Egon
Epic Contributor
Just ordinary drag harrow was what I meant. Could also add the drag at an angle.
Leveling semi-packed dirt after removing brush?
- Thread starter CodeMonkey
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GPintheMitten
Elite Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2009
- Messages
- 3,291
- Location
- Flushing, Michigan
- Tractor
- Kubota B2620 with BH65 backhoe, Ford 2N
Do you have a loader? Of so check out Ratchet Rake
OP
CodeMonkey
Silver Member
I've never used a power harrow, a drag harrow is what I used to use on the farm, but the power harrow seemed interesting. I suppose if I rototill it first a drag harrow would work. Just a section of chain link fence could work too.
OP
CodeMonkey
Silver Member
I only have my two wheel tractors.
I am going to do some mowing this week (I have the week off) so I will try to take some pics to show what the ground is like. There are still some serious ruts and holes that won't be removed by a drag harrow or rake.
I am going to do some mowing this week (I have the week off) so I will try to take some pics to show what the ground is like. There are still some serious ruts and holes that won't be removed by a drag harrow or rake.
OP
CodeMonkey
Silver Member
Maybe. I think a power harrow would be better. I will try the tiller first though.
I am not sure that everybody is getting just how rough my ground is. I still have ruts from heavy equipment that are swallowing my tractor. I am not sure that a two wheeled tractor is up to the job - maybe a skidsteer with a rototiller or mulcher would be more appropriate.
I mowed again today and I am still having problems with my clutch, and I am getting beat up by the terrain, so I am leaning towards renting something larger like a skidsteer if I can find one with a mulcher head attachment, for the first pass to clean things up and then later maintain it with the 2 wheel tractor and flail.
Twice this morning I bit off more than I could chew with the flail and had to stop and pull a sapling out of the mower when it stopped it dead, and that doesn't help the clutch any. With hearing muffs on it is hard for me to tell right away when the flail stops dead and I need to pull in the clutch to save it - except now the tractor stops moving forward. I am going to order a new clutch because I am sure I going to need one soon.
I am not sure that everybody is getting just how rough my ground is. I still have ruts from heavy equipment that are swallowing my tractor. I am not sure that a two wheeled tractor is up to the job - maybe a skidsteer with a rototiller or mulcher would be more appropriate.
I mowed again today and I am still having problems with my clutch, and I am getting beat up by the terrain, so I am leaning towards renting something larger like a skidsteer if I can find one with a mulcher head attachment, for the first pass to clean things up and then later maintain it with the 2 wheel tractor and flail.
Twice this morning I bit off more than I could chew with the flail and had to stop and pull a sapling out of the mower when it stopped it dead, and that doesn't help the clutch any. With hearing muffs on it is hard for me to tell right away when the flail stops dead and I need to pull in the clutch to save it - except now the tractor stops moving forward. I am going to order a new clutch because I am sure I going to need one soon.
OP
CodeMonkey
Silver Member
Well, it seems I fried the clutch on the Grillo, so I hooked the tiller up to the BCS 730 and tried it on some of the ground I mowed.
It helps just a very little and only if the ground is somewhat soft.
I had the tiller take off on my multiple times when it hit hard dirt, which is frightening because it literally leaps about 10 feet and if you try to hang on it just keeps going. Even if you let go and the dead man switch kicks in, it will go for 5 to 10 feet before it dies.
I passed over it a few times, but it isn't doing much, and it is really hard to tell ahead of time when the tiller is going to hit hard soil and take off on its own. I set the tiller to the most shallow setting.
It helps just a very little and only if the ground is somewhat soft.
I had the tiller take off on my multiple times when it hit hard dirt, which is frightening because it literally leaps about 10 feet and if you try to hang on it just keeps going. Even if you let go and the dead man switch kicks in, it will go for 5 to 10 feet before it dies.
I passed over it a few times, but it isn't doing much, and it is really hard to tell ahead of time when the tiller is going to hit hard soil and take off on its own. I set the tiller to the most shallow setting.
It sounds to me like you need to break the soil up before you can do much with it and you just don't have the power (and ground pressure) to make that happen right now.
