is a chain harrow the right tool

[04Fatboy]

i have about 1.5 acres i am trying to get some grass planted. it was bare land that we clearer underbrush and blackberries to get our house in. we still hace alot of fir trees. i have spent some time with my box blade getting the roots and clumps out. i do not want to tell the whole place so i was looking at a chain harrow to drag around. and get the dirt to look a bit better. i am not looking for perfect lawn just grass. also what is a good all around type of grass. it is a shady area with the fir trees and I am in the pacific northwest (near Portland Oregon)

thank you alll!!!!!!


BOB

 

[Greyfields]

If you are trying to get seams in the ground for the grass seed to get in, dragging several times with a blanket harrow (they look like a very heavy chain link fence with prongs which penetrate the ground) can work. You should also follow seeding with a roller, or turn the blanket harrow upside down to smooth.

If the ground is still a little rough, though, I think discing would give you better resulsts in the long run.

 

[VABlue]

Discing is probably the better option to break up the soil, then drag it with a harrow to smooth it out. Once the seed is down drag it again or roll it. Then water forever...

For the seed, checkout outsidepride.com and research what you need for your soil and growing needs. There are also plenty of other sites that will help you determine the seed you want, just google away and research 'till you're sick of it!

 

[Soundguy]

If you don't have big clods.. then yeah.. a chain harrow will work. if ya got big clods and big windrows/gouged.. maw want to disc it .. then drag it.. etc..

Soundguy

i have about 1.5 acres i am trying to get some grass planted. it was bare land that we clearer underbrush and blackberries to get our house in. we still hace alot of fir trees. i have spent some time with my box blade getting the roots and clumps out. i do not want to tell the whole place so i was looking at a chain harrow to drag around. and get the dirt to look a bit better. i am not looking for perfect lawn just grass. also what is a good all around type of grass. it is a shady area with the fir trees and I am in the pacific northwest (near Portland Oregon)

thank you alll!!!!!!


BOB

 

[Z-Michigan]

All depends how rough the ground is now. After box-blading I would think it would be fairly smooth. In that case a chain harrow may work very well. However, if it's seriously rutted and clodded, the chain harrow won't do a lot and the disc might be needed. What do you already own besides the box blade?

This past spring I turned 5 acres of weeds into hopefully a new hayfield. I did 1.5 acres with only scarifier teeth and a chain harrow. The other 3.5 I used a disc between those steps. The area that got disked is much smoother, but only because all of it had been scarified first. I don't own a box blade and didn't try using my grader blade. I wouldn't buy a disc for only this purpose because they are quite pricey and may bring up enough weed seeds to offset the smoothing benefit.

As for grass choices - well, Oregon is where most of the US's grass seed is grown. There should be lots of choices. Decide if you want mere groundcover or something to feed wildlife or livestock first, because it will be different seed choices. Then go discuss with your local seed supplier, farmer's co-op, etc. They may have a seed catalog that you can browse and try to guess what will work best. Look up the website for a supplier called "Forage First". I'm guessing a mix of perennial ryegrass and fescue will be a good bet, but it's only a guess. Kentucky Bluegrass may also be good if you basically want a lawn. These three grasses are the most common lawn grasses in areas that don't get super hot or dry. If you want to attract wildlife, you'll want more than just grasses. If you want to pasture horses or cattle, you'll want high yielding grasses, may need high traffic tolerance, and you won't want turf type fescues because of a fungus that grows in them that's bad for most grazing animals.

 

[04Fatboy]

Thank you for the info

I only have a box blade and brush cutter right now. On a tight budget due to the new house and land. I am not looking at farming at all. and will have small areas of "Lawn" near the house. This is basic ground cover that will be cut once a month at the most. My lawn will be my nice area.

So far the box blade has done a gteat job. I just do not want to be using a rake in my hand for 2 acres!!! With the chain / Blanket harrow it looks like I should get a boom pole also to pick it up? The one with a full fram is over my budget.


BOB

 

[Highbeam]

I have the same two implements as you, BB and RC. Use the BB to do it. After rooting and grubbing lower your scarifiers all the way and roll the box forward by shorteneing the top link all the way. Now go round and round. This is a chisel plow and is tilling the soil. The tilled soil will be smoothed and now is the time to knock down big high spots and fill big low spots if desired. Then raise the scarifiers all the way and roll the box the other way by lengthening the top link which will set the rear blade of the box to "smear". Lower the box all the way and go round and round. This process is free of cost.

Now see if you are happy. If you want a smoother appearance for your pasture then you can look for something flexible to drag like a chain harrow or some chain link fence etc.

Being pasture though the box scraper can get fine results.

 

[Grrrr]

I have the same two implements as you, BB and RC. Use the BB to do it. After rooting and grubbing lower your scarifiers all the way and roll the box forward by shorteneing the top link all the way. Now go round and round. This is a chisel plow and is tilling the soil. The tilled soil will be smoothed and now is the time to knock down big high spots and fill big low spots if desired. Then raise the scarifiers all the way and roll the box the other way by lengthening the top link which will set the rear blade of the box to "smear". Lower the box all the way and go round and round. This process is free of cost.

Now see if you are happy. If you want a smoother appearance for your pasture then you can look for something flexible to drag like a chain harrow or some chain link fence etc.

