Subsoiler/Ripper Sizing for 30HP
- Thread starter HarleyBob
- Start date
- Views: 14478
kthompson
Elite Member
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
- Messages
- 3,526
- Location
- South Carolina
- Tractor
- Kubotas B2710, M6800, L6060 cab, Volvo EC excavator, 2 ZTRs and various implements.
Single shank.
Some are rated at about 45 hp per shank. Then all that comes into play on the type of dirt you have and how deep you are pulling and so forth. I pull two with a 68 hp Kubota and at times will not pull them fully lowered.
Some are rated at about 45 hp per shank. Then all that comes into play on the type of dirt you have and how deep you are pulling and so forth. I pull two with a 68 hp Kubota and at times will not pull them fully lowered.
kthompson
Elite Member
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
- Messages
- 3,526
- Location
- South Carolina
- Tractor
- Kubotas B2710, M6800, L6060 cab, Volvo EC excavator, 2 ZTRs and various implements.
Forgot to point out if you are asking about a 3 shank then you must be really planning on running a subsoiler. Be sure you get a shear bolt or spring trip or something to let go when you hit that unmovable object that you will and a good implement to wear seat belt with.
blueriver
Super Member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
- Messages
- 5,012
- Location
- S.E.Oklahoma
- Tractor
- JD 5520 Montana 4340 Farmall Super A Montana 5720C
Yes, go with a single shank.
kthompson
Elite Member
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
- Messages
- 3,526
- Location
- South Carolina
- Tractor
- Kubotas B2710, M6800, L6060 cab, Volvo EC excavator, 2 ZTRs and various implements.
No idea on the Howse brand (well do have idea but not facts) but ask around if you live in farming area. You may find a true farm single row one for very low price. In some parts of the world they were popular but have gone the way of other single row implements. Just be sure you can still get the wear parts for it or modify to fit. Then others will tell you to buy lower price new and save gas money for look...ok...but the old farm subsoiler will be better built. Check and see if your State Dept of Agriculture does not have a sales site for used farm equipment. Many do and can be great source person to person on such. I don't think you will find the low price ones out there today have any shear bolt protection to it. If you go that way really would not put full size pin in the top link. Do check the max working depth on any brand you look to buy built today.
daBear
Gold Member
The Howse factory is about 80 miles from me down in Laurel, MS. I was delighted to find a brand Hq so close, but that turned to mud shortly. I had a Howse dirt scoop that lasted one weekend before it bent to the point is was not usable. Got a King Kutter in its place and all is good after two years of use. I also bought the Howse middlebuster and subsoiler combo. That bent also within 2 days with my mighty 29 hp Kubota L 2800HST. I am going to a steel shop and buy some 1/4" angle to reinforce the frame which is bent on the middlebuster unit. Called the factory about it and they said well I'll be, can't get anything good out of China anymore can you. Nothing but fine Chinese steel. That ended me and Howse permanently.
Tom_H
Veteran Member
I agree with kthompson; it depends on what kind of soil you have and how deep you want to go. Sandy loam that's been plowed within the last couple of years will be easy. A true hardpan that's never been touched will be difficult. For your clay, depends upon the current moisture content; dry and packed into fragipan or supersaturated into soup are the worst conditions. Several days after a medium rain or irrigation that leaves the stuff with a light touch of moisture inside it is ideal.
Other things that help are ballast on the rear axle, separate ballast on the plow itself, the correct angle of the ripper, diameter of rear tires (preferably ag tires), and gear ratio. Higher hp can be neutralized if trannie is HST and low range is not that low. Somewhat less hp can potentially be better if trannie is direct gear drive with a super low ratio pulling gear. Forward speed is sacrificed for the mechanical advantage of high torque. The tractor creeps forward slowly, but the ripping force is greatly magnified.
Other things that help are ballast on the rear axle, separate ballast on the plow itself, the correct angle of the ripper, diameter of rear tires (preferably ag tires), and gear ratio. Higher hp can be neutralized if trannie is HST and low range is not that low. Somewhat less hp can potentially be better if trannie is direct gear drive with a super low ratio pulling gear. Forward speed is sacrificed for the mechanical advantage of high torque. The tractor creeps forward slowly, but the ripping force is greatly magnified.
Highbeam
Super Member
I use a 30HP HST tractor to pull a KK brand subsoiler through tight clay in the south puget sound area. Wow, I almost bought a 3130 too.
Just pulling the subsoiler through the ground will use almost all 30HP that I have and I run in low range. It is slow going and gets boring but the subsoiler does a fantastic job of drying out the tight clay and allowing drainage.
Trying to pull stumps with a middle buster is going to be hard on your equipment but pulling stumps is about the hardest thing you can do with your equipment nomatter what you do.
