Leveling a Field

[Iplayfarmer]

You have the right idea, just make sure if you want to make the area bigger in the future, you look beyond the 1.5 acres. In other words, look ahead, you don't want crazy cuts of fills as you work you way out from the 1.5 acres.

I would start out with maybe fewer stakes than the width of your tractor, and put more in as you get closer to the grade you want. It is also possible to paint the ground as you go with cuts and fills, that way the lath don't get in the way. I think you will find a 50 foot grid to get started may work out well, your eyeball will allow you to fill in the gaps. Then maybe increase that to a 25 foot grid as you get closer to grade. Another trick is to take a few steps back and take a look as you go. Its tough to see the high and low spots with your eyes when you are on top of the job, but when you get back 100 feet or so, you will be able to see the high and low spots alot better.

Good luck.

Another trick if you're only leveling 1.5 acres is to get a big long something (I used a heavy home-built 14 foot ladder) and drag it around behind your tractor in various travel patterns for a few hours. I drug mine so that the ladder was perpendicular to the direction of travel. What this won't get is large slopes. You might start with your laser and stakes to get the major slopes evened out and then drag your ladder or whatever you have. The wider and longer your drag is, the more flat overall your land is going to be. I've seen land planes around here that are almost 40 feet long.