Failed attempt to smooth property, how to correct?

[Dynasty]

I moved onto 6 acres of farm land and built a house. I mowed one Ohio mowing season and quickly realized the ground was uneven and rutted from the farm equipment that worked the land. It was beating me up as well as my zero turn. So, I talked to a local farmer to smooth out the land and put down grass seed for a more traditional lawn look. In fall 2020, the farmer disked, chisel plowed, and used a cultipacker to get the land looking better. Now, spring 2021, I mowed for the first time and I was still bouncing around. My lower back took a beating and the machine was not happy. How can this be?

Prior to the project starting, we discussed the goal of a very smooth surface so I can mow quick and not to slow down due to rough ground. The farmer said "no problem" and can take care of this. We agreed to a price. Prior to work being done, people would roll their ankles trying to walk in some areas of the property due to deep ruts. Now, walking is not an issue so I assumed mowing will be much more enjoyable. In the first few minutes of mowing, I was shocked how rough the ground still was.

With all that said, my question is: how do I correct this rough ground issue even after all the ground was was already performed?

Should I talk to the farmer that did the work and explain my concerns? Would he been in the right by telling me there is nothing more that can be done given he did the diskng, plowing, and rolled in the seed?

Is a big, heavy asphalt roller needed?

I'm open to all ideas. The desire to mow again with the current rough ground conditions is very low. It was not enjoyable for me or the machine.





***EDITED TO ADD VIDEO CLIP***

Note - some areas are rougher and some areas are smoother throughout the 6 acres, but here is an idea of what the mowing experience is like.

 

[kf4uda]

I would ask the farmer to come over and have him take a tour of the property on your zero turn mower. This should limit the explanation needed and show him the problem.

 

[sea2summit]

So call me crazy but you've started threads on what tractor to get and what zero turn etc. Did you ever upgrade your ZT? Mowing 1/4 acre suburban lot you probably have bumps but 1) you don't really get up to top speed 2) you know where all of them are 3) you're done in 10 minutes so you don't notice how bad they are.

6 acres is a whole different monster. Does the lawn appear generally smooth or are there noticeable issues? To fine tune add some dirt to low spots as needed, maybe scrape some of the high ones. Next, what mower? Are you driving too fast? Maybe you need to upgrade to larger wheels (especially gauge/front wheels). Maybe it's time to upgrade to a suspension seat.

Just my thoughts, you could post up pictures and we can probably tell pretty quickly if the farmer didn't live up to his end of the bargain (in your other thread where you looked at that idea more than one person said you'd have to clean up behind the larger equipment).

 

[AWSubie]

U mentioned a cultipacker was used. Was a harrow rake used to provide a final smoothing of the ground ?

 

[ruffdog]

I think a landscape company would understand your goals more than a farmer. I too have about 1 acre that was never fully smoothed after farming but it does get better with time. I wished I had smoothed it out as soon as I could before grass was established.

 

[KennyG]

The correct tool would probably be a land plane. Typical farm implements aren't going to get you where you need to go. You don't show info on what you have in the way of a tractor, but simple land planes are easy to construct. Mine is far from professional, but with a little work it will leave a perfectly smooth surface. (Then my moles will ruin it again.)

The lifting arrange is just me being fancy. It can just be dragged.

 

[jeff9366]

Land Plane would be one good choice.

Another good choice would be a heavy Chain Harrow. Being flexible over entire mat surface the Chain Harrow is minimally influenced by front or rear tractor wheels moving up or down.

Land Plane and Chain Harrow are tractor implements. You cannot operate either behind a ZT.

 

[bcp]

Mow the lawn around the house with your lawnmower.

Mow the fields with farm equipment.

Bruce

 

[mapper]

The correct tool would probably be a land plane. Typical farm implements aren't going to get you where you need to go. You don't show info on what you have in the way of a tractor, but simple land planes are easy to construct. Mine is far from professional, but with a little work it will leave a perfectly smooth surface. (Then my moles will ruin it again.)

The lifting arrange is just me being fancy. It can just be dragged.View attachment 693615View attachment 693616

Couple of hours fabrication on the land plane, couple of weeks for the lifting frame?

 

[Diggin It]

Fields are not pool tables and will not be flat. No matter how much work you do, there will be irregularities from burrowing rodents, erosion, roots, etc. You can try a heavy roller when the ground is soft, or you can just wait a few years and it may get a bit better each season.

In the mean time, maybe a machine with better suspension?