Leveling Drag----and I have searched.

[rutwad]

I see posts about RR iron, channel or angle iron, wood, etc. I have some RR iron. But the land we are disking is old timber land with stumps excavated and definitely holes that need filling in. So I am wondering if maybe 3 pieces dragged behind each other would do better at filling in the holes. I don't see much advantage of linking them together with chain, I was thinking more of a rigid frame.

Input...????

 

[sdef]

I just did similar on a small scale while clearing a new driveway through densely wooded, small boulder encapsulated at depth, heavy clay soil. I also had large holes from digging out stumps (~ 4' to 8' x 4' x 4' or so) and quite a few large, buried rocks. The FEL was taxed daily and many times the 700# ROBB and 100# tool box on the rear were not enough counterweight. I did mine in stages:
- Fill in the large holes with material using the FEL bucket and ROBB
- Next use the ROBB's shanks to loosen up the soil in the entire area
- Finally use the ETA landscape rake (with wheels) to level everything out

It all came out very nice and smooth. See before and after pics attached.

 

[rutwad]

Hey we could use some of those rocks.

 

[sdef]

Hey we could use some of those rocks.

Mostly granite. The wife has lots of plans for the rocks. She watches DIY, etc. on TV WAYYYY too much and seems to think all of that work really does get completed in a day or two with just a few hands... and won't listen to me

 

[franklinute]

I use a 12' solid rr iron behind my disc or offset bog to help smooth soil. The soil piles in the middle of the
rr iron. If I had several pieces I would chain the first two at opposing angles then the third on straight across. The holes you are dragging soil into will need to be compacted by your tractor tire several times if not then the soft soil will settle and make a depression.

 

[boggen]

www.everythingattacments.com = videos and a good amount of text for all types of attachments / implements for a tractor. read / watch the videos, should help ya get a better idea of what does what and how to use them.

box blades, rear blades, york rakes/landscape rakes, sub soiler, drag harrows, chain harrows, LPGS (land plane grader, scraper) etc....
FEL (front end loader), general duty bucket, to bolt on tooth bar, to rock buckets, to 4 in 1 buckets. to grapels.

every situation is different, above is just a small listing, of what folks have used to either get grunt work done in filling in holes, to getting a finished grade that is nice and smooth / level.

as franklinute noted "compaction" can be a big key in getting things leveled, and have them stay leveled. 100% agree!!

getting rear tires filled with a fluid, can help counter balance the FEL, and give extra weight to help with compaction, you will most likely want some sort of counter weight on rear of tractor when working with the FEL. even with filled rear tires.

 

[rutwad]

Well here is a rush build. It is pulled with the first blade angled, 2nd blade angled in opposite direction, and last blade is straight across.

 

[boggen]

it looks wimpy, add some fat to it,, errr some weight to it! if ya don't i am guessing it will hip hop and dance around on you. and never do a thing for you. it might level soft disc'ed ground, but digging down some into the softer dirt, and bring more of a load with it....

add some pegs (rebar) on the top, sticking up, for either concrete blocks, or some metal pipe, or some logs, what ever ya have laying around for added weight, and you think you can move easily, by yourself / man handle. without use of a tractor to remove / add the extra weight while out and about. bailing wire / fence wire can be your friend *arghs* some times it can be my worse enemy as well!

be prepared for roots / twigs getting hung up, and needing to clean the stuff out from under it. *arghs* that was not a fun task.

 

[rutwad]

It weighs about 1600 pounds. Quick build and needs tweaking, I had thought about RR spikes welded up so it can be dragged as is or flipped to use spikes.

it looks wimpy, add some fat to it,, errr some weight to it! if ya don't i am guessing it will hip hop and dance around on you. and never do a thing for you. it might level soft disc'ed ground, but digging down some into the softer dirt, and bring more of a load with it....

add some pegs (rebar) on the top, sticking up, for either concrete blocks, or some metal pipe, or some logs, what ever ya have laying around for added weight, and you think you can move easily, by yourself / man handle. without use of a tractor to remove / add the extra weight while out and about. bailing wire / fence wire can be your friend *arghs* some times it can be my worse enemy as well!

be prepared for roots / twigs getting hung up, and needing to clean the stuff out from under it. *arghs* that was not a fun task.

