There are no used equipment sources here, that is why I have to build things myself. I have cropped the land for the last two years, and worked to a depth of about 10" with a 7 tine scarifier - it is only 1 hectare and I will be ripping just the planting lines for 277 trees. A weird number, but 6 x 6 metres spacings fits. As I said, I do not expect to get any more than an extra 6" on each pass, maybe just 3, and hopefully 4 or 5 passes will get me down. There is a hard layer at about 15 inches and maybe 4" thick (we have just installed an irrigation system and a couple of drains so were able to check that) and as long as I bust through it I will be happy, but would like more depth. It is normal in olive growing areas around the world to do this deep ripping prior to planting the trees. It helps them get roots to a good depth in a short time. I have the steel to try the job, and bringing in a contractor (not local) is estimated at €1,000 which is a lot of US$ whatever the present exchange rate is. It will be a simple matter to change to a central single leg if I cannot manage with 2 behind the wheels. I will need to wait until the soil dries in the spring before attempting it, but will post an update.
Bobodu, thanks for the pics. Old McDonald.