How wide an implement can you get into the spaces you're talking about? Could a subcompact tractor get to where you're working?
I have a 5' box scraper for my small compact tractor and putting the scarifiers down a couple of notches will quickly change the attitude of some densely packed clay. A nice, heavy rototiller on the back of a tractor wouldn't get thrown around the way you've described and might be even better.
Are there rental places nearby where you could get a ~30 HP diesel tractor with those implements? The only problem is that 4 acres is a lot of land to work between trees so I don't know how much you can do in a short rental.
Also, you are talking about running over saplings. My flail will happily mulch ~1.5" saplings all day long, but that's another step you will have to take. I'd think you'll need to get the vegetation knocked down and then smooth out the ruts.
How wide an implement can you get into the spaces you're talking about? Could a subcompact tractor get to where you're working?
I have a 5' box scraper for my small compact tractor and putting the scarifiers down a couple of notches will quickly change the attitude of some densely packed clay. A nice, heavy rototiller on the back of a tractor wouldn't get thrown around the way you've described and might be even better.
Are there rental places nearby where you could get a ~30 HP diesel tractor with those implements? The only problem is that 4 acres is a lot of land to work between trees so I don't know how much you can do in a short rental.
Also, you are talking about running over saplings. My flail will happily mulch ~1.5" saplings all day long, but that's another step you will have to take. I'd think you'll need to get the vegetation knocked down and then smooth out the ruts.
OP
CodeMonkey
Silver Member
Yes, I am increasingly thinking I will need something heavier for most of the work.
There are smaller areas where a compact tractor can't get into and I would use the Grillo and mower for that, but the bulk of the ground I could work over with a compact tractor or skidsteer. My neighbor has a 4WD tractor that I can maybe borrow, and he has a box scraper and ripping teeth that would maybe do the job. If not then I could rent something with a tiller or power harrow and then scrape it to smooth it out if needed. But it is hard to see what needs to be done because the undergrowth is so tall and thick - there are foxglove plants taller than I am (I am 6'6") and grass above my waist.
I don't need to get everything done this year, but I do want to get the road frontage done so I can plant some trees/shrubs/etc. for a privacy barrier (the thinning and the brush removal made the house and especially the shop more exposed than I like, even though the road is a private road with little traffic), and I want to do more intensive planting and of the two corners where my driveway intersects with the road.
Beyond that, I want to at least restore and level several paths through the woods so they can be walked without tripping on holes or ruts/etc.
Once I get the undergrowth knocked down it will be easier to keep it down with the flail mower. It really grew up this year because more sun got into the woods and there was less competition from the brush. Most of it is greenery, like grass, ferns, salal (pre-existing and I hope it comes back after I mow it) and this year a lot of foxglove. I've made progress, but there is still a lot of work to do to get it to where it looks like I want it to.
There are smaller areas where a compact tractor can't get into and I would use the Grillo and mower for that, but the bulk of the ground I could work over with a compact tractor or skidsteer. My neighbor has a 4WD tractor that I can maybe borrow, and he has a box scraper and ripping teeth that would maybe do the job. If not then I could rent something with a tiller or power harrow and then scrape it to smooth it out if needed. But it is hard to see what needs to be done because the undergrowth is so tall and thick - there are foxglove plants taller than I am (I am 6'6") and grass above my waist.
I don't need to get everything done this year, but I do want to get the road frontage done so I can plant some trees/shrubs/etc. for a privacy barrier (the thinning and the brush removal made the house and especially the shop more exposed than I like, even though the road is a private road with little traffic), and I want to do more intensive planting and of the two corners where my driveway intersects with the road.
Beyond that, I want to at least restore and level several paths through the woods so they can be walked without tripping on holes or ruts/etc.
Once I get the undergrowth knocked down it will be easier to keep it down with the flail mower. It really grew up this year because more sun got into the woods and there was less competition from the brush. Most of it is greenery, like grass, ferns, salal (pre-existing and I hope it comes back after I mow it) and this year a lot of foxglove. I've made progress, but there is still a lot of work to do to get it to where it looks like I want it to.
