Sod cutter for PT?

[SwampmanLA]

Has anyone built a sod cutter for a PT? I have a few ideas about how it could work but it would be trial and error at this point. Leveraging the skill and knowledge of this group I bet we could reduce the error part

 

[sawdust_maker]

Has anyone built a sod cutter for a PT? I have a few ideas about how it could work but it would be trial and error at this point. Leveraging the skill and knowledge of this group I bet we could reduce the error part

It seems like you would have two choices. Either a vibratory cutter, or a blade that would simply be pulled like the potato digger.

The problem with a vibratory cutter is it might beat both you and your PT up. If you wanted to go the vibratory cutter route, I've make it like a mower deck, that will rest on the ground, with a hydraulic motor. Are there vibratory hydraulic motors? Or you could convert rotary motion into vibration. The idea is to make this as something that is completely detached from the PT, isolating you and the PT from the vibrations. Make it essentially a trailer if you can.

I'd say the simplest choice is a fixed skewed blade to slice under the sod. Perhaps a v-blade might work best. A replaceable blade is a good idea, depending on the rock content of your dirt. Set it up with skids or fat wheels that will float on top of the sod to maintain blade depth.

John

 

[cqaigy2]

I don't know the requirements for a sod cutter, but i've used the bucket to remove sod. Worked pretty well if the clay wasn't too wet or dry.

 

[MossRoad]

Not exactly a sod cutter, but a soil slicer to make vertical cuts in soil.

Here's a link to a thread that I did about one that I made from a plow share.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/16281-10-00-slicer-trencher.html?highlight=plow+share

There are lots of pictures, there.

 

[SwampmanLA]

Thanks,

With the clay soils we have down here a blade should do just fine. I'll play around with a couple of things I thought of and report back on what I find out. So I think I'm taking on three projects 1) Cable/pipe plow 2) Sod cutter 3) vibrating compactor. I'll try to hang each one off of the towing plate receiver and maybe even try to build some damping into the assembly to isolate the vibration of the compactor.

 

[J_J]

Thanks,

With the clay soils we have down here a blade should do just fine. I'll play around with a couple of things I thought of and report back on what I find out. So I think I'm taking on three projects 1) Cable/pipe plow 2) Sod cutter 3) vibrating compactor. I'll try to hang each one off of the towing plate receiver and maybe even try to build some damping into the assembly to isolate the vibration of the compactor.

Most of the vibration type cable pullers, are isolated from the unit that it is attached to by some type of rubber brackets. On my plate tramper, the vibration motor is isolated from the frame, but I still feel a little vibration. You can make your own cable layer by using something like a box blade shank welded to a quick attach plate, add a bent tube to the backside, to lay out the cable after you have made several passes through the intended path in case you run into any roots. On the last pass, you should be able to lay cable as fast as you can drive.

If you are pulling irrigation pipe, it will work similar, except you hook a chain with a pipe fitting behind the shank, and connect your PVC pipe that has been glued together.

The carbide stump grinder or the wheeled trencher would also work. So, you really have all kinds of options.

It might look something like this.

 

[ponytug]

The 4N1 does an OK job, but if I were growing sod to sell, I'd do something different, or at least sharpen the vertical edges...

Has anyone built a sod cutter for a PT? I have a few ideas about how it could work but it would be trial and error at this point. Leveraging the skill and knowledge of this group I bet we could reduce the error part

 

[3238dpw]

Just to give you some ideas
Ventrac - Sod Cutter