 

[boggen]

It weighs about 1600 pounds. Quick build and needs tweaking, I had thought about RR spikes welded up so it can be dragged as is or flipped to use spikes.

160lbs? i might bite but 1600lbs?

i just realized you have it chained to the trailer *uth oh* planning to tip the entire thing up side down when ya get to were ever? ok 1600lbs!! wow!!

i could see the RR spikes as well. ya just might loose some though. i am not seeing how you could get that much weld beads on them, and keep them from bending/breaking off. i would think you would loose to much of a spike length just from welds to keep them held on? *looks confused*

 

[rutwad]

160lbs? i might bite but 1600lbs?

i just realized you have it chained to the trailer *uth oh* planning to tip the entire thing up side down when ya get to were ever? ok 1600lbs!! wow!!

i could see the RR spikes as well. ya just might loose some though. i am not seeing how you could get that much weld beads on them, and keep them from bending/breaking off. i would think you would loose to much of a spike length just from welds to keep them held on? *looks confused*

Flipping it over to drag? Negative! I let it run on the skids, the way it's pictured. Not sure I could drag flipped.

 

[boggen]

TractorData.com John Deere 6605 tractor information 95hp tractor, 4 foot or so wide bed of a trailer it looks like, and a metal frame drag guessing 6 to 7 feet wide. i doubt you will have issue with dragging it all. "trailer and all flipped upside down", if it is planned to run on skids. flip it over on trailer. and re chain it back down.

and yes it was late last night when replying, and very early for me this morning, so i am not all there with it just yet.
but your picture reminds me of "tractor pulling competitions" i think you have it in the bag, exception traction being only concern!


ya i just realized, it was a double axle trailer... took me a while to catch that it was double axle even after i drew in 2 wheels for one side of the trailer being upside down..

still 1600 lbs, and jumping the width / length up to what 8 to 10 feet wide and same in length it looks like. you still have a low PSI that sets on the ground. that might be good for floating it across the ground, but not much getting it to drop down into the softer dirt and move it about.

honestly i would flip that drag up side down to let it drag on the skids like you want it to, maybe add a couple extra supports to trailer, then chain drag and trailer together and then once at site flip entire thing (drag and trailer as one unit upside down) and go.

 

[bcp]

Trailer floor looks like 13 2x6 + 1 2x4 = 75 inches, so the drag looks very close to 8 ft wide. That's about 25 feet of rail. If it is 90lb/yd rail, that is 750 lbs of rail. Rail usually has mfg, date of mfg, and weight per yard on the side every yard or so.

Bruce

 

[boggen]

ya i am still waking up, and the foggy mind of mine starting click, the upside down trailer with drag, chained to it, once at the given site, would resemble more of a "motor grader" setup. and some horse arena drags. being able to adjust the drag back and forth on trailer to re'adjust the weight on the drag. ((letting the sides of trailer act some what like skids themselves when upside down in the dirt)). it would keep the drag firm, and in place and follow along, vs corners of the drag wanting to flip up and/or dig into the ground and hip hop on ya.

I have a 4 or 6 footer i don't remember right off been a couple years, drag harrow. ((RR spikes in essences)), that i can adjust the angle of the spikes. it is an old single section from a bigger field tractor / implement setup. by itself that thing will barely got into the dirt. at slowest speed i can set, and then raising front end all the way up to put all the press on i think 10 spikes. it just does not cut the cake, without me adding extra weight to the top of it. i don't see your drag being any different. without extra weight.

from dragging logs, chain link fence, disc, etc.... weight is king. or you spend and easy 10 times longer trying to level things out and smooth things out. once you get to were you want, then ya start taking weight back off. but not until then. at least that is how it has been for me.

 

[PhysAssist]

Well here is a rush build. It is pulled with the first blade angled, 2nd blade angled in opposite direction, and last blade is straight across.

