Sod removel

[badgerfarm]

I want to skim off thick pasture grass with about 6" thick roots and remove it to a pile before I add ammendments and till the soil. What implement would do the skimming part best with a 28 HP Kubota small tractor? I have reasons for wanting to do it this way so I don't need alternative suggestions, thanks.

 

[nickel plate]

You didn't mention the lay of the pasture but if it isn't bumpy, I'd try starting with a box blade,tines set at your depth and chris cross a trial area several times then scoop it with a loader bucket. I don't see how you aren't going to lose some valuable top soil doing it that way.
The fellow that I bought my used York rake from told me that he once used the rake to roll up sections of planted sod. He dug a narrow furrow and dropped to rake into it and proceeded to roll up the grass. Your stuff is probably a lot tighter and tougher.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

A few years ago, I helped strip sod off a golf course fairway. We took my tiller, set the skids so it was only working about 1-1/2" deep, and went over all the existing turf, then took box blades and gathered up to ground up sod. Then we used skid steer loaders to load out the piles. Another crew used a Ryan sod cutter on another fairway. We were done, cleaned up and on our way home before they were half done cutting sod.

 

[radioman]

how big of an area do u need? using a small tractor, with a bucket that is probably only 4 ft wide by 1.5 feet deep means you will only be able to remove 1 section about 1-2 ft wide by 4 ft. This method will only tear up the turf, and if reusing it will give you unsatisfactory results as the pieces will be odd shaped for each piece you pull up. It's gonna be heavy with you wanting to get 6 inches of turf up. it can be done if you are not reusing the sod. I would say using a walk behind sod cutter will be more satisfactory job and still use your tractor to move the sod.

 

[boomer1025]

I want to skim off thick pasture grass with about 6" thick roots and remove it to a pile before I add ammendments and till the soil. What implement would do the skimming part best with a 28 HP Kubota small tractor? I have reasons for wanting to do it this way so I don't need alternative suggestions, thanks.

Don't know if they make one, but a sod cutter for on the 3 point would work. Tractor should have draft control to keep the depth of the cutter set.
If your good at making things it wouldn't take long to put one together.
Ask Ken Sweets if he knows of something that would work.
How rocky is the ground??

 

[badgerfarm]

Thanks for the good suggestions! The ground is flat and clay/loam with no rocks. My topsoil is deep and I want to do several 1/4 acre plots. The idea is to compost the turf in piles and eventually return it as a top layer but meanwhile add amendments to the stripped areas and cultivate them and grow cover crops to till in. It's an experimental several year project I want to try.

 

[MillWeld]

My wife wanted our garden made 2 - 3 feet wider which meant removing established, unwanted wire grass. I used our 2-point bottom plow with the plowshares (I think that's the term - the bottommost part anyway) level with the grass and cut about 4 inches deep. The grass and roots peeled up like skinning an apple. Two passes 30 feet long and I was done in 5 min. I used a Ford 641 tractor about the same HP as your Kubota. We knocked the soil out out the sod and piled up the grass to compost.
Bob

 

[badgerfarm]

Thanks. That sounds like the way I should go. I appreciate your taking the time to give me the benefit of your experience.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

A few years ago, I helped strip sod off a golf course fairway. We took my tiller, set the skids so it was only working about 1-1/2" deep, and went over all the existing turf, then took box blades and gathered up to ground up sod. Then we used skid steer loaders to load out the piles. Another crew used a Ryan sod cutter on another fairway. We were done, cleaned up and on our way home before they were half done cutting sod.

I believe the stated way above would do the trick. Substitute the skidsteer with a front end loader, tractor.:thumbsup: