MX Track Grooming

[todd92]

I resuscitated a 8 1/2 foot offset pull type disc harrow that came with the property. 28 discs on 7 1/2" spacing. Matched well to the Case Farmall 75A, it does a great job of breaking up the dirt to 6-8 inches (gravelly loam) and being pull type is easy to manage on the undulating terrain and turns. I need a 2nd implement to break the clods, and level the furrows. I have a chain harrow, it's doesn't come close to doing the job. I've looked and researched this to death, started with arena drags but ended up with 2 more cost effective candidates, a 96" Jake Rake or a 96" Buckeye Tractor 3 row toolbar w/s tines. gauge wheels and a leveling bar. Is Jake's Rake still in business? There are no new posts on either the website or Facebook page since 2017 and there has been no response to my inquiries for 2 weeks. The biggest attraction is it is short and close to the tractor, making it far easier to manage. It seems putting a hydraulic cylinder on the rake arm would be a no brainer. It also seems expensive for what it is. Buckeye Tractor is easy to get a hold and is very helpful. While twice as long, the gauge wheels should help a lot. They suggested 3 rows of s tines with 4" shovels, but I'm still leaning towards the 1st row being 1 1/2" chisel points instead of s tines. I want to be able to use just it and disc less frequently. I guess if I never get any response from Jake it become academic.

Oh, and I already have a box blade and a landscape rake and they are both ill suited to this task. Any thoughts?

 

[CoyPatton]

Disc in as many different directions as possible 90 and 45 degrees to the initial pass if possible. This will help to break the clots smaller. At 6-8” depth you din’t want to go much deeper. With a loam base less moisture should allow it to break up better. This will still probably not be what you want for a finished product.
What is your intended use for the ground? Wildlife food plot, garden, pasture, yard, hay, or other?
The intended usage will determine the best implement to achieve this result.
For a yard or a pasture you probably could get by with a roller to smooth it out for seed and later walking.
For a garden forget the disc and get a tiller. Until you get the desired looseness and depth, you may need several passes.
For hay or food plot , the multiple passed with the disc may be all you need prior to seeding.

 

[todd92]

Discing in different directions is impossible, the track lanes are 15 feet wide. Title of thread is intended usage. MX track. I ruled out a rototiller because I thought it is another thing to break, not particularly good at leveling and might pulverize the dirt too much from frequent use?

 

[LouNY]

A cultipacker (roller) will breakup some of the clods and firm up your track.
If you get one th same width as your disc, hook it up in tandem and really go to town.

 

[jeff9366]

Is your soil moist as you are trying to reduce the offset disc furrows?


Hmmmm..... I would have guessed your Landscape Rake set on a 45-degree angle would have been effective. Is the Landscape Rake you have too light?

Have you adjusted your offset disc to least aggressive gang angle settings and made a second pass from opposite approach, with reducing furrows as the object?

I have an ETA Cultipacker. I think you would need a roller weight of at least 250-pounds per foot of width to make any impression on furrows. This would take a really heavy Cultipacker like a Brillion or a really heavy, water filled steel roller. Where I live many raise hay. Field are often rolled flat but that is the final conditioning of the field.

I need a 2nd implement to break the clods, and level the furrows.

Have you considered a Soil Pulverizer? Perhaps with two final rollers?
compact tractor soil pulverizer - Google Search

VIDEOS: YouTube

Buckeye suggested 3 rows of s tines with 4" shovels, but I'm leaning towards the 1st row being 1 1/2" chisel points instead of s tines.

I have an S-tine toolbar cultivator with shovels. Your inclination toward chisel points in front is good.
S-tines are not very strong intentionally, so they will oscillate in the soil. S-tines may be too weak for your application.
MORE: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/425742-my-experience-danish-s-tine.html?highlight=

 

[todd92]

I find my landscape rake to be the most useless attachment I own. It's a very heavy EA 8 foot one. Maybe gauge wheels would help it, but it still moves dirt too much. I don't want to move dirt, just break it up some more and level it. I definitely do not want to roll or pack it.

Disc gangs set to least aggressive. I'm happy with what the disc does, I need a finishing and regular maintenance attachment.

 

[Get Plowed]

I find my landscape rake to be the most useless attachment I own. It's a very heavy EA 8 foot one. Maybe gauge wheels would help it, but it still moves dirt too much. I don't want to move dirt, just break it up some more and level it. I definitely do not want to roll or pack it.

Disc gangs set to least aggressive. I'm happy with what the disc does, I need a finishing and regular maintenance attachment.

Spin the rake 180º and try it!

 

[jeff9366]

I find my landscape rake to be the most useless attachment I own. It's a very heavy EA 8 foot one. Maybe gauge wheels would help it, but it still moves dirt too much. I don't want to move dirt, just break it up some more and level it.

Are you pulling the rake on a 45-degree angle? Have you considered removing every other tine for decreased soil contact?


Is your soil moist as you are trying to reduce the offset disc furrows?

 

[jaydee325]

Would something like this work for this application?

I'm thinking pulling this through corners may be problematic, but the concept of the cultivators with a roller to condition the soil would seem to be a solution.

Link

 

[todd92]

Spin the rake 180ｺ and try it!

Are you pulling the rake on a 45-degree angle? Have you considered removing every other tine for decreased soil contact?


Is your soil moist as you are trying to reduce the offset disc furrows?

The reversing it might help, but only for the post discing work. The rake would be useless for routine grooming. Even removing tines, it's too blade like. The soil is not wet. Did I mention I find the landscape rake to be a PIA and pretty much useless? I originally bought it to pull rocks off of the track. It doesn't do that well either. I just hand pick them, it's quicker and much less aggravating.