Need Help With Next Attachments

[GeneDoc]

I had set up a small plot of 0.5-1 acre to start using a UTV and pull-behind implements, including the 3-point Kolpin system with a blade and their chisel plow. Also got a drag harrow which was great to clean up the soil. I used these tools, after cleaning out a plot with a rented skid steer and excavator. A walk-behind rototiller helped tame the soil a bit. Unfortunately, as time has passed, the rocks have worked their way up to visit. The Bad Dawg disc plow couldn't cut into the soil, as there wasn't enough weight and it bent the **** out of my UTV hitch. Wouldn't recommend it on virgin soil, unlike what their marketing people suggested.

I recently moved over to a L3901 Kubota (36hp; stats) with a bucket. I love this thing. I started getting attachments mainly to aid in trail maintenance on the property, though I had an eye on expanding the toys...ahem!...tools for food plot work. A ballast box has been great to help move heavy gravel. I then got a King Kutter 6' box blade which has been a great start in cleaning up the trails. I also got a Quick Clamp spade and forks from Bucket Solutions that have been invaluable. Just last weekend used the forks to lift the trail mower to work on the blades.

My question is I want to know how to complement my tools to work the soil better and do a better job planting.

Step 1 -- remove rocks. I could try to use the quick attach spade to unroof them, but wonder if I should look into the heavy duty rippers I've seen people talk about.
Step 2 -- turn the soil better to truly make a good bed for planting. I'm wondering about using my box blade and just lowering the shanks, though I fear they wouldn't survive in as rough of soil as I currently have. One guy told me to look into a single or double turning plow. Another said to look into a PTO rototiller.
Step 3 -- it seems I would need a disc harrow to follow step 2
Step 4 -- would seem like I would then use a drag harrow to clean up the field.

I'm not looking to plant corn, so I don't believe I need a drill. I was thinking of hand spreading and then using the drag harrow (e.g. clover, wheat, rye, etc).

Thanks in advance

[EDIT: space to spade]

 

[jeff9366]

How many acres will you be working, going forward? All game food plots?

What is your location?

 

[majorwager]

Gene,
Sounds as if you have already received some appropriate advice. If you have equipment rental local to you, a tiller demonstration might be helpful. Any neighbors have similar projects in progress? Might be possible to co-op or hire work for tools that are only used once per year?

If you disclose your location. It can be very general. Just the state if U.S. resident, as an example.

 

[GeneDoc]

How many acres will you be working, going forward? All game food plots? What is your location?

Acres? I have a hard time seeing me doing more than a few acres any time soon.
Yes, all game plots
Location - Rhinelander, WI

 

[cat fever]

Depending on the size of the rocks....this Spring tooth harrow digs up the soil very nice. Anything over nerf football sized rocks you would need something more stout but in the same type implement.

 

[jeff9366]

Food plot seeds are mostly strong germinators and cheap. Soil preparation does not have to be that good. I bought 40 pounds of forage oats for $20 at my local Ace Hardware / Farm Supply store ten days ago. I also plant a packaged food plot mix, about 1/4 of my seed mix, for the winter here in Florida, where "winters" are mild. This year: Pennington Food Plot Seed For Wildlife, which is Wheat/Rye/Austrian Peas/Rape/Turnip/Clover. My Oats are up 3".

I plant again in April for Spring and Summer with warm season seeds. I mow the Fall/Winter plants with a Rotary Cutter than Disc Harrow in the residue to add organic matter to the soil.

For a small area, 1 - 3 acres, I suggest a forward rotation PTO powered roto-tiller. One or two passes and your soil will be ready to seed. Used is fine. Chain or gear drive fine.

A Chain Harrow will clean up debris in a new food plot. Chain harrow can also be used to cover large seed.

However, small seeds such a CLOVER and some GRASS seed require light to germinate. If you cover those, germination will be reduced.

A Cultipacker packs seed into tight contact with soil while leaving seed on the surface.


Nothing beats a Moldboard Plow or Disc Plow for breaking sod and turning land to establish new food plots but you do then need a Disc Harrow to knock down plow furrows. And plow would only be used once every ten years in Florida, but perhaps annually in Wisconsin with your clay soils and lengthy freeze/thaw cycles in late Winter and early Spring.

I maintain fire breaks with my Moldboard Plow and Disc Harrow.

If you decide on a Moldboard Plow, an L3901 can pull a two bottom 12" or 14" plow through heavy Wisconsin soil with R1 or R4 tires on the tractor. My preference would be 12" to avoid deeper stones.


