Breaking up very hard dirt clods.

[nikerret]

In my area, good black dirt has been hard to come by, the last few years. I was able to get a few loads, free. It is not ideal, but will work. However, it was pushed up with a large dozer and the chunks are quite large. Some are so heavily compacted my Kubota BX (with MMM and backhoe attached) bucket edge can’t cut into them. I just lift my tractor up, on top.

I have a rear mount reverse spin tiller, but I’m concerned about the logistics of safety keeping the machine on top of the large clods. I think I’m going to try it, but thought I would see what other plans I should make.

One of my thoughts is to water it, heavily, but I don’t know if it’s the best way.

Here are some pictures:

 

[PuffyC]

That looks like the nasty clay that's all over north Texas. Gets about as hard as concrete when it's super dry. If that's what it is then watering will just make it worse because it turns into goo that sticks to everything. Based on the pics I'd just grab the tiller and have at it. I've done that before and with some patience you'll end up with something that very closely resembles actual dirt.

 

[jeff9366]

Kansas has fairly well distributed rainfall.

Wait for three days of soaking rain. Then let the soil dry for a day or two. Remove the MMM so your tractor has 9" of ground clearance. Distribute the clod dirt with your FEL, pushing gently and pulling back with the bucket down, as required. When the clod dirt has been distributed 6" to 8" deep use your tiller with the rear flap fully open.

Tiller is the right implement. You need softer clods and distribution.

 

[deereman75]

A heavy disc will break that all up very nicely

 

[jeff9366]

A heavy disc will break that up very nicely

A 1,600 pound bare weight Kubota BX cannot pull a heavy disk.

The OP has a reverse rotation rototiller.

Disks and rototillers are both soil mixing and soil distribution implements.

 

[rScotty]

I'm just curious why you want all that clay in your backyard lawn? That almost borders on being too much of a good thing. You might want to re-think it while it's still in a pile.

Not that it's useless. In fact, I wish I had a pile of clay like that stashed somewhere out of the way but close enough to go get & mix with our native soil - which is an unfortunate sandy, decomposed granite that erodes & will not compact. Adding about 10% clay changes our basic sand and gravel into a dandy roadbase material that stays put when properly compacted.

 

[LD1]

Pics of dirt don't do it justice.

I've seen some nasty clay that takes forever to dry, is always mucky and sticks to everything, and when it finally dries it's like concrete. I've also seen good organic topsoil look like that as well. So I'll trust that it is actually "good" dirt for your area

That said ...rather than tear up your equipment which is a bit small and light for the task, I'd rent a skidloader and Harley rake for a day and make quick work of it. Make sure it's dry

 

[4570Man]

I wouldn’t water it. That’s the last thing it needs. Your machine is really on the small side to handle that but the tiller would be my implement of choice.

 

[deereman75]

A 1,600 pound bare weight Kubota BX cannot pull a heavy disk.

The OP has a reverse rotation rototiller.

Disks and rototillers are both soil mixing and soil distribution implements.

The point being some jobs aren't worth doing yourself. The few dollars it costs to have someone with suitable equipment do the job for you is often better than spending a large amount of time and risking expensive damage trying to do it yourself with what is available.
I've seen the rear axle housings on BX series tractors broken from abusive rototiller use. A $5-6k repair bill is a lot more than it will cost to hire someone to bring a disc over

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Some of the answers here are pretty silly!

I have a little Kubota B6200 with a Howard 42" tiller on it, and I'd be all over that and have it done by now!!

SR