Roto-Harrow

[SirMaxwell]

Anyone have anything to say about this device?

GIBBS Extra 1 - YouTube

Roto Harrow - The Ultimate Arena Conditioner

Thanks,

 

[TheMan419]

I have a drag harrow. Barns we have been at have had similar tools as to this. The main issue I have seen with them is they are not heavy enough. Do not enough down force. That can be fixed with adding weight.

The one I have seen most used has three harrows side by side. So it is not hanging out as far back of the tractor as that one will.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Anyone have anything to say about this device?

GIBBS Extra 1 - YouTube

Roto Harrow - The Ultimate Arena Conditioner

Thanks,

What do you plan to do with it?

I built a Rock and Root Rake that does the same thing, but has an 8 foot path instead of 5 feet. It would be a bear to use inside an arena, but for leveling larger areas, it would be much better.

 

[jeff9366]

I owned/operated a King Kutter Rotary Harrow for several years primarily for pedestrian trail grooming.

Ground powered, too often it did not spin, just acted like a short tine Spike Tooth Harrow. Teeth snagged trail exposed tree roots. Rotary Harrow acts on the surface only, though short tines will rip out some vegetation as long as those highly stressed short tines hold up. I does not cut/penetrate soil to disrupt weed roots, like a Disc Harrow.

Relative to VIDEO, I rate a Disc Harrow with 22" diameter pans a more effective and versatile implement.

Ingenious tool; limited applications. Limited to horse arena sand grooming, I think a Rotary Harrow would be very useful.

King Kutter no long produces Rotary Harrows. Orders must have been few.

I sold my KK Rotary Harrow on eBay to a customer in Texas, who wanted to experiment with it, as I did and you do.

MORE: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/271517-king-kutter-60-rotary-harrow.html?highlight=


Now, I use an ETA Landscape Rake or an ABI Attachments TR3 'Command Series' Rake for trail and farm road smoothing, mostly the TR3 Rake. I have the extra heavy Landscaper's "Command Series" model TR3, with standard hydraulically controlled scarifiers.

Ratchet Rake bucket attachment also quite useful in woods work. Superior to a Landscape Rake for debris collection. Also good for "opening" small areas to 1/8 acre, as in the VIDEO. (Photo #5)

I have never groomed an arena. TR3 Rakes may be the best arena groomers out there, but EXPENSIVE new.

 

[TheMan419]

TR 3 are AWESOME. A therapeutic riding facility I volunteer at had one donated. Holy cow do you end up with a nicely groomed arena. Cost is amazingly high.

I may get a rotary harrow of some brand to play with. We have sand in our indoor arena. Being able to lift and back with 3 point will make it superior to the current drag harrow I use. However the drag harrow is likely superior for dragging the pastures and smoothing after tilling.

 

[SirMaxwell]

Thanks everyone for all the info. I've never seen one before and I understand it can be had with stronger, replaceable teeth. Its like 2600 delivered for a 8ft. My thoughts were as pasture land/grass land maintenance. I've about 20+ acres, in four areas, of open pasture that has been neglected for decades (except for an occasional bush hogging as I just did. I'm just mulling over ways to at least begin smoothing it out to at least make cutting it less of a chore and quit beating up the tractor so much.

Keep that knowledge flowing. You guys are the best.

 

[TheMan419]

Thanks everyone for all the info. I've never seen one before and I understand it can be had with stronger, replaceable teeth. Its like 2600 delivered for a 8ft. My thoughts were as pasture land/grass land maintenance. I've about 20+ acres, in four areas, of open pasture that has been neglected for decades (except for an occasional bush hogging as I just did. I'm just mulling over ways to at least begin smoothing it out to at least make cutting it less of a chore and quit beating up the tractor so much.

Keep that knowledge flowing. You guys are the best.

Our 18 acres was in corn when we bought it. How not flat is yours and how flat do you want it?

I took a rototiller to mine. Of course you have to replant grass after that.

Sprayed it. Tilled it. Drag harrowed it. Planted it.

Is it smooth enough to be a nice lawn? Of course not. Smooth enough that when I bush hog it I can go any direction as fast as I care to go and it is not bucking me off the tractor.

 

[jeff9366]

Thanks everyone for the info. I understand Roto-Harrow can be had with stronger, replaceable teeth. Its $2,600 delivered for a 8ft.

I have 20+ acres of pasture neglected for decades, except for occasional bush hogging. I'm mulling alternatives to smooth it making cutting less of a chore and quit beating up the tractor.

A Rotary Harrow is definitely NOT the implement you want for maintaining nor smoothing pasture. It is a form of rake; it does not penetrate, it will not move dirt, except in minuscule volume.

If you remove FEL or at least the bucket component of FEL when mowing, ride will be smoother.

MORE: https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=l_aWoSwFYWWzwKVzYHwAg&q=smooth+rough+pasture&oq=smooth+rough+pasture&gs_l=psy-ab.12...212.6799..8822.21.13................1c.1.64.psy-ab..21.......VETJJIbdaA


For smoothing 20 acres of rough pasture you need a Disc Harrow with pans 22" in diameter, slightly wider than the width of your CT450's rear tires.

You need to operate disc with gang angles adjusted aggressively at first, then at a reduced angle as ground levels. Disc when soil is moist.

MORE: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ing-three-point-hitch-mounted.html?highlight=

RELIABLE VENDER: XTreme Duty Large Deluxe Box Frame Disc Harrow fully adjustable


Bobcat CT450

2008 - 2013
Compact Utility tractor

Distributor: Bobcat
Manufacturer: Daedong
Factory: Daegu, South Korea

Bobcat CT450 Engine:
Daedong 2.4L 4-cyl diesel
Engine: 49 hp [36.5 kW]

Capacity:
Fuel: 11.9 gal [45.0 L]

3-Point Hitch:
Rear Type: I
Rear lift (at 24"/610mm): 1,870 lbs [848 kg]

Power Take-off (PTO):
Rear PTO: independent
Rear RPM: 540

Dimensions & Tires:
Wheelbase: 73.8 inches [187 cm]
Weight: 3935 to 4314 pounds

 

[jeff9366]

My first choice for maintaining a smooth pasture in productive condition would be a Miller Hay King Renovator:
Hay King Renovators - Hay King - Miller

VIDEO: Miller Hay King renovator - YouTube

My Florida soil has zero rocks. I use a Dirt Dog All Purpose Plow for pasture maintenance and removing roots, corms and vines from recently clearly jungle. Central and East Tennessee has too many rocks to make this implement practical for many fields; may be fine in West Tennessee.

Ripping with a Dirt Dog APP is slower than a heavily built Hay King slicing pasture, but I have it. I only have six clear acres to rip every third year.

 

[SirMaxwell]

Wow so many good ideas, but all of them so expensive. I love new tractor attachments as much as the next guy, but I'm getting tapped out this year. Sounds like my best recourse is to Plow-Disk-Harrow-Plant. That's a lot of time. Or I spend crazy money and get a device that does all of that basically in one pass. Lots of money. Sounds like engineering, you can have it Cheap-Fast-Quality, pick 2.

Thanks folks, I have been reading all the links I have found on here and others as well. Something will begin to take form.