Rippers vs tilling

[HatTrickHero11]

What is the difference? Why would I use one over the other? Just using common sense, maybe ripping is for smaller areas, or to dig a hole?

I have rippers on a box blade I think its called, and I'm going to plant pumpkins among other things and need to prepare the ground. Which would I use? It's going to be a small patch of a garden.

 

[gwdixon]

If you have both, use both.

First use the rippers. They will loosen the soil to the depth you want and generally tear the heck out of the ground - at least for the first few passes. Make several passes in both directions if you have that access.

Then use the rototiller to pulverize the ground, turn in the weeds/green manure, even out the clods, and generally make a nice, flat, powdery planting area.

Since you are planting pumpkins you must have fairly sandy or at least well drained soil. A rototiller works especially well on that type of ground.

 

[HatTrickHero11]

I also forgot discing. What's discing for?

 

[art]

Rippers other then those on a box blade which are only designed to rip the top normally go down 12 plus inches.

Now the tiller has a far better chance of getting your garden ready in one pass then a disc will. Depending on the weight of the disc and your soil it might take several passes to prep a seed bed.

Rippers that do go deep enough will give you the drainage that you need to be more successful with your pumpkins.

One might be called primary tillage, thats rippers and the other secondary.

 

[Mark Page]

With a heavy 3pt. rototiller you need not rip, although it might take some of the wear and tear off the tiller. I have a 5 foot Howard Rotovator that loosens the soil to powder down 6 inches. It probably weights 600 lbs so breaking up the soil isn't a problem. They also do a good job of incorporating lime and fertilizer into the seed bed.
What ART and GW said.

 

[HatTrickHero11]

Problem is I only have a push rototiller and not one that attaches to the back, so tilling might be out of the question.

 

[rambler]

A real ripper is a very big farm tool, it will cover 100's of acres in a day, it breaks up deep compaction and lets water and air infiltrate heavier soils. It leaves the ground very rough.

A tiller is an all in one tool for small areas, it only goes a few inches deep but it creates a good garden seed bed. It takes too much power & pulverizes the ground too much for a big farm field, but is ideal as the 'one' tool to get most any ground into a good plantable seedbed.

A disk is a secondary tillage tool, it will cut up and level out rough ground, like after it is plowed. It smooths out plowed or chiseled or ripped ground. It does tend to pack clay type soils and is rarely used in my area any more.

A plow is a primary tillage tool like a ripper or chisel plow, it turns the ground over & leaves it rough.

A field cultivator is like a disk as it does secondary tillage, leveling off rough ground. It works well in clay soils, where you want to lift and dry the soil, not pack it down hard like a disk does.

A ripper or chisel plow has big heavy shanks that go deep. A chisel plow has lighter, shallower, closer together shanks, tho they both look 'kinda the same' from a distance.

A drag or harrow is a finishing tool, it will drag the ground very level and smooth, bust up small clods.

Many times a harrow is added on to the boack of a field cultivator or disk to do both jobs at one time.

So, to rip up sod or tough crop cover and hard packed ground, you use a ripper, chisel plow, or molboard plow. Goes 8 to 15 inches deep.

To work up soft ground, already worked ground, you use a disk or field cultivator. Goes 4-5 inches deep.

To really finish off the ground smooth, you use a harrow or drag. Goes an inch or 2 deep.

A tiller is a whole different thing, it pulverizes the soil but typically only goes a few inches deep and struggles with heavy crop residues or sod. It's a good one-pass option to turn almost any ground into a smooth fine seedbed, but it takes a few passes to work up sod and it doesn't go deep enough to break up deeper compation.

In my clay soil, a molboard plow in fall, with a field cultivator and harrow pass in spring, works up the ground the best. A tiller would work up a garden real well if you don't have it compacted.

--->Paul

 

[gwdixon]

Problem is I only have a push rototiller and not one that attaches to the back, so tilling might be out of the question.

Hope you got your disc question answered.

You will definitely need to tear up untilled ground if you have a "push" rototiller (actually, it should pull you along).

From what you have posted so far, you have a set of rippers on a box blade and a self-propelled rototiller. If your plot is not huge, that is, over about a quarter acre, you have all you need.