View attachment 392144

Maybe it's still too early in the day for me too, and I didn't read all of the other post before I made mine, but I still have to stand by mine, with the possible exception of adding weight, if it really does weigh 1600#.

Could you please to re-explain your plans on how to use it for me in small words?

Is the trailer part of your plans to drag or not?

Does the metal frame itself weight #1600?

Is the view you've shown of the top or bottom?

I presume that this is a view of the bottom, given that unless you flip it over, the frame going around it will be in ground contact, mostly negating the effect of the "blades" you made.

If I am correct, then won't the two braces you have holding the first "blade" in place be digging in when you try to pull it?

It looks like the leading ends of them should be moved to the other side [the bottom as displayed in your picture] so that they're on top when you pull it.

Otherwise it's a nice looking drag, though I'd have to agree with Mr. Boggen, it also looks like it needs more weight.

I think that may be the only real advantage of using RR rails, they are so much beefier and heavy than the usual steel we private citizens can lay hands on.

Nice work, I hope it kicks butt and takes names for you.

Thomas

 

[rutwad]

TractorData.com John Deere 6605 tractor information 95hp tractor, 4 foot or so wide bed of a trailer it looks like, and a metal frame drag guessing 6 to 7 feet wide. i doubt you will have issue with dragging it all. "trailer and all flipped upside down", if it is planned to run on skids. flip it over on trailer. and re chain it back down.

and yes it was late last night when replying, and very early for me this morning, so i am not all there with it just yet.
but your picture reminds me of "tractor pulling competitions" i think you have it in the bag, exception traction being only concern!
View attachment 392172

ya i just realized, it was a double axle trailer... took me a while to catch that it was double axle even after i drew in 2 wheels for one side of the trailer being upside down..

still 1600 lbs, and jumping the width / length up to what 8 to 10 feet wide and same in length it looks like. you still have a low PSI that sets on the ground. that might be good for floating it across the ground, but not much getting it to drop down into the softer dirt and move it about.

honestly i would flip that drag up side down to let it drag on the skids like you want it to, maybe add a couple extra supports to trailer, then chain drag and trailer together and then once at site flip entire thing (drag and trailer as one unit upside down) and go.

Maybe this will show it's size a little better than sitting on the trailer.

Just over 10' wide. 132 lb/yard rail. 2 angle rails are 128"

 

[bcp]

I've never seen rail that heavy on a farm, etc. before. Mostly it has been 70-90 lbs/yd stuff. Good find.

128 + 128 + 120 = 376 inches. 132/36 = 3.67 pounds per inch. 376 x 3.67 = 1379.92lbs of rail.

Bruce

 

[boggen]

Maybe this will show it's size a little better than sitting on the trailer.View attachment 392254View attachment 392255

Just over 10' wide. 132 lb/yard rail. 2 angle rails are 128"

awesome!
sorry for giving you such a rough time in previous posts, it was not meant to be that way. that 1 picture really did "picture worth a 1,000 words." being able to see more clearly, the angles of stuff. 2nd picture *big thumbs up* ya! being a arm chair bozo and getting my rear kicked out of the seat, vs getting out there and doing it. all good *chuckles*

with the RR spikes, using them at scarficer teeth?, looking more at 2nd picture, the top soil looks pretty dry, and looks like ya just dragging top 1/2" to maybe if lucky 1" depth via ruts and lows in the field? looks like a lot of branches and root parts mixed in that picture. it will be interesting to see if ya rig up some RR spikes as a comb / rake / drag harrow like doing to help pull all that crud out, and maybe break down into the soil a bit more.

 

[Gary Fowler]

That looks like what I was afraid would happen, they all load up with dirt, but no where for it to go. You may have to rig up a way to stabilize the RR iron at the ends while leaving a couple of feet at the end for the dirt to shuffle out and go back to the next slanted bar. Not sure how you can do the front frame so it doesn't dig in so much.

 

[dntfxr]

Nice job, looks like it working alright for ya.