quad ruts

[pmsmechanic]

When we bought our acreage I started mowing areas that hadn't been mowed for years. Several areas were quite rough from playing with a plow and planting trees with a backhoe. I didn't want to work up the lawn so I took two old worn out (3 " teeth) diamond tooth harrows and welded them together so that I could mount them on my 3 point hitch. I threw on an old 3 ton truck tire for weight and every spring I "harrow" my lawn. The lawn isn't perfect but it's a lot smoother than it used to be. Something like this would work for your grass. I also use the harrows for leveling out my driveway. We've had problems with ice and when the ice is soft after a warm day the harrows do a nice job of making the ice rough enough so that there is some traction for walking. All in all I use my harrows for a lot more than I had originally planned.

 

[Code54]

Check out an attachment called a land plane. It is made to level and it pretty darn good at it. Not super cheap but not huge money

 

[CNC Dan]

If the kids can drive a quad, they can drive a mower. Have them mow the grass, and they won't be so eager to mess it up.

 

[radioman]

ratchet rake is what you need. When soil is dry enough to play, you can scratch it smooth in no time. goes on the FEL of your tractor.

 

[dieselcrawler]

If the kids can drive a quad, they can drive a mower. Have them mow the grass, and they won't be so eager to mess it up.

X2

But that doesn't answer/solve the rough ground beating up your equipment issue. Lightly dragging a box blade set properly should knock off the high spots and drag the shaved off material into the low spots. If perfect grass isn't required that would be my option... grass grows back surprisingly well/quickly!

Involving the atv riders in the upkeep of the area they ride in would be good experience for them... helps to see the effects of their fun times and the work it takes to maintain property... good life experiance. Gotta pay if ya wanna play. Been workin on that idea with our oldest who seems to think the gas is free and we can go riding anytime all the time.

 

[JohninCT]

I say forget about the grass. Get yourself several truckloads of gravel and build a quad track with your tractor and box blade. Have the kids help too. Fun tractor time for you and fun for the kids too. When the kids grow up you can disk it all up, plant seed and enjoy mowing the grass. Right now enjoy doing things with your kids.

 

[RDrancher]

I say forget about the grass. Get yourself several truckloads of gravel and build a quad track with your tractor and box blade. Have the kids help too. Fun tractor time for you and fun for the kids too. When the kids grow up you can disk it all up, plant seed and enjoy mowing the grass. Right now enjoy doing things with your kids.

I wouldn't use gravel, but I'm in agreement. At this very moment there's a pit bike and a 250 4-stroke running around our back five. The horses see them heading out the gate and make their way over to the other pasture.

 

[crazyal]

Personally I don't see this as a bad thing. Kids get to play with the atvs and then dad gets to play with the tractor. Sounds like a win win to me. Do you have any rental places near you that carry attachments for tractors? A Harley rake will work wonders but they are too expensive to buy just for an occasional project. If you're just looking for cheap simple then do you have any steel suppliers around? I have a 4' section of a 21" I beam. I put a couple of holes in it and I would drag it behind my UTV (before I got my tractor). Steel suppliers usually have them kicking around since most i beams come in multiples of 5'. If a guy needs a 31' I beam he has to buy a 35' one and then pay to have it cut down. Lots of time the guy doesn't take the cut off so and they are worth scrap price to the steel supplier.

 

[ishiboo]

The reason you have water sitting is not just because it's a low spot, but because that ground has been compacted. I'd use a sub-soiled through the ruts to loosen that soil, and then just about anything to smooth it out level again. You'll still probably have to add some topsoil. Use a right angle bracket and buy two skis from Goodwill and bolt them to the blade/box blade/landplane/etc., so it skips over the grass on both sides of the rut.

Create a trail for them with some free wood chips and it'll look a lot nicer.

 

[the whispering oaks farm]

I have 35 acres and drive our quad all over the place and it does the same thing so I use my tractor and a landscape rake, it does a pretty good job of equalizing the high and low spots but sometimes you need to make a few passes and criss-cross it.