Box Blade 8 Acres??

[mikehaugen]

if it not too hard, perhaps try a pulverizer. I have decent luck with mine, but not on fresh sod. I actually have used it on gravel with better success than sod. Soft or semi-soft dirt I think it would be pretty good.

[jenkinsph]

Steve, GREAT to get your input and I agree with using the land plane grading scraper.

I think that I have said this before, but I will say it again, your lawn looks so good that it almost makes me sick.

I can only dream of having a place so nice.

Thanks for the compliment Brian.

[El Wood]

That is what I use my landplane for most of the time, smoothing up lawn areas prior to planting. Works pretty good.

Wow, that is an awesome place you got there. Can you tell me exactly how you got it that way? Did you use that land plane and then a seed spreader???

[jenkinsph]

Thanks for the compliment.

Mine was a heck of a lot rougher than what you have in your pictures. Had to remove tree and stumps, and rework where erosion ditches were rutting up the area about two to three feet deep. Used my backhoe to remove stumps and dig long deep trenches to bury the debris with ample cover on top. I had the heavy boxblade to start with and used it to do the major smoothing work. Built the 8' landplane while waiting for the new tractor to arrive and used it with the 110tlb to get the whole area smooth. I then tilled the area about eight inches deep and harrowed it smooth. Then used a small broadcast pull behind seeder to spread the seed. Ran the harrow across it to cover the seed and rolled with a small water filled roller. I should add that I did use a landscape rake and a few other tools to clean up initially but some of these tools you can get by without.

Looking at your pictures again tonight I think a good disking would be beneficial in your case. I would recommend you mix in the stubble and trash, incorporating it into the soil. I would have a local farmer do this tillage work as this would be the cheapest way to do it. I built a 3ph harrow for $250 which is 8' wide with staggered tines which would be good for smoothing and covering your seed. I also built the land plane which is great for smoothing and flattening the ground out. If you can weld you can save some money on these attachments. For larger areas such as yours I use a 3ph spin spreader for seed and fertilizer. I recommend that you have these tools in your stable as all of these will be needed for routine upkeep. Dixon has made several good points I agree with above, what you buy or use might depend on what good deals you can find on finishing tools, rollers and or cultipackers. I find a landplane to be useful for field smoothing as well as maintaining the roads on most farms.

I mention the harrow because they are much better for covering the seeds maintaing uniform coverage. Once you get to broadcasting the seed over the whole area you don't wan't a cheap drag to bunch up the seed or leave bare spots. Using the harrow makes it very easy to see the tire tracks when spreading the seed and fertilizer on subsequent passes. Heres some pictures of the harrow and if you click and zoom in on some of these early pics you can see the harrow lines in the soil and the resulting uniform seedlings that came up.

[jimmysisson]

Jenkinsph, what are the pins you have on your harrow? Looks good for a quick-hitch of some sort. Do you have a source? Hijack, sorry.
Thanks, Jim

[El Wood]

Thanks for the compliment.

Mine was a heck of a lot rougher than what you have in your pictures. Had to remove tree and stumps, and rework where erosion ditches were rutting up the area about two to three feet deep. Used my backhoe to remove stumps and dig long deep trenches to bury the debris with ample cover on top. I had the heavy boxblade to start with and used it to do the major smoothing work. Built the 8' landplane while waiting for the new tractor to arrive and used it with the 110tlb to get the whole area smooth. I then tilled the area about eight inches deep and harrowed it smooth. Then used a small broadcast pull behind seeder to spread the seed. Ran the harrow across it to cover the seed and rolled with a small water filled roller. I should add that I did use a landscape rake and a few other tools to clean up initially but some of these tools you can get by without.

Looking at your pictures again tonight I think a good disking would be beneficial in your case. I would recommend you mix in the stubble and trash, incorporating it into the soil. I would have a local farmer do this tillage work as this would be the cheapest way to do it. I built a 3ph harrow for $250 which is 8' wide with staggered tines which would be good for smoothing and covering your seed. I also built the land plane which is great for smoothing and flattening the ground out. If you can weld you can save some money on these attachments. For larger areas such as yours I use a 3ph spin spreader for seed and fertilizer. I recommend that you have these tools in your stable as all of these will be needed for routine upkeep. Dixon has made several good points I agree with above, what you buy or use might depend on what good deals you can find on finishing tools, rollers and or cultipackers. I find a landplane to be useful for field smoothing as well as maintaining the roads on most farms.

I mention the harrow because they are much better for covering the seeds maintaing uniform coverage. Once you get to broadcasting the seed over the whole area you don't wan't a cheap drag to bunch up the seed or leave bare spots. Using the harrow makes it very easy to see the tire tracks when spreading the seed and fertilizer on subsequent passes. Heres some pictures of the harrow and if you click and zoom in on some of these early pics you can see the harrow lines in the soil and the resulting uniform seedlings that came up.

Thanks jenkinsph. I appreciate all the information. I think I'll start with a disc to loosen things up. I'll post some pics as I go.

[john_bud]

Leveling out land you need to have a WIDE implement. But wide cost $$$. however, you can make what you need for fairly cheap. Get a couple 6x6's that are 12-20' long. Lay them out side by side with 3-6' of space between them and bolt them together with three to six 4x4's. Then you can put weight on top of that (a convenient log or 6 the same width works good). Run a chain from the ends to the tractor draw bar. After discing, you just toddle along fairly slowly. Try and go over the center of the high spots and the 6x6's will nip off the top and the dirt will move to the low spots. You may have to disc or if you have access to one, a rototiller the high spots to get the material loose. The wider the thing you are dragging the better, but it will take more weight to work well and more power to pull.

[JD 4520]

Jenkinsph, what are the pins you have on your harrow? Looks good for a quick-hitch of some sort. Do you have a source? Hijack, sorry.
Thanks, Jim

You should be able to purchase the pins Jenkins used from any tractor or farm supply store.

[gwdixon]

You should be able to purchase the pins Jenkins used from any tractor or farm supply store.

Can you provide an Internet link. Can't seem to find them in the usual online stores using Google search.

Maybe they have a special name.

[JD 4520]

Can you provide an Internet link. Can't seem to find them in the usual online stores using Google search.

Maybe they have a special name.

I have a PDF that is 2.5 MB but can't send it on TBN. I will try to find a link so you can pull it from the internet. Alternatively I can email it to you.