Being pasture though the box scraper can get fine results.

I also think this would be the best way and what I would do on a small (ish) area. Roll the BB right forward and tines right down. Drive round and round and round untill it all gets broken up well. Then, get either a new chain harrow or get a bed spring or chain link fence and drag that around lots. This will give you a nice seedbed. Then, throw down the seed and preferably roll the seed in, it likes to be in firm contact with the soil and moisture, but not buried, or lightly drag the harrow or chain link over it once.

 

[04Fatboy]

GREAT

I never thought of rolling the box forward to get the scarfers down further and not drag so much dirt around. TBN rules to help us rookies!!!!


thank you for the advice and I hope more keeps coming

 

[Highbeam]

GREAT

I never thought of rolling the box forward to get the scarfers down further and not drag so much dirt around. TBN rules to help us rookies!!!!


thank you for the advice and I hope more keeps coming

Yes, you can really scratch pretty deeply this way and all of those scarifiers will really put a load on the machine. Go ahead and let the box set down as far as it will go without the blade touching in the rear for maximum tilling effect. My backyard is setting now in the tilled stage awaiting some cooler weather to smooth and seed.

 

[3RRL]

Yup,
That's exactly how I did my food plot plowing.





Notice how the rear blade is a couple inches off the dirt and only the scarifiers are in the Earth.
A poor man's plow for me. The boxblade is multi-versatile.
One thing though, don't make a "sharp" turn when the scarifiers are down deep like that. Raise up the implement or you might bend them. The are better and most strong in straight line pulling. They are thinner sideways and can bend easier in that direction.
Don't ask how I know.

 

[bx23barry]

While a chain harrow would do a good job of breaking up clods, smoothing and covering seed some old logs and/or tires will do about the same thing for alot less. I made a drag out of some old fence posts and and a length of 1/2"chain looped back and forth. Works pretty darn good.

 

[Z-Michigan]

While a chain harrow would do a good job of breaking up clods, smoothing and covering seed some old logs and/or tires will do about the same thing for alot less. I made a drag out of some old fence posts and and a length of 1/2"chain looped back and forth. Works pretty darn good.

Since it sounds like a one-time use I would agree with this as good enough and by far the cheapest option. Some people have posted pics in the projects and build it yourself forums. If you were going to be using a drag regularly, like for busting manure piles in a pasture, I would recommend a chain harrow as more durable and effective for that purpose.

 

[Soundguy]

You can get the regular chain harrow. when done with it, lay a 2x4 at the end, roll the chain harrow back on itself up to the tractor.. back lift arms over it. chain up, lift and take it where you want it.

soundguy

Thank you for the info

I only have a box blade and brush cutter right now. On a tight budget due to the new house and land. I am not looking at farming at all. and will have small areas of "Lawn" near the house. This is basic ground cover that will be cut once a month at the most. My lawn will be my nice area.

So far the box blade has done a gteat job. I just do not want to be using a rake in my hand for 2 acres!!! With the chain / Blanket harrow it looks like I should get a boom pole also to pick it up? The one with a full fram is over my budget.


BOB

 

[Grrrr]

You can get the regular chain harrow. when done with it, lay a 2x4 at the end, roll the chain harrow back on itself up to the tractor.. back lift arms over it. chain up, lift and take it where you want it.

soundguy

That is a great idea

I curently pile the whole thing in a loader bucket but that would be easier.

 

[SkunkWerX]

Here is how I did Little League field with a Chain Harrow:

-Hooked up my home-made Rear-Forks (Carry-all)
-Rolled up the Chain Harrow and hauled it around using the forks.
-Unrolled it, hooked the drag chain to base of carry-all, and harrowed away.

When done, rolled up the harrow, and rolled onto the Rear Forks, then right into my trailer to go to the next set of fields.

In this case, the budget word comes up, so, after doing to BB trick of rasing the rear, then I'd get some scrap chain link and try that. If needed, attach a log or landscape timber up front, and let the chain trail behind.

 

[Soundguy]

That is a great idea

I curently pile the whole thing in a loader bucket but that would be easier.

That's still how i move mine... just roll it back on itself with a stiff board or bar inthe middle, then loop a chain around each end lift and go.. i usually store it up against a fence with a box blade setting in front of it to keep the animals feet out of it.. I now have a couple loaders.. but never used them to move the drag.. though i did move it a couple times with a gin pole, and similar method rolled on a 2x4.. etc..

soundguy

 

[flusher]

i have about 1.5 acres i am trying to get some grass planted. it was bare land that we clearer underbrush and blackberries to get our house in. we still hace alot of fir trees. i have spent some time with my box blade getting the roots and clumps out. i do not want to tell the whole place so i was looking at a chain harrow to drag around. and get the dirt to look a bit better. i am not looking for perfect lawn just grass. also what is a good all around type of grass. it is a shady area with the fir trees and I am in the pacific northwest (near Portland Oregon)

thank you alll!!!!!!


BOB

Use the BB and scarifiers to break up the soil as best you can.

Then get a couple of auto or truck tires (with rims if possible for added weight) and some chain to lash them together and attach to your drawbar. Drive around a while and eventually your planting area will be smoothed out.

If the ground is really dry, you can grind it to dust this way, but that's going too far.

 

[Rara Avis]

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[n8wrl]

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