First, run those rippers through the soil one direction then the other. After that, run them diagonally and then crossways the other direction. You might even do the whole process twice to really loosen the soil.

Shorten the top link on the tractor/blade attachment to enable the rippers to get as deeply as possible. If they are adjustable for depth put them at the longest setting.

Then use the rototiller one direction and then crossways. The first pass will be bumpy and the rototiller will jump all over the place. Each time you cross the plot it will become flatter and easier going.

It will take a lot of time to get virgin ground into garden shape. Plan on a couple of days at least. If there was heavy green cover it will have to be left to rot for a while and another rototilling will be necessary.

 

[deezler]

This is really great info, everyone. Thanks a ton from another large plot beginner here.

And the perfect ammo I need to help build my case for obtaining a box blade..

 

[HatTrickHero11]

This is really great info, everyone. Thanks a ton from another large plot beginner here.

And the perfect ammo I need to help build my case for obtaining a box blade..

I KNOW!! I love this site. It's so helpful for people like me that likes multiple opinions on things

 

[HatTrickHero11]

A real ripper is a very big farm tool, it will cover 100's of acres in a day, it breaks up deep compaction and lets water and air infiltrate heavier soils. It leaves the ground very rough.

A tiller is an all in one tool for small areas, it only goes a few inches deep but it creates a good garden seed bed. It takes too much power & pulverizes the ground too much for a big farm field, but is ideal as the 'one' tool to get most any ground into a good plantable seedbed.

A disk is a secondary tillage tool, it will cut up and level out rough ground, like after it is plowed. It smooths out plowed or chiseled or ripped ground. It does tend to pack clay type soils and is rarely used in my area any more.

A plow is a primary tillage tool like a ripper or chisel plow, it turns the ground over & leaves it rough.

A field cultivator is like a disk as it does secondary tillage, leveling off rough ground. It works well in clay soils, where you want to lift and dry the soil, not pack it down hard like a disk does.

A ripper or chisel plow has big heavy shanks that go deep. A chisel plow has lighter, shallower, closer together shanks, tho they both look 'kinda the same' from a distance.

A drag or harrow is a finishing tool, it will drag the ground very level and smooth, bust up small clods.

Many times a harrow is added on to the boack of a field cultivator or disk to do both jobs at one time.

So, to rip up sod or tough crop cover and hard packed ground, you use a ripper, chisel plow, or molboard plow. Goes 8 to 15 inches deep.

To work up soft ground, already worked ground, you use a disk or field cultivator. Goes 4-5 inches deep.

To really finish off the ground smooth, you use a harrow or drag. Goes an inch or 2 deep.

A tiller is a whole different thing, it pulverizes the soil but typically only goes a few inches deep and struggles with heavy crop residues or sod. It's a good one-pass option to turn almost any ground into a smooth fine seedbed, but it takes a few passes to work up sod and it doesn't go deep enough to break up deeper compation.

In my clay soil, a molboard plow in fall, with a field cultivator and harrow pass in spring, works up the ground the best. A tiller would work up a garden real well if you don't have it compacted.

--->Paul

Thanks for your time! This info is amazing and well said. It helps a lot!

 

[HatTrickHero11]

Hope you got your disc question answered.

You will definitely need to tear up untilled ground if you have a "push" rototiller (actually, it should pull you along).

From what you have posted so far, you have a set of rippers on a box blade and a self-propelled rototiller. If your plot is not huge, that is, over about a quarter acre, you have all you need.

First, run those rippers through the soil one direction then the other. After that, run them diagonally and then crossways the other direction. You might even do the whole process twice to really loosen the soil.

Shorten the top link on the tractor/blade attachment to enable the rippers to get as deeply as possible. If they are adjustable for depth put them at the longest setting.

Then use the rototiller one direction and then crossways. The first pass will be bumpy and the rototiller will jump all over the place. Each time you cross the plot it will become flatter and easier going.

It will take a lot of time to get virgin ground into garden shape. Plan on a couple of days at least. If there was heavy green cover it will have to be left to rot for a while and another rototilling will be necessary.

Thanks! I will try it that way, but from the sounds of it, this is the best way to get the ground ready