MORE FROM T-B-N ARCHIVE: www.tractorbynet.com&client=safari&rls=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ8v_36LfdAhVMz1MKHW9fDq4QrQIoAzARegQICBAL&biw=1280&bih=716]tractor implements for food plots site:TractorByNet - Compact Tractors & Equipment Resource - Google Search[/url]

LIFT CHAIN HARROW: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...c-countyline-tarter-boom-pole.html?highlight=

 

[GeneDoc]

For a small area, 1 - 3 acres, I suggest a forward rotation PTO powered roto-tiller. One or two passes and your soil will be ready to seed. Used is fine. Chain or gear drive fine.

Nothing beats a Moldboard Plow or Disc Plow for breaking sod and turning land to establish new food plots but you do then need a Disc Harrow to knock down plow furrows. And plow would only be used once every ten years in Florida, but perhaps annually in Wisconsin with your clay soils and lengthy freeze/thaw cycles in late Winter and early Spring.

1. I'm all for buying used on rarely used items, as long as the used price is much less than half of a new price. One consignment place near my house continues to put firm prices near 70% of new. For that low of a discount, I'll just go new. My concern with used is mainly the issue of replacement parts.
3 point plow - farm & garden - by owner - sale
Ford Dearborn 2 Bottom Plow - farm & garden - by owner - sale
These two look nice, though how easily can I replace shear bolts? Are shear bolts even replaceable on these old units? With a tool like this, especially in the hands of a novice, when I break something on it, will I be able to find replacement parts? Seems like the beauty of one of these plows is that there's less for me to break (e.g. compared to a tiller). I appreciate they take setting up to ensure they are level, especially when a wheel is in a furrow.
I think I found places that sell some parts (Range Line Group, for example). So, I think the answer is I can get parts for old equipment. Though, I'm such a novice that I don't even know what questions to ask.

2. My soil is very hard and has a lot of rocks, with plenty being bigger than a watermelon. I worry that a rototiller isn't a good starting tool. Yes, I'll need to remove the rocks anyway, but I know that breaking in new soil will always reveal more watermelons and cantaloupes that I didn't know were there. I imagine a tiller would be great after I've broken the soil and pulled out the land mines.

All told, $1500 for a disc harrow, $1500 for 2 bottom plow, and $1500 for a tiller adds up quickly, especially when I'm really just outfitting dad's Tonka toy. So, i'm inclined to put a tiller on the 2020 toy list and not really for 2019.

Jeff, thanks again for your insights. I frequently talk with farmers in my work and was talking to a guy my age yesterday who seconded your approach of a 2 bottom and a disc harrow, saying he's put in many years running a 2 bottom over a hundred acres. Though, he chuckled a bit, saying he's working more with 5 and 6 bottoms now.

 

[jeff9366]

For your really rocky soil consider a Disc Plow, which is not a Disc Harrow, in lieu of a Moldboard Plow.

Moldboard Plow Vs Disc Plow: Moldboard Plow versus Disc Plow - Google Search

Monroe Tufline Disc Plow: TDP2 Series 2 & 3 Blade Disc Plows | Tufline


Food plot seed is cheap. Do not over think soil preparation. Seed thick.

Wear parts for old Moldboard Plows can be difficult to fine. Easier for 12" plows, which were produced in the greatest volume. However, in a relatively small food plot having a perfect plow would not be that important. I speculate that plow wear parts should be somewhat more available in Wisconsin and other northern states, then in southern states.

Wear parts would only be an issue if you buy a used plow. It takes a huge amount of plowing miles to wear a plow.

Nothing wrong with a Ford Dearborn plow.

PLOW WEAR PARTS: moldboard plow wear parts - Google Search


It is important that a plow have shear bolt or functioning "trip" protection. If an operating plow hits a huge boulder or a rock ledge a tractor can go vertical in one second. I got a Deere 750 vertical once, towing a big log with a chain. The log jammed on a rock and the tractor went vertical in one second, driven my the rear wheels. This type of event kills people.

Did you order optional draft control with your tractor?

 

[GeneDoc]

Did you order optional draft control with your tractor?

That would be a reasonable question if I knew what the heck that was. I got the tractor stock off of their lot. I'll look through the paperwork to see if I can figure it out. The manual is out in the truck, so I can't look it up right now. A quick Google search didn't fill me in either. Maybe I need more coffee. Found a couple used 2 bottom plows near my land for sale, even closer than the others mentioned above, so I'll grab one of those and play with it. If it breaks, it'll go into the learning column. Maybe the cost savings over new can go towards a quick-hitch. Those things look impressive. So many toys, so little time...

