What is the best tools for grading a field back to flat land

[Mat4644]

Tilling or using disc distroy root structure of vegetation plus chop further any from left from mowing. Makes using a land plane or any type of drag more effective and faster. Vegetation not chopped up quickly forms clumps that require many more passes.

 

[Egon]

Using a disc harrow would be a HUGE mistake. They have cupped discs to bring soil UP, not down, and that is what you want. You get some leveling with a disc harrow, but you end up picking rocks after every pass to get the job done.

I HATE PICKING ROCKS!

When I level fields, I land plow to make the soil as fluffy as deep as I can go (plow depth), then drag the biggest log I can across the field. The bigger, the more weight it has, and the longer, the flatter the field will be. The log also works well because it it is rounded so it pushes rocks down into the fluffed up soil (that is why you land plow as deep as you can).

I am using a 24 foot, 24 inch on the butt log in this picture, but I had the tractor (skidder) to do it. Just adjust the log size to what you can pull with what you got. A person can typically get a log free as well...free is betterer! (LOL)

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Cultivate the six acres till you have seed bed quality and then use a drag as shown and explained. A rectangular bulk of wood with an steel angle iron front bottom leading edge pulled at an angle will move dirt sideways quite well and allows a windrow to be moved across the field. Do this back and forth in different directions on the field and you will have smooth mowing.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Cultivate the six acres till you have seed bed quality and then use a drag as shown and explained. A rectangular bulk of wood with an steel angle iron front bottom leading edge pulled at an angle will move dirt sideways quite well and allows a windrow to be moved across the field. Do this back and forth in different directions on the field and you will have smooth mowing.

There is no need to modify the log...

You grade, say North/South
Then grade NorthEast to Southwest (at an angle to the field)
The grade East/West
Then grade North/South

Rinse and repeat as necessary

It is a lot easier to pull the log at 10 mph a few times across the field then it takes to find steel to make a cutting edge that is not really required. Dragging in multiple directions spreads the soil from high to low spots.

There is a lot of ideas floating around on here on how to do this, but so far I am the only one to show before and after pictures of how I do it, and the final result.

 

[mred2]

I like to disc the field and pull my rear blade across the field at different angles, with the blade turned backwards. No tilt, 3pt floating.

 

[hunt4570]

I'm thinking a disc is the perfect way to do what you are wanting to do

This is a before



And an after of the same field



And a 7' disc I got from TSC for about $1100.00



Sorry bout the picture configuration. (click on them and they should stand up right)

This field was all woods when I started, I had it cleared and then stumped and raked so it was pretty rough to begin with.

Then I took a 9' spike harrow to it to finish it off.

 

[gillesdumais]

i build a drag grader with spike tooth 1/2'' X 1'' flat bar and leveled my field perfectly , cutting small roots from cherry tree removed, pulling rock to surface and roots also while filling the holes and removing bump. i started with a box scraper but after doing a lot of research over the net for a better solution for my need, I could'nt find anything close to what i builded. The result is amazing and i would like to share with others my experience in order to give some idea to others how to build a drag plane or drag grader. I also added a 200lbs weight in the back and another 200lbs weight in the front that i will try next summer. The blade and spike will be more agressive . dimension are 5' wide by 5 foot long and total weight with extra weight is approximatly 750lbs. the Grader blade serrated cost approx $140 cdn for 60'' 3/4'' X 8'' (73lbs).

this was builded for leveling 2 acres of old unused field for the past 20 years where it become almost a forest. Now i will do a couple of more passes in next coming may June 2021 before seeding grass. Once i will apply my seed i will roll it over with an Homemade roller 750LBS that i made also for my need. This attachment o found many idea over the net. Thank's to other for sharing with us your idea a passion to help us better in improving solution.

see picture of land before and after using the Homemade drag grader

 

[JimR]

All great ideas guys and I appreciate them. I recently purchased a 6 foot New Holland rototiller. I tried this out in the field a month ago and it does a really nice job pulling up the rocks and smoothing out the field. This Spring I will give it a go and see how it does when all the grass and weeds are dead.

 

[gillesdumais]

is it a foward tilling or reverse ? min is a RGA1258 Form Landpride Foward tilling and should receive it soon. Ordered 6 months ago from Kubota Canada but with the Covid-19 delay occur.