Bottom plow in rocky soil

[sqdqo]

I dont have alot of farming experience and need to turn a heavy sod type field that has never been turned. The soil has a fair rock content. I have the option of either a three point bottom plow or a tow behind chisel. I think I would rather use the bottom plow but am afraid of damaging with rocks. I've used the chisel in other rocky locations and it rips the ground up but it makes quite a mess of things. Any opinions from anyone?

 

[dlrfarms]

You need a Kvernland moldboard plow;built for rocky country.Works very well for us.

 

[jeff9366]

Sodbusting calls for a moldboard plow.

I have never seen a "tow behind" Chisel Plow, but presume it is a conservation type plow, like mounted Chisel Plows, designed to pull through crop residue, not turn sod.

There are rocks, then there are ROCKS. A moldboard plow can handle rocks without damage. Make sure the trip/shear function on the plow and Position Control on the tractor are working correctly. It is not difficult to stand a tractor vertically on end, pivoting around the 3-Pt linkage, should these safety features NOT be working, should the plow encounter an immovable object underground.

Adjusting and operating a plow, especially a plow larger than a two-bottom plow, is an intermediate level skill. Do you have someone with experience who can help you get started?

A 12" plow (measure from center of one plow beam, to center of next plow beam) will leave 12" waves in the field. To knock down the furrows, a Disc Harrow is used in succession to the plow.

WHAT IS YOUR OBJECT IN BREAKING THIS LAND? Crop? Pasture? Vhat?

PLOWS & PLOW ADJUSTMENT: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...oard-plow-wisdom-farmwithjunk.html?highlight=


Picture #3 + #4 Cleaning and lubricating trip plow mechanism.

 

[Ed of all trades]

The big question is how big are the rocks. Ed

 

[sqdqo]

I am going to turn it into a food plot. Rocks vary in size from small stone to 100lb rocks.

Sodbusting calls for a moldboard plow.

I have never seen a "tow behind" Chisel Plow, but presume it is a conservation type plow, like mounted Chisel Plows, designed to pull through crop residue, not turn sod.

There are rocks, then there are ROCKS. A moldboard plow can handle rocks without damage. Make sure the trip/shear function on the plow and Position Control on the tractor are working correctly. It is not difficult to stand a tractor vertically on end, pivoting around the 3-Pt linkage, should these safety features NOT be working, should the plow encounter an immovable object underground.

Adjusting and operating a plow, especially a plow larger than a two-bottom plow, is an intermediate level skill. Do you have someone with experience who can help you get started?

A 12" plow (measure from center of one plow beam, to center of next plow beam) will leave 12" waves in the field. To knock down the furrows, a Disc Harrow is used in succession to the plow.

WHAT IS YOUR OBJECT IN BREAKING THIS LAND? Crop? Pasture? Vhat?

PLOWS & PLOW ADJUSTMENT: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...oard-plow-wisdom-farmwithjunk.html?highlight=


Picture #3 + #4 Cleaning and lubricating trip plow mechanism.

 

[jeff9366]

Plowing on sloping ground is really hairy.

For game food plots I would use a HEAVY Disc Harrow, one with 20" diameter pans or greater, spaced 9" apart, for soil prep, amend, sew seed, then roll in seed with a Cultipacker. Food Plot seed mixes are eager germinators. Much less hairy. That is enough. Lacking a Cultipacker, a drag can be used to cover seed lightly.

Most everyone owning a plow has a Disc Harrow, but not necessarily a Disc Harrow heavy enough to chop unbroken sod. A light Disc Harrow will not do the work.

A Disc Harrow with pans spaced 9" or more apart will roll over those small boulders. Disc Harrow does not have the considerable learning curve exacted by a three bottom plow.

It is too late to sow Fall food plots this year; wait until Spring 2016.

 

[sixdogs]

I lived in heavy rock gravely glacial till soil for decades and tried it all. The moldboard plow worked, sure, but I had to pick rocks and disc, etc. What a nightmare and the ground was never fully flat. A chisel plow just pulls up rocks that you have to pick up. And we picked, year after year, ground that had been picked for 150 or more years. Rocks were my best crop.

What finally worked was a heavy duty Howard rototiller. I didn't go real deep and it did a perfect job while burying most of the rocks that showed up. The ground was flatter and no rocks to pick up. It worked for me and I would never disturb rocky ground. Just skim the surface. It worked perfect for my hayfields.

 

[sqdqo]

I know its to late to plant this year, I just wanted to get a jump on next spring if its worth it. We a have a 14' double row disc w/18" pans but it is not heavy enough to cut the sod on its own, I tried it.

Plowing on sloping ground is really hairy.

For game food plots I would use a HEAVY Disc Harrow, one with 20" diameter pans or greater, spaced 9" apart, for soil prep, amend, sew seed, then roll in seed with a Cultipacker. Food Plot seed mixes are eager germinators. Much less hairy. That is enough. Lacking a Cultipacker, a drag can be used to cover seed lightly.

Most everyone owning a plow has a Disc Harrow, but not necessarily a Disc Harrow heavy enough to chop unbroken sod. A light Disc Harrow will not do the work.

A Disc Harrow with pans spaced 9" or more apart will roll over those small boulders. Disc Harrow does not have the considerable learning curve exacted by a three bottom plow.

It is too late to plant Fall food plots this year; wait until Spring 2016.

 

[Ed of all trades]

A 10 lb rock will beat the ____ out of a rototiller. What would a 100 lb rock do. I would either plan on picking a lot of rock or leave it alone. Ed

 

[fishheadbob]

It's not that hard, and doing it now will save you time in the spring. Your first effort at it will look like you're a beginner, but we all have to start somewhere, and you ARE a beginner so jump in the pool and start swimming. It is important to have a working trip/shear system. Some older and inexpensive plows were essentially one piece units without that function; you can tell if your plow has it by looking for grease fittings, adjustment bolts, maybe springs. If you don't seem to have it be extra careful and go slower. Try to pick some rocks before you run the disc over it a few times. I've actually had suburbanites approach me to buy some of my rockpile, and they come in handy for the oddest reasons.