leveling farm field

Eric_Phillips · Jun 22, 2005

I have about 10 acres of old farm field complete with farrows. I would like to level out the farrows for two reasons, easier to mow and we would like to get the horses home. I have a 27hp CUT so I am some what limited in what I can pull. Any suggestions in how to do this, what implements to use? I should also mention there is a good crop of weeds in there also.

Eric

FL_Cracker · Jun 22, 2005

Try to bush hog the weeds as low as possible and then you should be able to hit it with a disc. If it hasn't gotten too hard the disc should break it up and level it out......

beenthere · Jun 22, 2005

Will be tough to level if there is much for sod. Not clear what you mean by 'old farm field'. Has it been planted to grass for pasture? If that is your goal (pasture) then maybe starting with someone plowing the field, then discing the field to smooth out the furrows, followed by a cultipacker (or similar) and seeding with a drill. There are procedures to follow to eventually get a good level field with pasture grasses. Your local Ag Extension folks should be of help to you. Maybe a neighbor farmer would hire out to you to get the field prepped and level too. I wouldn't want to try that job with my 32hp CUT as it takes bigger equipment to do a good job of tilling and leveling, IMO.

Freds · Jun 22, 2005

The wider the implement, the better.
I am turning my former corn planted acreage back into a smoother land and am using a tiller. I hope to replant in a couple years, but for now just getting rid of the old corn rows and having a smother surface to brush hog suits me fine.
It's slow going, but I'm in no hurry, otherwise getting a farmer with bigger "toys" to work the field would be my other option.

Eric_Phillips · Jun 22, 2005

Last year the field was planted with corn. Now it just has the old stalks and weeds. A couple of low spots have nice grass growing. I tried mowing the field with a finish mower but the ground is too uneven. Right now I want it smooth enough to mow with the finish mower and eventually seed it for pasture. If I have a farmer come in and plow and disk I will probably then go ahead and seed it for pasture now. The biggest question I was trying to get answered is if my small tractor was going to be able to reasonable tackle this big of a job with things like a tiller, box blade and york rake. I have a friend that will let me barrow these implements but I am thinking this is too big of a job for borrowed stuff and I don't have the money right now to go out and buy these.

Eric

beenthere · Jun 22, 2005

That's a lot of acres for a CUT, but also a lot of seat time, which you may enjoy. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif But I wouldn't.

If in corn last year, I would get a farmer to disc it well, or whatever they can do to get it leveled out, then drag it, plant winter wheat and grass seed (if that works in your area) this fall. You will have a fantastic pasture in the future.

Buck · Jun 22, 2005

I've got the same kind of problem. I am going to hire a local farmer to plow then disc. Several years ago, someone plowed my field and didn't finish the job by discing it.

Note that I do have a tiller, a two bottom plow and a box scraper. My field is 5 acres and I do not want to do it myself as my experience is that it is too long of a job for my 30 HP CUT. I have been using these implements for 1/4 acre jobs in the past and they have generally taken a lot of time.

This is though a good time to plow in Rochester, given the recent rains.

normde2001 · Jun 22, 2005

If your area allows "agricultural burns", I would burn the weeds off, then go after it with whatever kind of ground engaging equipment you have, boxblade, etc. Georgia only requires a 4' clear band around the area to be burned.

Fireman_dcb · Jun 22, 2005

We bought a 10 acre farm which the previous owner used for raising pheasants. 6 acres of pheasant pens needed to be torn out which left post holes about every 8 feet and a 1 foot deep trench all around where the fencing was buried underground. Still have 2 more acres to rip out but in the mean time I'm having a local farmer come in with a big 'ol John Deere (not sure of the size but he's pulling a daisy chained disc, harrow and a 14 row planter behind it) to level out the site and fill in the trenches and post holes. The biggest concern he had was not having enough headland to turn his tractor and disc around.

Slamfire · Jun 22, 2005

Dang I wish my Pappy had known a 30hp tractor was to small to work up 5 acres. I wouldn't have spent near as much time on the seat of his 8N. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

creeper · Jun 23, 2005

If your not in a big hurry, I would at least try a smaller section of the pasture with your free implements and see how it goes. It would be good experience if nothing else.

