Box Blade or Chain Harrow

[FarmerChip]

I have a 35 acre field that was planted in wheat about three years ago. The ground is fairly level with worn down ruts from discing and a few softball sized rocks on the surface. I want to reseed it for pasture and hay. What would be the best ground preparation after mowing the existing weeds and wheat? I have a New Holland TC40D but the whells aren't weighted. It does have a loader. I originally thought a box blade would best but then someone suggested a chain harrow. Any ideas? Thanks, this is a great web site.

 

[chrisjbell]

Hmmm, "best" would probably be "both", but if we all had unlimited attachment budgets there would be a serious attachment shortage /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif...

I like a box blade for leveling ground out. On the other hand, I don't have a lot of harrow experience and it might do the trick for you. But for filling in ruts and dealing with larger rocks the box blade will definately do the trick.

 

[FarmerChip]

Thanks, I've been leaning that way, especially since the ground is kind of hard. My only experience with a chain harrow is dragging horse arenas, but that is pretty soft.

 

[chrisjbell]

Yeah, no big rocks either... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[sewells]

When I reseeded my pastures after last years drought I worked them up with a disc harrow before seeding and then after the seed was distributed went back over them again with a disc harrow. The results were quite good but then again the weather cooperated. We had plenty of rain, etc.

I don't have a lot of experience with my chain harrow but it seems to have two sides. One is kind of smooth and the other has fingers about an 1 1/2 long. I think if I were going to use it for preparing a pasture I would use the finger side down to break up the surface of the ground and then drag over it with the smooth side down to embed the seed.

I think using a box blade to break up the ground would be extremely time consuming for a field as large as yours.

Steve Wells

 

[chrisjbell]

<font color="blue"> I worked them up with a disc harrow </font>

That rings a bell - there was someone on this forum a while back that seeded a large area and used a disc. I didn't do a search, but it would be worth a try. Might take a while 'cause I don't remember the forum, the time frame, or the title of the post /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif. But it was a pretty long one and got a lot of responses... Maybe someone else remembers a bit more about it.

 

[hockeyhead]

what kind of ground? Use a disc harrow with a cullipacker behind it. dics cut ground, cullipacker pulverizes cut ground, makes great seed bed 2-3" deep. spread seed, use the chain harrow to cover seed. You can pick up these rigs pretty cheap at farm auctions , or hire this out if just a one time thing
Unless you have very soft ground a box blade will be slow going and give you a clumply, level finish
and with the rooted vegetation there, that chain harrow will barely scratch it.

 

[Hoeman00]

From your location u should be able to find a local farmer w/ a large disc and tractor.
The larger the better to level.
A field finisher will leave a smooth and level surface.
We use a 24' and does good job, I used it a on a 5 acre lawn we renovated for a new owner.
I'd hate to think how long it would take w/ a 6 or 8' disc behind your 40D but big tractor could do 10-15+ acres/ hour.