Levling new yard

[Conservation]

I will start with: I have decent seat time on my jd 1050, and some attachments, but obviously I have no expertese in leveling the new yard. We are actually doing a turn around, and I have pretty much carved out the path for the turn around, and will put course rock followed by more limestone with fines. The area inside the turn around is about 70'X30'. So far, I used the box blade to more or less get the shape I wanted. Then I used the tiller lightly. Then I used a homemade drag just to bust up some of the clods and level it just a little. The first problem is the rocks. The soil in this area seems to have a ton of rocks. And the tilling seemed to bring more to the surface. So we picked rocks for hours. Finally I got a dumptruck of decent top dressing, and used the bucket to rougly spread it around. I tried the drag to level, but it seems like we are even less level and more bumpy than we were before the dressing. We need a bit of a mound in the middle where we will plant two flowering trees, but the dips and bumps are way too bad for future mowing. I have a regular blade also. I don't want to work the soil too much now for fear that the rocks will work up. But I need to at least knock down the tall areas and fill in the dips. The drag doesn't seem to be up to the task. How should this really be done?

 

[Egon]

Use the front bucket.

Get yourself a nice level path through the length of the project and start working off of that. Go slow and use the curl for bucket control.:thumbsup:

 

[dave1949]

It may be too late by now, but for soil full of smallish rocks, a homemade screen will save a lot of hand picking. Some fine mesh fence scraps like chain link fastened to a wood frame you can dump buckets onto and pull out the cleaned dirt below. The screen should be on an angle to allow the rocks to slide down.

If you rip it up with your tiller or box blade, then scoop the loose stuff up in your FEL bucket and take that to the screen, that would work.

You might find a screen to rent too.
Dave.

 

[LBrown59]

It may be too late by now, but for soil full of smallish rocks, a homemade screen will save a lot of hand picking. Some fine mesh fence scraps like chain link fastened to a wood frame you can dump buckets onto and pull out the cleaned dirt below. The screen should be on an angle to allow the rocks to slide down.

If you rip it up with your tiller or box blade, then scoop the loose stuff up in your FEL bucket and take that to the screen, that would work.

You might find a screen to rent too.
Dave.

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I really like this screenerpictured on TBN.
Soil Screener
Soil Screener next to screened pile of topsoil/compost
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__________________
Tractors 2003 Kubota BX1500/2004 Kubota Bx23/New- Kubota BX1500
Attachments 60'' Front Blade/48'' Rear Tiller/FEL/Back Hoe /
60'' MMM/Clamp on Forks/48'' MMM
South of Canton Ohio L .B

 

[Ken45101]

A landscape rake with gauge wheels will do a good job of smoothing things out. A really good operator can do a good job backdragging the front bucket also.

Ken

 

[Stonehaller]

I have done a lot of leveling with a back blade. It takes practice. Move small amounts of dirt short distances. Since the area you are working with is not too large, I recommend you get it close with your tractor and then finish it by hand with a 3 foot landscape rake.

 

[Conservation]

I need to find me a good operator! Too late for the screen. Man that seems like it would take forever, but good idea. Probably going to have to use the suggestion of small moves and then finish by hand.
Thanks to all of you for your replys! I really did need the input as frustrated as I was.
Time to get back to work.

 

[Egon]

I need to find me a good operator!

Patience my friend and then go look in the mirror!:thumbsup:

 

[Conservation]

LOL! I got ya. Thanks! It's amazing how much better my tractor works now than it did 4 years ago. That 20 year old tractor must be finally getting broken in! There are so many tricks that you learn along the way. Subltle.

 

[Thomas]

After while it..operating..shall become second nature.