Grading a rough yard

[rvtech]

Im trying to grade and smooth some very rough places at my recently aquired property. I have been mowing about 5 acres. The back yard is about 3/4 of an acre and pretty smooth. (I can mow at top speed on my J.D. 2305) The front is about the same size, rough and poorly graded. The rest was pasture that I want to convert to just mowable grass. It has a pond and was poorly maintained with small swales leading to the pond and some areas that were mowed by something with ag tires that left ruts that swallow my 2305. I have already damaged a radiator trying to cross the pasture at high speed.

I have tilled most of the front yard about 3" deep. I moved the top soil back and added some fill I took out of a building to grade the area. The fill is combination sand, clay, dirt and rocks. I now need to finish the grade (remove rocks) level, put the top soil back and plant grass. My goal is to be able to mow at maximum tractor speed. The question is: What implements do I use to finish? I'm considering a box blade or landscape rake. The budget is tight right now. I don't want to rent for 2 reasons. There are several local rentals that only rent implements too big for my subcut. I will be grading and replanting grass over a long period of time and need to do it as I have time (not all at once)

I have a loader, tiller and backhoe. I have removed all unwanted weeds, plants and grape vines. I have done a rough grade with the loader. I also have 2 horse stalls with about 12" of manure and hay in them that I want to use (get rid of) I can wait to finish until the budget improves later this summer if I need more than 1 implement.

Thanks for any advice

 

[JJT]

Get a landscape rake. That will help level and make getting the junk, (stones, roots, etc) out much easier. Till and rake the area at least twice.

 

[dubba]

I would get a landscape rake with wheels. Rake as much of the rocks etc as you can off the tilled area, then just keep raking until you can rake it as fast as you want to mow it. Repeated raking will help pack the soil back down to the level needed to support your tractor while mowing. Also it helps if you do the raking over time. It gives the area a little time to absorb some rain & pack down better.

 

[flusher]

Lotsa folks on TBN use a piece of chain link fence as a drag harrow to smooth the rough spots in a tilled area. I have a piece of 4-ft fence about 10 feet long. It's attached to a 6" dia steel pipe about 5-ft long (one wrap and some bailing wire to hold it together). The drag is chained to the tractor drawbar. Works OK.

The guy who sharecrops a couple of 10-acre parcels around here has an ag cat and pulls a big disk harrow with a homemade fence drag attached to the rear end of the harrow.

The classic drag is the old mattress spring. When I moved to my 10-acre parcel last year, one of the first chores was to remove the junk from the weeds. Found a rusty old mattress spring that one of the former owners probably used as a drag.

 

[coffeeman]

Hi rv

Last season I added about 5 acres extra finished grass to cut. I searched and found an old 10 foot disk or close to. I paid $100 for and was in not so good shape. Bearings were not good. I packed them with plenty of grease and went disking. I started with heavy weed cover and some small trees, about 1/2 inch. Small enough to disk over. Disked all summer then got ready with a chain link fence drag. Got all the rocks and spread seed late in fall. Didn't use any straw but spread seed and drug one more time with fence. grass came up nice. Had to pick rocks again in spring. Came out ok, but I wonder if a landscape rake would have made better.
The disk was a lot of help. The last time this property was planted there was corn grown. So the land wasn't real flat like with wheat or oats grown.

Cheers...Coffeeman

 

[beenthere]

There are landscape rakes and there are powered landscape rakes. The powered ones are much better, and look at the Harley rake for the ideal way to grade your rough yard. There are past posts that are searchable with pics as well.

If you could rent a Harley rake, it would be the best way to go. It's what I do, and it's a one, maybe two passes, and plant grass seed.

 

[beenthere]

There are landscape rakes and there are powered landscape rakes. The powered ones are much better, and look at the Harley rake for the ideal way to grade your rough yard. There are past posts that are searchable with pics as well.

If you could rent a Harley rake, it would be the best way to go. It's what I do, and it's a one, maybe two passes, and plant grass seed.

 

[rvtech]

Thanks,
Sounds like a rake or Harley rake will do what I need. I'm going to check on a Harley rake rental. Maybe I can till 4 or 5 areas then rent the Harley rake for a day, then do it all over again late summer for some other areas.

I've been watching for a landscape rake with wheels used. I saw 1 at a pretty good price, but I decided to wait when I wasn't sure if it would do the job.

Anyone know what size my subcut will pull? My 48" tiller works great

 

[rvtech]

Thanks,
Sounds like a rake or Harley rake will do what I need. I'm going to check on a Harley rake rental. Maybe I can till 4 or 5 areas then rent the Harley rake for a day, then do it all over again late summer for some other areas.

I've been watching for a landscape rake with wheels used. I saw 1 at a pretty good price, but I decided to wait when I wasn't sure if it would do the job.

Anyone know what size my subcut will pull? My 48" tiller works great

 

[Onthesauk]

I've got a 48 inch tiller and pull a 7 foot landscape rake with no problem at all.