Is a Subsoiler worth it?

[EE_Bota]

I forgot to mention...I have my own subsoiler now, and it has two shanks...a long one for subsoiling, and a shorter one with a potato share. Most times, it is on my little BX with no shank at all, since in that role, it still has a trailer ball.

I just made a counterweight that is heavy enough for my little BX, and I back up to it until the trailer ball is through a big ring, lift, and take off to do loader work.

Most people don't have to do silly things like that, but my tractor with loader on only clears my door by an inch or so.


It is similar to this one
SUBSOILER, MIDDLE BUSTER, HITCH COMBINATION [SSMB15C] - $0.00 : Howse Implement Company, Your source for tractor and farm equipment parts and supplies

But not only did my model have the trailor ball shank, but a place to mount the ball permanently so it would always be on. (The permanent one is for a fifth wheel trailer by design, but my BX is squatty, so it works for anything. The trailer ball shank was supposed to be for a normal trailer, but with a normal height tractor too..)

For my BX, mostly wanted it because it is a way to concentrate my little bit of pulling power at one spot, since a subsoiler point is quite narrow. I can more easily rip a root, or a rock. I doubt my BX would do the subsoiler much justice, since it is a right serious thing to pull fully engaged as deep as possible.

 

[veresjwv]

In midwest clay it's only done in the fall when dry. If done when ground is wet you can actually cause more harm than good. Rule is is subsoil or "rip" every two or three years. Ideally you would rip 30 or so inches apart and under the row where the crop will be. Max depth here is 12" to 14" or you invert the soild and that is not recommended..

Thanks sixdogs.... I am going to try it tommorrow,. I will subsoil, where my row crops will be next spring and then till and plant my cover crop. It will be interesting to see how everything turns out this summer!

 

[flusher]

How wide is that shank? It must be a monster to have a D7 pulling it.

It's 3-4" wide and about 4 ft tall. Must weigh half a ton.

 

[TripleR]

In midwest clay it's only done in the fall when dry. If done when ground is wet you can actually cause more harm than good. Rule is is subsoil or "rip" every two or three years. Ideally you would rip 30 or so inches apart and under the row where the crop will be. Max depth here is 12" to 14" or you invert the soil and that is not recommended..

Same here, our renters use a JD8430.

 

[sixdogs]

Here is a before and after photo of a single shank subsoiler I recently bought and rehabbed. Brand is actually unknown but green sells better when my time is up. I had different end caps welded to the drawbar with both cat I and II pins so I can also do gardens with my Kubota L4300DT cat I.
It weighs around 235 lbs and rips effortlessly. This is one of my best finds ever. I did a separate thread on this recently. FYI.

 

[MMH]

Good Post - helps me understand my drainage problems.