Middlebuster the same as subsoiler?

[Blk88GT]

Is the TSC middlebuster a decent unit? I was thinking it would be useful for removing roots and laying pipe for irrigation (or drainage in my case!)

Thanks in advance.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

A middle buster and subsoiler are dirrerent. Some call a middle buster a potato plow. It would cut a wider trench that a subsoiler but wouldn't go as deep. I think either one could work for irrigarion pipe, it's just that the trench would be narrower with a subsoiler. The subsoiler would be better for roots.

 

[RonMar]

They are very similar. A subsoiler is a single shank with a narrow ripper tooth on the end. Onto this some manufacturers like Rankin on the small ER series ripper I use http://www.rankineqco.com/pdf/singleshankrippers.pdf bolt on a larger "V" plow blade(like a potato plow?) so the impliment can do double duty. The middlebuster they show on the TSC website probably has(or could have bolted on in place of) a ripper tooth on the end of the shank that the plow blade mounts to, like my Rankin does. That shank appears to be fixed(welded) in place on the frame so the height is fixed. In order to get some depth out of them, they are typically setup so they barely clear the ground whiththe 3PH at full height. Since it is welded, it dosn't have a shear pin on the shank so it you accidently hang it up on something at speed, such as driving over a stump, you could bend the structure unless you remove the toplink during transit to get the plow point higher off the ground. The shank on mine is two position so I can drag a trench with the shank in the upper position, then lower the shank and drag even deeper. The shank on mine is held in with a grade 2 bolt on the bottom bolt as a shear pin so if I overload it, the shank swings back ad it dosn't bend the structure or 3PH.

Mine works great for ripping out brush and small stumps, just rip in till the tooth engages the rootwad. As soon as the tires start to dig in, just lift with the 3PH and up they come I have used mine to trench in about 400' of 2" irrigation line. It loosened the soil and rocks and cut the roots, but I still had to dig out the loose soil with a narrow trench shovel. I havn't tried pulling pipe with it yet, that will come this fall as I run some line extensions from the 2" main line out to faucets and such. I will modify the backside of the shank with a welded eye for attaching the line/pipe to.

 

[Blk88GT]

Excellent, thanks for the explanation.

Now, how's the quality on the TSC unit?

 

[Tom_H]

There are combo. units. The two use the same kind of frame with a different tip. The combo units come with one frame and two differing tips that can be interchanged. This way, you can have both for just a few bucks more than the price of one. Also less to store, but takes a minute or two to unbolt and re-bolt the tip you want to use.

Examples (Note: the Howse is Cat. 1, but KK is Cat. 0):

Howse Middle Buster/Sub-Soiler Combo — 3-Point, Category 1 | Category 1 Attachments | Northern Tool + Equipment

King Kutter XB Middle Buster/Subsoiler Combo — Model# MB-S-XB | Category 0 Attachments | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[Bird]

Like Tom said, there are combo units, but personally, I had the middle buster from TSC and then also bought an extra heavy and strong single ripper tooth that I sometimes bolted on in place of the plow blade. The biggest difference in what I had and a real subsoiler was that I couldn't go as deep as most subsoilers. I used that rig behind a Kubota B7100 first, then a B2710, and also loaned it to a neighbor to plow a good sized area with his much bigger Massey Ferguson tractor. I hung it under a few roots that were strong enough to stop my tractor but we never damaged the implement.

 

[skipmarcy]

I bought one of each from TSC (subsoiler & middlebuster) last spring while doing my homesite. I needed to break up some chert rock and tried the subsoiler - it worked great. Like already said, it just barely clears the ground in transit but will dig pretty deep, about 12". It held up to completely stopping my 41 hp tractor when I'd snag a good chunk of rock in low gear. You definitely want to go slow when that baby is down all the way. As far as the middlebuster, I haven't used it yet. As already stated, it won't go as deep as the subsoiler, that is plain to see when they are side by side. Also, if your ground is rocky, I would imagine the plow would get bent fairly easy with a stiff snag. I bought mine originally to use in the garden but a good friend gave me a really nice 3 bottom plow this spring and didn't need the middlebuster. One of these days I'll have a need for it though.

 

[hillfarm]

So will a middlebuster throw the soil to the sides, allowing me to create raised beds beside the furrows? I've seen recommendations on using a 1-bottom to do this, but it would seem to me that a middlebuster could accomplish the same task in 1/2 the time.

 

[RonMar]

The middlebuster will dig a furrow, but it won't move all that much soil to the side as the blade isn't very wide. Also if you start running down with the low spot under the middle of the tractor, the wheels are where the raised beds are supposed to be. For raised beds, I think you want something with two blades on opposite sides that direct the soil towards the middle so the tires stay in the ruts between the beds.