Rutted/bumpy pasture.....the fix?

[jenkinsph]

FWJ, hello neighbor! I am in MTW too. I have about 10-12 acres that I mow every 2 weeks with either a 72" Scag or my 4300 with 72" Woods. More than anything, for now the field serves as a place for recreation and to observe wildlife. Eventually it will serve as an over-glorified large back yard when we build the house in early-next spring.

In any event, I am dealing with a nicely sloped piece, but is has enough sporadic bumps (if anything just really hard spots) under the grass that will cause my hat to lift off about 2 inches when I hit it. I know it is hard on my equipment - especially the Scag.

Now, having you know our area here in MTW, there are many subsurface/shallow rocks - mostly in random areas, but they exist. I can mostly identify where most of these are. In any event, what method would you recommend that I use to provide a smoother mowing experience? Also, I will soon plant a couple acres of crops and/or food plots.

I welcome and appreciate your input!

FWJ is a knowledgeable member for sure but he hasn't posted since April of last year. Hope he is alright.

 

[1026mrg]

Box blade....

We have some fields that can get pretty rough. Have tried the band-aid approach but it never worked well.

Will plow the field, then run a disc harrrow. Then, after it has been harrowed at least 2x, preferably 3x, will fill in the low spots & shave off the high spots with
a box blade. It is pretty easy to re-establish whatever growth you want with the proper lime & fertilizer.

Not sure if you will get satisfactory results using the box blade & scarifiers alone. From our limited experience, the better fix is plow, harrow a couple of times
to get the clods & lumps out. Then use the box blade to smooth out the hills & valleys.

 

[ctroyp]

Box blade....

We have some fields that can get pretty rough. Have tried the band-aid approach but it never worked well.

Will plow the field, then run a disc harrrow. Then, after it has been harrowed at least 2x, preferably 3x, will fill in the low spots & shave off the high spots with
a box blade. It is pretty easy to re-establish whatever growth you want with the proper lime & fertilizer.

Not sure if you will get satisfactory results using the box blade & scarifiers alone. From our limited experience, the better fix is plow, harrow a couple of times
to get the clods & lumps out. Then use the box blade to smooth out the hills & valleys.

Just got finished using a grader box to test it in a few spots. Started with the teeth down for a few passes, then up to refill and smooth out. It did okay, but it was a lot of work for only the few spots that I did. And to think that I have 10 or more acres to do...whew!!!

I'm concerned with using a plow due to some rock, but I would just have to find them the hard way, then lift and pass over them. In any event, I'll have to find a plow and a harrow because I have neither.

 

[jeff9366]

Consider a Disc Plow as well as a Moldboard Plow. Disc Plows tend to roll over stones and roots that will stop/trip/shear-bolt a Moldboard Plow. Disc Plows tend to leave the plowed ground slightly rougher than a Moldboard Plow and the furrows may not be quite as straight, as the Disc Plow shimmies around obstructions in a minor way. Disc Plows are available new from Monroe Tufline and used on eBay.

Disc Plows are not great at turning sod; fine for all other plowing.

DISC PLOW LINK:

https://www.google.com/#q=Disc+Plow+vs+moldboard

 

[1026mrg]

Just got finished using a grader box to test it in a few spots. Started with the teeth down for a few passes, then up to refill and smooth out. It did okay, but it was a lot of work for only the few spots that I did. And to think that I have 10 or more acres to do...whew!!!

I'm concerned with using a plow due to some rock, but I would just have to find them the hard way, then lift and pass over them. In any event, I'll have to find a plow and a harrow because I have neither.

I think that the bigger challenge will be the plow. There are lots of used harrows around for very reasonable prices. You can also see if anyone has one in your area
that you can borrow.

If your soil contains large rocks, (I plow in the mtns in Vermont), you will need a plow that has an auto trip & re-set mode. Basically the mold boards are on pretty
beefy steel springs. When you hit a rock that is big enough (think cooler or college dorm room refrigerator size) the spring will trip, the mold board will release & come out of the ground, then pass over the rock and re-set itself back into the spring. Absent a trippable, re-settable plow, if you have a lot of large rocks, it will be tough going.

See if the box blade & scarifiers will work on their own. If not, you may have to go to a plow & harrow, then box blade. Plowing & harrowing is a lot of work, but when it's done the field quality is outstanding.