Breaking up clay

   / Breaking up clay
  • Thread Starter
#11  
texasjohn said:
From my experience with Houston Black Clay... or "gumbo" , I'd do this:

use chizel plow/subsoiler to rip it into pieces

Do I need both a chisel plow and a subsoiler??????????????????
Bob
 
   / Breaking up clay #12  
They are almost the same thing. Or at least you could use the subsoiler as a single shank chisel plow.
 
   / Breaking up clay
  • Thread Starter
#13  
Highbeam said:
They are almost the same thing. Or at least you could use the subsoiler as a single shank chisel plow.

Good to know. Now, what do you think of the TSC subsolier? KING KUTTER XB MIDDLE BUSTER SUB-SOILER COMB? Is a TN70A (70 HP, 5000 lb tracotor) too much tractor for this subsoiler?
Bob
 
   / Breaking up clay #14  
Doc_Bob said:
Good to know. Now, what do you think of the TSC subsolier? KING KUTTER XB MIDDLE BUSTER SUB-SOILER COMB? Is a TN70A (70 HP, 5000 lb tracotor) too much tractor for this subsoiler?
Bob

:D Well, if it's the same KK XB MB/SS combo (specifically made for sub-compacts) I just ordered for my BABY tractor, your big honking tractor should pull it just fine!!!!! :rolleyes:
 
   / Breaking up clay #15  
I'm definitely no expert, but I've been thinking about busting up part of my place to get some bermuda (hay) growing.

Looked at the KK XB combo unit on the TSC website and noticed that it only weighs 64 lbs. The single-function subsoiler weighs over 110 lbs and appears to me to be more capable of withstanding the abuse of breaking up clay.
 
   / Breaking up clay #16  
Doc,
I don't think the disc will touch hard clay and it isn't very good for the tiller. Like others said, you need a subsoiler to rip it up first. With your machine, use your boxblade...you can take out all but 3 scarifiers and be sure it's weighted down. Then rip it with that. Once ripped up, you can run the tiller or disc it to work in your wood chips and pulverize the clods. Again like said before, moistening will aid in penetration and breaking the clods down.
 
   / Breaking up clay
  • Thread Starter
#17  
NoMo said:
I'm definitely no expert, but I've been thinking about busting up part of my place to get some bermuda (hay) growing.

Looked at the KK XB combo unit on the TSC website and noticed that it only weighs 64 lbs. The single-function subsoiler weighs over 110 lbs and appears to me to be more capable of withstanding the abuse of breaking up clay.

Is this the one you are looking at
KING KUTTER® SUB SOILER

$148.98

TSC # 2128333
Bob
 
   / Breaking up clay #18  
That's the "heavy duty" subsoiler that I'd pick over the combo unit.

The lighter-weight combo is:
$128.62
TSC # 2122476

There are no TSC stores near me (a company named Atwoods dominates this area) so I can't physically verify the weight & structure. I got the weights of each item from the KK website.
 
   / Breaking up clay #19  
There are potentially very high stresses on the single ripper tooth of a subsoiler. If you're scooting along with a 70 HP tractor and a single tooth subsoiler and hit a large rock or tree root then something has to give. Many of the subsoilers shown have no shear pin protection and just like the few boxblade ripper shanks I have had to straighten, that SS shank will be the weak link.

I have snapped a ripper shank on my previous machine, a 45 HP bulldozer, and it was a big dog. I had to dig up the broken tooth and a nice butt weld made it good as new.

A real chisel plow takes lots of HP since each tooth is down deep doin gmajor work. Your 70 HP tractor could maybe pull one though. Perhaps take a look at some old used farm equipment. Subsoiler, chisel plow, ripper, all seem to be pretty much the same. I have used my boxblade teeth to "chisel plow" down about 5" pretty well.
 
   / Breaking up clay
  • Thread Starter
#20  
Highbeam said:
Many of the subsoilers shown have no shear pin protection and just like the few boxblade ripper shanks I have had to straighten, that SS shank will be the weak link.

Anyone make SS with shear pin protection?
Bob
 

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