 

[jeff9366]

DRAFT CONTROL: tractor draft control - Google Search
VIDEO: Is there a feature MISSING from your tractor?? (draft control) - TMT - YouTube


HOW TO ADJUST A MOLDBOARD PLOW: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...oard-plow-wisdom-farmwithjunk.html?highlight=

VIDEO THREE POINT HITCH OPTION: Kubota Standard L V Series L843 Telescopic Stabilizer kit (overview and install) - YouTube

 

[jeff9366]

Somewhat incomplete presentation of tractor implements:
LINK: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/~/media/...aa214276e14dacb/pub2917tractorimplements1.pdf

 

[GeneDoc]

Jeff,
Your consulting has been invaluable, so I hope you get enough thanks. The PDF you provided is terrific. I had tried a search (truly) but somehow didn't see good answers. Perhaps just not enough coffee.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/21507-draft-control-when-how-why.html
The videos look good. Reminds me of when I rented a skid-steer that had bucket control for leveling. I'm almost certain my tractor doesn't have it. One of the videos shows where the control would be, saying most compact tractors simply have a gap where that control is and I do have that gap. I looked in the manual and didn't see anything in the index about it either. I'll try plowing a bit to see if I miss it. When I've used the boxblade, I certainly missed it, as I was recalling fondly how the skid-steer had done better with leveling.

Guess I'll call the shop where I got the tractor and ask what it costs to install.... Why didn't anyone tell me tractors are a money pit as bad as my house? Purely attempting to be funny.
Mike

 

[jeff9366]

One of the videos shows where the draft control would be, saying most compact tractors simply have a gap where that control is and I do have that gap. I looked in the manual and didn't see anything in the index about it either. I'll try plowing a bit to see if I miss it.

Draft control is the first line of defense against going vertical on your tractor when using a moldboard plow in rocky ground. As an option included with my tractor order, draft control was $500 in 2013. Much cheaper than a funeral.

Disc Plows tend to roll over subterranean rocks and roots.

I fuel and grease my tractor. All service and repairs by Kubota or my local welding shop. (I am too old to loosen many fittings.) I figure operating cost of my L3560 is $35 per engine hour. This includes depreciation on numerous implements as part of tractor operating cost.

Cheaper than boats.

 

[sloeffle]

IMHO, a HST tractor is not built to pull a moldboard plow. I'd also venture to guess that it will be everything your tractor wants to pull a 2-14 plow in your soil. I have a 60HP 1959 Ford that was built for plowing and it is everything it can do to pull a 3 - 14 plow. I'd stick with a harley rake or a rototiller.

I live in corn and bean country, no one uses a plow to prepare their fields anymore. All of the moldboard plows are sitting in the hedge fence row rusting away. Everything is no-tilled in or minimum tillage is done. A pretty big farmer told my buddy's dad that they have fields that haven't been worked in 25 years. They just no-till everything in. When you have tractors that use 200+ gallons of diesel a day, every pass costs money.

 

[oldnslo]

What kind of tires are on your Kubota? Industrial R4 or Ag? For tillage work ag provide the most traction.

I am a fan of mold board plows vs tillers. Tillers don稚 like large rocks or tall grass & vines.

Small chisel plow might also work and these will definitely pull up the rocks.

Any farmers in your area that would plow this for you in the fall?

Let sit over the winter and disc in the spring.

 

[GeneDoc]

I talked to my Kubota dealer. He gave me some interesting insights:

1. He said my tractor already is set up with draft control and it's not available as an add-on to what I already have. He said there is a dial/knob to set the lower end of the travel and the lever sets the upper end. I have since been on my tractor and confirmed the presence of what he noted.
2. He suggested I would be able to work a 12" 2-bottom plow, but was very cautious saying I'd be taxing what my machine could do. So, not impossible, but may be on the edge of the machine's capability. When I asked about a 1-bottom, he said I'd be able to run one without a problem.
3. I'm familiar with using a walk-behind tiller and I have even used one on the land. My soil is so hard that the tiller has a hard time cutting in. Now, I realize it's apples and oranges to compare a PTO-driven tiller and a "portable" version, but I wonder if the tiller would be able to cut into my soil very well. I'm also frankly concerned about getting something with too many moving parts that are more prone to problems if I hit rocks.
4. I believe I have R1 tires. When I compare picts of R1 vs R4, it seems the tread depth is taller on the R1's and I am pretty sure that's what I have.
5. I don't live close enough to an active farm, nor I have spoken to a farmer in the area, to get local help. Besides, I'd feel like a pest for asking for help with such a small area.

Thanks. So, I'm still leaning towards a 1-bottom. I do have some chisels I'm curious about running over the land and see what they do, though I doubt they'll be nearly as effective as a 1-bottom.