Rotary plow or tiller

[RalphVa]

Good advice. Loved Tasmania the 2 times we visited. One time was dry. Second time, that mini Grand Canyon up north was about 1/3 to 1/2 filled with water.

I used a rotary plow on an old Gravely that I had when we first moved here. It turned weed infested, actually mostly heavy fescue grass, dirt completely over and left, or course, those mounds of dirt.

I broke them down with the rotary plow by making raised beds, just out of dirt. In the old days on our bigger farms, we'd break down the plow mounds with discs. A tiller would do something similar. I only ever had a very small tiller that I used on my little patches up around the house.

I only used the rotary plow once and then sold it. With no till, I've never used one again.

Ralph

 

[wtractor80]

Good advice. Loved Tasmania the 2 times we visited. One time was dry. Second time, that mini Grand Canyon up north was about 1/3 to 1/2 filled with water.

I used a rotary plow on an old Gravely that I had when we first moved here. It turned weed infested, actually mostly heavy fescue grass, dirt completely over and left, or course, those mounds of dirt.

I broke them down with the rotary plow by making raised beds, just out of dirt. In the old days on our bigger farms, we'd break down the plow mounds with discs. A tiller would do something similar. I only ever had a very small tiller that I used on my little patches up around the house.

I only used the rotary plow once and then sold it. With no till, I've never used one again.

Ralph

Farmers also did it here in Italy (with discs). Usually I use also the Casorzo rotay disc plough for my walking tractor, but depend on the soil you have. I have medium hardness soil and it make a good job. Here I found a technical data sheet of my the rotay disc plough.

 

[jcraftenworth]

just to point out to the casual observer...rotary disc plow is not the same as the gravely style rotary plow. The gravely style basically gives the effect of plowing and then discing, but in one pass. On the 2 wheel tractor scale, it is the most efficient tool for breaking virgin soil, and the other primary use is building raised beds and hilling potatoes, corn, etc for weed control and growth benefits.

 

[RalphVa]

Here's a Gravely rotary plow.

Ralph

 

[wtractor80]

just to point out to the casual observer...rotary disc plow is not the same as the gravely style rotary plow. The gravely style basically gives the effect of plowing and then discing, but in one pass. On the 2 wheel tractor scale, it is the most efficient tool for breaking virgin soil, and the other primary use is building raised beds and hilling potatoes, corn, etc for weed control and growth benefits.

OK I understood, I was referring to what RalphVa says about it the plowing of the mounds with the disks...As gravely style rotary plow i usually use this:

 

[jcraftenworth]

Here's a Gravely rotary plow.

Ralph

The reason it's referred to as gravely style is because it was invented by the guy behind the gravely 2 wheel tractors. Nowadays most people in the USA that have a similar style plow have the Berta rotary plow, made in Italy. There really isn't a 2 wheel maker in america anymore, but the europeans and especially italians have taken the ball and run with it. Simply due to the scale of growing and land ownership in the USA vs Europe.

I just bought the berta at the end of last season, and was super impressed with the capabilities. It cost plenty but I don't regret it at all. It's not that big, but weight nearly 100 lbs! Very heavy duty and robust piece of equipment that does a lot for you on a small scale. Outside of trying to squeeze in a small 4 wheel tractor with tiller/bed former attachment into your garden, there's nothing else that can so effectively maintain a raised dirt bed growing system. And the problem with using a 4 wheel tractor is that even if you can find a setup that is compatible with your garden, you probably can't squeeze through after the plants are all in and growing, it's something you can only use at the start of the season. That could actually work out for bed maintanence as once a year is enough, but there are other implements you wanna use making the 2 wheel tractor the way to go throughout the growing season.

 

[freedomlives]

@wtractor80
Have you ever had a chance to compare the Berta rotary plow to the Casorzo? Given that, I think, any patents on the Berta would be over by now, does the Casorzo have technical advantages? (I have the Berta reversible, which I found someone selling used in Italy for a really low price).

 

[Code54]

The Berta reversible is top notch for sure but expensive. I been thinking of getting a rotary for my BCS (had one for a Gravely), do you all feel the Berta reversible is worth the extra money over the Berta non-reversible?

 

[freedomlives]

Well, the thing you have to consider is how you're going to be using it. One thing I've done a bit of is cutting terraces in a hillside. For this I would think reversible is almost essential. Likewise swales (long, ditchlike features), I wouldn't want to be going back to the other side each time.

But if you planned carefully, I think you could make raised beds in such a way as to not have to travel without plowing much.

I got lucky though-- the guy selling my reversible was selling for the same price as others were selling non-reversible ones.

 

[CADplans]

Either a rotary plow,, or a cultivator,,, can cause more problems than good, if used at the wrong time.

Clay is funny, my clay, if ever compacted into balls, will not go away without freezing,
here is my rotary plow,

Actually, I have 4 or 5 of these, as I seemed to buy them whenever I found them over the years,
I have two that are almost unused.

With my clay, you either wait for a freeze to break the clumps, or hand remove them.
Does the OP get soil freezing "down under"?