Eric_Phillips · Jun 23, 2005

I started digging a 300ft swale yesterday across the field. I hand dug a small trench this spring to drain the water now I want something that the horeses and I will not break a leg in. I only need to get about 5-6in deep so I am working on it with the box blade. Once I got the vegitation out of the way the BB seems to cut very nicely. Buck also gave me the name of the person that chages about $40/hr. The guy estimated about 8hr for doing his 5 acres. The agricultureal burn idea sounds interesting, I will look into that. I have been meaning to look into what the town requires for burning since I have the old trees the builder pulled out of the drainage ditch. I will have to see what wins out, time or money.

Eric

EddieWalker · Jun 23, 2005

If you've got the time, you can buy a disk for whay you'll pay to have it done. Granted, it will be a small disk, but at least it's something you'll have forever.

I have a 5 ft disk I bought used for $300. I did a two acre pasture that was rutted for growing roses years ago. Perfectly spaced speed bumps. LOL

First I cut all the vegitation down as low as I could get it.

Then I started to disk. At first it looked like nothing was happening, but after a few hours of going around and around, it started to really show.

Small disks dont have the weight of the big farm ones, so you just have to spend more time workig with them.

I spent about a day disking. After awhile it got real boring and uncomfortable.

After resting a few days, I draged a large oak log with cyclone fence wrapped around it over the field. The log breaks down the high spots and the fence smooths it all out.

It only takes a few hours of draging to smooth it all out like a golf course.

I would never use a box blade for this. It's fine for small fixes or maintaining a road, but on a big area, it will only create a bigger mess.

Eddie

oliver28472 · Jun 23, 2005

Figure out what kind of grass you want. Then find out when is the best time to sew the grass. You might want to check with the Cooperative Extension folks about this. I wouldn't do a lot of tillage work until you have figured out what you want to plant because of possible erosion. Eddie Walker's idea makes the best since econically. You will also need a broadcast spreader for the seed and fert. That can be rented.

Eric_Phillips · Jun 23, 2005

Eddie,
So a disc will loosen the soil enough through the vegitation? I thought I would have to plow it to loosen the vegitation and soil then disc to break it all up to make a smooth surface. How big of a disc can I pull behind a 27hp tractor, FarmTrak 270DTC with loaded tires? Would a york rake do the same as your log and fence drag? The best I have for a log is what is left from and old willow. I don't think that would be heavy enough to do much.

Eric

newtothis · Jun 23, 2005

( The biggest question I was trying to get answered is if my small tractor was going to be able to reasonable tackle this big of a job with things like a tiller, box blade and york rake. )

I've got a 28 HP JD and just finished over 3 acres of fallow fields with weeds at least 3' high. It took a long time with a 2 bottom plow as the weeds were too high and the sod underneath gummed up into giant balls of crud. Brush Hog was getting fixed, I should have sprayed this spring but didn't own one yet.

Having just gone through it I'd say you should at least brush hog it, can't imagine going against old corn with a finish mower.
/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif The rest is really a personal decision regarding time vs. expense of paying someone. I want the satisfaction of doing it myself and I bought with the intention of doing these jobs myself (5 acres of food plots max). It's taken a long darn time to get done and was frustrating along the way but there was a big learning curve too. You've got 10 acres so it'll take a long time if you do it right. Took me several evenings after work and a full weekend to plow/disc 3.6 acres I did this month. As the learning curve progressed it went much faster but.....it still takes time.

beenthere · Jun 23, 2005

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif In those days, that was one step up from a team of horses, and it was like being in heaven compared to them.

But you are right, it can be done and it can be fun and rewarding to do it yourself.

Slamfire · Jun 24, 2005

( /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif In those days, that was one step up from a team of horses, and it was like being in heaven compared to them.

But you are right, it can be done and it can be fun and rewarding to do it yourself.

)

I'd probably think it was fun now, but then, get home after track practice, and jump on the Ford. No time for that sweet 16 that sat next to me in chemisty class. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Last I heard of her she was in Chicago. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif