the Roderick Lean cultivator line included the New Century No. 12 walking cultivator and the No. 7 pivot-axle riding cultivator, both two-horse, one-row machines. Also listed was the New Century No. 3 leverless one-row riding cultivator and the New Century No. 9 two-row cultivator. The New Century cultivator had been in the Roderick Lean line since the start of the 20th century, and one-row cultivators were much more plentiful than their two-row counterparts.

The catalog describes the Roderick Lean New Century No. 3 leverless cultivator as being '... without a doubt the most popular cultivator ever designed. Farmers everywhere need the simple, easy-operating New Century leverless cultivator. On level or rough ground, in hard soil or sod, in crooked rows, in cross plowing - for every cultivating purpose, the 'New Century' will do the work easier, more thoroughly and with better results than any other cultivator.'

Under a photograph of two straw-hatted boys, each on a horse-drawn cultivator in a field of foot-high corn, the caption reads: 'Any lad can handle the 'New Century' and do a man's work without strain.'

The New Century leverless is a 'balance cultivator,' which means the wheels can be set forward for a light operator or back for a heavy one, until the operator's weight exactly balances the pole. The cultivator gangs then must be counter-balanced with the operator's weight by moving the chains on the lifting rods forward or backward in the holes in front of the gang beams. There are also two seat beam holes to help with this adjustment. The ads claimed that 'Adjustments are provided for all builds and weights from 75 to 275 pounds- you can even turn the seat beams over for an exceptionally long-legged operator.'

The operator steered the gangs with feet stirrups, to cultivate close to the plants or to quickly move the shovels in to take out weeds between hills or to dodge out-of-place hills. The gangs were easily raised, either individually to clear trash or together at the row's end, by easing off the foot stirrups and then lifting up on one or both of the wooden handles. A hook was provided for each gang to hold it up for transport.

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