Dumb Sub-soiler question

[dennis5150]

I have been lurking on this site for years and finally got a new Kubota L3901 with a 5' rotary cutter to get on top of those black berries. I am thinking of getting a subsoiler but have a dumb question. Do you set the depth of the subsoiler with the 3 point or will it pull it's self down to depth? If you set the depth with the 3 point how deep should it be?

 

[LD48750]

It will pull itself down.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Yeah, with a sub-soil plow, down is not the problem. You have to hold it UP.

Tractor weight and HP is important. I have a 8-shank sub-soil (renovator) plow that is all I want behind my 85-90 HP 4WD tractors.
Rule of thumb is about 10HP minimum per tooth. And, that's on plows with coulters. HP requirement is greater for plows w/o coulters.

 

[jeff9366]

Yeah, with a sub-soil plow, DOWN is not the problem. You have to hold it UP.

Dennis: Insert your LOCATION and TRACTOR MODEL into your T-B-N PROFILE. Your location will tell us a lot about your Blackberries and your soil. Your location also tells us what brands of implements are prevalent in your state.

My Kubota L3560 BARELY holds a raised (Temporarily blocked due to reports of company closure) Subsoiler free of the ground. You should research carefully, brand by brand, if an L3901 can raise a Subsoiler high enough. Also consider a Middlebuster against a Subsoiler. Same issue with ground clearance perhaps, as both are sometimes constructed on a common frame.

Consider mowing then applying specialty anti-Blackberry herbicide to sprouts, such as Crossbow, as an alternative to subsoiling. Gordon's Brushkiller, widely sold, might be pretty effective too, but my preference would be Crossbow.

VIDEO: tractor middlebuster - YouTube

 

[RedNeckRacin]

My single shank subsoiler will stop my 5083e in 2wd if I bury it to the cross bar. 4wd is another story, I pulled the subsoiler apart. I'd pull it as deep as you need to to accomplish what you want. Be careful with the top link, you want the subsoiler to be about level when it's at the depth you want to run. If the tooth is pointed down, it will "suck" in deeper. Opposite if the tooth is pointed upwards.

 

[LD48750]

Dennis:

My Kubota L3560 BARELY holds a raised (Temporarily blocked due to reports of company closure) Subsoiler free of the ground. You should research carefully, brand by brand, if an L3901 can raise a Subsoiler high enough. Also consider a Middlebuster against a Subsoiler. Same issue with ground clearance perhaps, as both are sometimes built on a common frame.

Good point, the only tractor I have that can handle the subsoiler is the MF50.
The Fords don't lift it high enough to be practical.

 

[Fallon]

Your L3901 is the same as my old L3200, at least in terms of traction, which is mostly the limiting factor. I could pull a single shank subsoiler reasonably well, but I doubt it would pull a 2nd shank, at least in the hard clay around here. It was a cheaper one from the farm store. Had a sheer pin rather than fixed shank. I could break the pin on occasion if it was a bit worn & I caught a rock or something. Generally it would start digging in on it's own. Occasionally it would need help getting started in hard clay. But as soon as the bottom would catch it would pull itself into the ground.

 

[Fallon]

And you just drop the 3pt. The angled foot on the bottom pulls it down as far as you lower the 3pt.

Found a photo of mine laying around. Haven't used it much recently. But at under $200 new its not worth selling. I "plowed" 3 of my 5 acres with mine before hitting it with the rototiller. Worked well.

 

[dennis5150]

Thanks for the information guys. I am only looking at a single shank subsoiler, to help with drainage, and getting at the blackberry roots. I've been fighting them with Crossbow for years but need to get them mowed then hit them with the Crossbow, then in spring use the subsoiler to expose the roots then hit them again with Crossbow and Roundup.