Smoothing out a meadow - how to do it?

[SensibleNick]

Hi there.

I'm actually asking this on behalf of a friend here in Sweden, so I'm not completely in possession of all the details.

He has a field, about 2.5 acres, and would like it to be a Smooth meadow. Currently it's a little rough for the mower he has

The question is, What's the easiest (and cheapest way) to smooth the lumps out?

I've not attempted anything like it myself, but I'd imagine that getting a farmer with all the gear to come and plough, harrow and "something" the field would be the fastest way.... but let's suppose that's not an option.

What bits and bobs would you need for a 25hp 4x4 tractor to do the job?

Thanks for any help!

/Nick

 

[ITHINKICAN]

It probably depends on the condition of the land - how rough is it?

A few months ago we used our FEL to knock down ant hills etc and dragged the cutter/shredder behind us... we did approx 10-15 acres. Our land was in pretty good shape. This Spring we'll probably use the FEL the same way but drag the box blade a little lower to the ground behind us... then we'll come back and mow another day.

We are new to this whole thing - definitely wait to hear from more qualified people... we'll learn together.

 

[SensibleNick]

We are new to this whole thing - definitely wait to hear from more qualified people... we'll learn together.

Sadly I'm not sure how rough it is... I get the feeling it's just a bit bumpy, but he's wanting to smooth the entire thing out and start from scratch - if you know what I mean. I'll ask...

Learning together: that's what this place is about for me :thumbsup:

 

[ITHINKICAN]

Learning together: that's what this place is about for me :thumbsup:

The primary reason I visit it to learn, second is the entertainment factor and finally (and totally unintended) to help others... after I make a mistake or two... people can learn from my mistake... :laughing:

I bet you a real good rototiller would make that soil real nice too.

 

[jlsmith]

If he wants it completly smooth then i would sugest a rototill or disk and then use a chainharrow to drag it out.

 

[teg]

Does he have an option to rent something? Tiller would be best...

 

[Redneck in training]

I would use aerator first. Then I would wait for nice soaking rain and when it softens several cm deep I would roll it.

 

[GLyford]

My vote is for disk harrow. If he doesn't have to go deep to mix nutrients, there isn't a lot of need for plowing. Start slow to get the existing grass knocked down and the worst of the bumps. Once everything gets workable and the ground is smooth enough for a smoother ride, pick up speed until the dirt "flows" out of the harrow. If you can't get the last adjustment just right for the harrow to leave a smooth finish, you might drag a board or piece of chainlink behind a bit wider than the harrow for the last pass or so.

My dad used an old tandem 6' harrow that had lever-adjustable disk angles and 12" plain disks behind a 20hp AC "B" for this, and rigged a drag board he could flip up onto the frame until he needed it at the end (his used a couple of iron bars bolted? chained? to the main frame to hold the board, to keep the leading edge up so it wouldn't dig in and flip around). Notched disks dig deeper and require more power. With a harrow that adjusts for angle, the steeper the angle, the more power you need. If you borrow a harrow for a (slightly) larger tractor, you can usually get the job done at a lesser angle, it just might take more passes (and fuel), or you might not be able to drag it at the "best" speed but still be able to improve what you have.

If your friend is "setting up shop", a good harrow is a nice implement to have, and used ones don't usually cost a lot.

 

[Egon]

Cultivate with whatever method is easiest/cheapest. Then use a drag at many different angles to smooth it out. Cultivate again. Drag again and seed. Then harrow.:thumbsup:

 

[DelSc]

I recently smoothed about 1/2 acre using a rototiller followed by a box blade and finally a drag harrow (spring tooth). The area was level, but quite bumpy due to all the digging I had done in years prior to clear stumps.

The tiller, box blade and harrow were all 48" wide which should be easily handled by a tractor of the size you mentioned, however it might take you a while to complete it. It came out quite smooth.