Just pulling the subsoiler through the ground will use almost all 30HP that I have and I run in low range. It is slow going and gets boring but the subsoiler does a fantastic job of drying out the tight clay and allowing drainage.
Trying to pull stumps with a middle buster is going to be hard on your equipment but pulling stumps is about the hardest thing you can do with your equipment nomatter what you do.
AKfish
Super Member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2004
- Messages
- 5,420
- Location
- Alaska
- Tractor
- JD 5115M; JD 110 TLB; JD 4720; Ford 9N; JD X300R
How many stumps are you planning on digging up? How big are they?
I have a heavy-duty, single ripper subsoiler (24" depth) using a shank from a CAT 12 road grader. It will pivot (swing back/up) about 5" after breaking a single shear bolt.
I sharpend the leading edge of the shank to ease root cutting.. Nonetheless, pulling it thru stumps with my 33hp JD970 gear drive tractor - I snapped the top link and broke the "H" bracket on the 3pt top mount of the subsoiler --- Ouch!
Low range - 1st gear.
If you've got a bunch of stumps or they're pretty fair-sized; rent an excavator. Or a TLB.
The subsoiler on a 30hp tractor is great for most (not all) roots and hard clay-pan soil. But alot of stumps will lead you to some serious abuse of your tractor - IMO.
I've also got a LandPride scarifier (78") with about 9, 12"-16" shanks. That's what I now use for ripping most roots and packed soil.
Good luck.
AKfish
I have a heavy-duty, single ripper subsoiler (24" depth) using a shank from a CAT 12 road grader. It will pivot (swing back/up) about 5" after breaking a single shear bolt.
I sharpend the leading edge of the shank to ease root cutting.. Nonetheless, pulling it thru stumps with my 33hp JD970 gear drive tractor - I snapped the top link and broke the "H" bracket on the 3pt top mount of the subsoiler --- Ouch!
Low range - 1st gear.
If you've got a bunch of stumps or they're pretty fair-sized; rent an excavator. Or a TLB.
The subsoiler on a 30hp tractor is great for most (not all) roots and hard clay-pan soil. But alot of stumps will lead you to some serious abuse of your tractor - IMO.
I've also got a LandPride scarifier (78") with about 9, 12"-16" shanks. That's what I now use for ripping most roots and packed soil.
Good luck.
AKfish
DraftHorse
Silver Member
When I had my L3130, I used a Gearmore single shank subsoiler on it. The unit is extremely well built. It has 2 depth settings, 15" and 19". It also has a shear bolt on it.
I needed to rip up a old pasture that was like rock and it worked great. My neighbor said there were 2 old posts that were in concrete. He removed the posts earlier and showed me were they were.
What he didn't know was the 10 other concrete blobs buried under the dirt.
Let it be said that 9 of the blobs poped right out of the ground with out an issue. The 10th poped the shear bolt. Upon digging around it with a shovel, we found that it was actually 3 blobs cemented together.
All I can say is I am definatly impressed with the Gearmore unit.
Peter
I needed to rip up a old pasture that was like rock and it worked great. My neighbor said there were 2 old posts that were in concrete. He removed the posts earlier and showed me were they were.
What he didn't know was the 10 other concrete blobs buried under the dirt.
Let it be said that 9 of the blobs poped right out of the ground with out an issue. The 10th poped the shear bolt. Upon digging around it with a shovel, we found that it was actually 3 blobs cemented together.
All I can say is I am definatly impressed with the Gearmore unit.
Peter
Da Bear was promoting King Kutter over Howse in terms of durability/heaviness and I have had the same experience thus far (which isn't very far)! That being said, King Kutter is planning on coming out with a combo subsoiler/middle buster. The estimate last summer was that it would be out later this year....fyi.
schmism
Super Member
i have a 2 shank adjustable. I have used it as a single shank ripper to pull wire.
It brought me to a stop more than once fully buried (not pulling wire) but thats at 10" or so of depth. i figure i could pull both if it was only half as deep.
there is no way a 30 hp tractor is going to generate enough hp or traction to pull more than one at full 10" depth.
It brought me to a stop more than once fully buried (not pulling wire) but thats at 10" or so of depth. i figure i could pull both if it was only half as deep.
there is no way a 30 hp tractor is going to generate enough hp or traction to pull more than one at full 10" depth.
I had a similar bad experience with a Howse middlebuster/subsoiler. I caught a root and bent the bracing on the frame badly with my L3400. I reinforced the bracing by welding in 2" thick wall steel tubing behind the backer plate. That solved the bending problem. The bending problem is not due to foreign steel, but to the poor frame design. You should never brace the vertical shank with a flat steel backer plate that provides almost no bending resistance. I also live close to the Laurel facility and had the same bad result with contacting them.
