Subsoiler success?

[Wolfy]

Anyone use a subsoiler to rip out medium size rocks? Do they actually work, or are they best used for loosening hard packed ground?

 

[daBear]

This is almost like asking how long it takes to boil 5 gallons of water. It depends. The answer to your quesiton depends on how much horsepower you have and how big the rocks are. Your medium and my medium rock may not be the same. You can put enough HP on a brick and it will fly. Same with rocks and a sub soiler which I have used to pull a few out but it is probably not the most efficent way to do it.

 

[Wolfy]

I meant maybe 50-100lb size, I have a 27hp Ford with loaded and weighted R-1s. It seems like the subsoiler would be quick to mount, when the sudden rock appears, without driving to fetch a backhoe.

 

[Redbug]

I have used mine with the 3 point attachment up front and loosened stumps up. I think it would work pretty good on back if you go slow and maybe have a little dirt in the bucket up front for ballast.

 

[art]

The subsoilers in our area are used to fracture the hard pan that farmers have been building for years by constant moldboard plowing. I can't say they don't bring up stones as they certainly do and is one of the main reasons many farmers continue the practice of moldboard plowing even with all the information that is available of facts that it actually hinders good soil management practices.

I do know your end goal is not for the most performance of a field as you don't make a living off your land but just to bring stones to the surface you should be quite satisfied with the results for the efforts of finding them.

 

[crash325]

The subsoilers in our area are used to fracture the hard pan that farmers have been building for years by constant moldboard plowing. I can't say they don't bring up stones as they certainly do and is one of the main reasons many farmers continue the practice of moldboard plowing even with all the information that is available of facts that it actually hinders good soil management practices.

I do know your end goal is not for the most performance of a field as you don't make a living off your land but just to bring stones to the surface you should be quite satisfied with the results for the efforts of finding them.

That statement sure needs some explaining. I have never seen a farmer build up "Hard Pan" to plant. Moldboard plows and rocks Do Not get along very well. What differarence does it make whither or not he makes a living off his land. Pretty much his business in my opinion.:confused2:

 

[art]

That statement sure needs some explaining. I have never seen a farmer build up "Hard Pan" to plant. Moldboard plows and rocks Do Not get along very well. What differarence does it make whither or not he makes a living off his land. Pretty much his business in my opinion.:confused2:

Farmers should not want to build hard pan! In our area they say to moldboard puts the stones back down that are small enough to not to break a machine, that is there excuse to continue the practice.

It is his business to do as he would like.. Many come here to learn good ways to do things..

 

[Farmwithjunk]

That statement sure needs some explaining. I have never seen a farmer build up "Hard Pan" to plant. Moldboard plows and rocks Do Not get along very well. What differarence does it make whither or not he makes a living off his land. Pretty much his business in my opinion.:confused2:

If you've "never seen a farmer build up hard pan", you've obviously never seen much farming as it was practiced from the beginning of mechinized farming until the past few decades.... Moldboard plows and disc's are the major cause of hard pan. Once upon a time, it was even referred to as "plow pan". No, it's not done INTENTIONALLY, nor was it even acknowledged as being a problem until recently (in the grand scheme of things) There are SOME isolated instances where moldboard plowing is still practiced, and still very much needed. HOWEVER....they're still dealing with a layer of compaction just under the depth of the plows operation. Disc's create that same compaction layer, just shallower than a moldboard plow typically.

From my experience, you want rocks to come to the surface, use a chisel plow.....That's what brings 'em up in our conditions. NO tillage tool does well with rocks, but some deal with them better than others.

 

[jenkinsph]

I meant maybe 50-100lb size, I have a 27hp Ford with loaded and weighted R-1s. It seems like the subsoiler would be quick to mount, when the sudden rock appears, without driving to fetch a backhoe.

Might have better luck using a parabolic ripper shank which would tend to push the rock upwards. These shanks have longer gradual curves that could get under the rock and make them rise to the surface. A straight shank subsoil could work but would have a harder time.

From my experience real subsoiling takes about 50 hp per point to get down deep.

Here is a picture of a parabolic ripper, notice the shape and the ability to push up on the rock from beneath it.

 

[crash325]

If you've "never seen a farmer build up hard pan", you've obviously never seen much farming as it was practiced from the beginning of mechinized farming until the past few decades.... Moldboard plows and disc's are the major cause of hard pan. Once upon a time, it was even referred to as "plow pan". No, it's not done INTENTIONALLY, nor was it even acknowledged as being a problem until recently (in the grand scheme of things) There are SOME isolated instances where moldboard plowing is still practiced, and still very much needed. HOWEVER....they're still dealing with a layer of compaction just under the depth of the plows operation. Disc's create that same compaction layer, just shallower than a moldboard plow typically.

From my experience, you want rocks to come to the surface, use a chisel plow.....That's what brings 'em up in our conditions. NO tillage tool does well with rocks, but some deal with them better than others.

Don't claim to be a big deal farmer, but I am learning. Its nice to know that you know more about me than I do.

Last time I looked sub soiler's loosened up soil. Now they are used to make hard pan.
Disks use to be used to break up clods.
Moldboard were used for planting row crops. Now they bury rocks

Have to go up and get my propane tank filled today. I will stop by the farm that's on its 3rd generation of farming and tell him he's doing it all wrong.