Cultivator or disc.

[Saskfarmhand]

I have a 33 hp tractor and i was wondering if a 3 pth cultivator or disc would be better. Im only working a few acres at a time for food plots but it is an old pasture that its working in. Theres alot of mole hills around here also. Someone with more experience with both would be appreciated. After its worked Ill seed with a 10 foot seed drill.

[SSdoxie]

Disc will do a better job of chopping up the existing vegitation and roll into the ground. A cultivar (tooth harrow) will stir the gorund up but won't do much as far as breaking up clods, you would need a drag of some type behind it or afterwards. Either will get the job done and will require multple passes going at different angles.

[gwdixon]

A seed drill would work much better in disced ground - that is, WELL disced ground.

The mole hills should be taken care of by the disc and then fresh hills can be spotted and dealt with if you want them eliminated.

Agree with SSdoxie that multiple passes with a disc at various angles would be the most efficient if you can get at the area that way. Plus, you should let the grass/foliage decay and disc it again to really loosen up the old pasture.

As an option, the cultivator could be used after the area is well disced and the grass gone. Cultivators have a tendency to gather up grass or hay rather than working it in.

You don't mention where you are located, the type of ground, or the weather pattern so the comments are just general recommendations.

[RealJimbo]

I'm a traditionalist . . .

If it's fresh ground we're talking
Rollover plow. If you want to plant it THIS year, you will then want to disc it as stated at multiple angles. If you will wait till next year to seed, you can let the freeze/thaw cycles this comming winter - if we have one - break up the 'clods'.

As previously stated, a cultivator will accumulate the clods. You don't want that. You want the clods to break down and return their vegetative matter back into the soil to decompose.

Disturbing the ground this late in a very dry season, though, may not be a good idea . . .

[Saskfarmhand]

Im located in east central saskatchewan. Its actually very wet here within the last month weve got over 6 inches of rain. Probably wont seed this year anyway as it is too late here. The frost comes early. The soil is a complete mix up. Its old riverbed soil. There some red sand some peaty areas. If it rains much it becomes like quicksand. Got everything stuck there 2 years ago. Everything.