Field cleaning thoughts...

[hunt4570]

I just had 2 fields cleared out of my woods, one about 7 acres for my deer hunting field, and another a bit over 1/2 acre for my shooting range. It was all a pine "plantation". Had the timber company come in and take the trees, then a guy with a dozer and a track hoe to get the stumps out and clean up "most" of the mess.









So now I'm left with a fairly rough field, very undulating with dozer tracks, and LOTS of roots everywhere I need to clean up and make level to plant. I do have the benifit of having a little money left over from the timber harvest to buy a couple attachments..so my question is what to get.

Here is what I have to deal with.. looks worse in person than these pics.





Right now I have a 7' landscape rake, which does kinda ok, but after going 100 feet its all tangled up with roots so I have to clean it out by one of the burn piles.

I'm thinking about a disc, box blade, and then a seeder for when I'm done cleaning up. Its mostly soft sandy soil(more sand than soil), will the disc cut these roots up you think or no? And smooth discs or the ones with cuts in them? Or is there a better tool for the job? disc first , or box blade first to smooth things out first?

Thoughts and advice are appreciated!

And oh, a nice surprise.. we found another spring in one end of the large field so Ihave an additional watering hole now.(click on pic for video)

 

[gwdixon]

A box blade with scarifiers will do an amazing job of working the soil. It will load up a lot less than a landscape rake and will almost "disc" the land similar to a chisel plow.

If you set the scaifiers right and the tilt is right then the box blade will do a fair job of leveling, also. With the box blade tilted way back so it won't dig (or barely dig) is best for smoothing. It can be done at a reasonable speed since the box won't load up.

A hydraulic top link is very handy for the job you want to do as well. After the shaping is done, disking will be very effective.



If you can find a dedicated land leveller like this it would help.



A simple 3 PT disc should do the job at the end.

 

[jeff9366]

I recommend:

1. FEL grapple/root rake. Most expensive option. "All in One" tool(s) for your task.

2. Field Cultivator. <$900. Will penetrate 6" to 12" depending on conditions.

We use the same tractor model. Five shank Field Cultivator is a good match to tractor.

3. Ratchet Rake attachment for your FEL bucket. $400.
Ratchet Rake is more effective at collecting and piling tree debris than a Landscape Rake but only penetrates
into soil to extract roots 2" or so. Ratchet Rake does not "load up" with debris. Pretty good at grading.

You can buy a Ratchet Rake with FedEx delivery from the T-B-N store.


FIELD CULTIVATOR LINKS (2):

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/339095-dirt-dog-all-purpose-plow.html?highlight=

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ement-vine-root-removal-woods.html?highlight=


A Disc Harrow is one form of soil tiller. You can pull a Disc Harrow with 20" diameter pans with your tractor, max, but that is not heavy enough to yield results you seek. (Fine after roots extracted.) $2,400 new.

(You would want a Disc Harrow with notched pans, front and rear, spaced 9" apart, not 7". Smooth pans would roll over debris in your photos.)

 

[tonyoz]

OP, your job photos are the best I've seen as to why a forestry mulcher should have been used from the get go.

 

[hunt4570]

OP, your job photos are the best I've seen as to why a forestry mulcher should have been used from the get go.

You are going to have to explain this one to me............ Why would you think that?

 

[hunt4570]

A box blade with scarifiers will do an amazing job of working the soil. It will load up a lot less than a landscape rake and will almost "disc" the land similar to a chisel plow.

If you set the scaifiers right and the tilt is right then the box blade will do a fair job of leveling, also. With the box blade tilted way back so it won't dig (or barely dig) is best for smoothing. It can be done at a reasonable speed since the box won't load up.

A hydraulic top link is very handy for the job you want to do as well. After the shaping is done, disking will be very effective.

View attachment 433329

If you can find a dedicated land leveller like this it would help.

View attachment 433330

A simple 3 PT disc should do the job at the end.

View attachment 433331

Thanks, that was kind of along the same lines I was thinking.

I have a line on one of those "rolling" box blades.. I know its not the right name..

 

[hunt4570]

I recommend:

1. FEL grapple/root rake. Most expensive option. "All in One" tool(s) for your task.

2. Field Cultivator. <$900. Will penetrate 6" to 12" depending on conditions.

We use the same tractor model. Five shank Field Cultivator is a good match to tractor.

3. Ratchet Rake attachment for your FEL bucket. $400.
Ratchet Rake is more effective at collecting and piling tree debris than a Landscape Rake but only penetrates
into soil to extract roots 2" or so. Ratchet Rake does not "load up" with debris. Pretty good at grading.

You can buy a Ratchet Rake with FedEx delivery from the T-B-N store.


FIELD CULTIVATOR LINKS (2):

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/339095-dirt-dog-all-purpose-plow.html?highlight=

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ement-vine-root-removal-woods.html?highlight=


A Disc Harrow is one form of soil tiller. You can pull a Disc Harrow with 20" diameter pans with your tractor, max, but that is not heavy enough to yield results you seek. (Fine after roots extracted.) $2,400 new.

(You would want a Disc Harrow with notched pans, front and rear, spaced 9" apart, not 7". Smooth pans would roll over debris in your photos.)

I have a FEL root grapple already, which is good for picking up the big stuff, (all those stumps in the pics are already piled up so I dont need to do that)

Also , the ground is already pretty loose from all the activity, dont need to penetrate, just smooth things up and collect or bury /chop the roots left over.

And I'd love a hydraulic top link but I have no remote back there.

 

[jeff9366]

You are going to have to explain this one to me............ Why would you think that?

Check out his avatar. TONYOZ is in the forestry mulching business.

 

[hunt4570]

Check out his avatar. TONYOZ is in the forestry mulching business.

Just not sure what that would have done better.. but I'd like to know.

 

[gwdixon]

And I'd love a hydraulic top link but I have no remote back there.

If you have the money, a remote can be added. Contact MtViewRanch (http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/members/mtnviewranch.html), a member here on TBN. He is in the business, an advertiser, and an expert.

You will NEVER regret a hydraulic top link. A Top & Tilt is even better.