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

[bcp]

Here is a small one with laser. Even without the laser, they are good for land smoothing.

Bruce

 

[jeff9366]

He said a 6 or 7 foot would be the biggest that I probably could pull as long as I wasn't going too deep with the disks. He suggested using a rototiller on the fields or have if plowed. After that to go over it with a disk harrow of grader planer. I can always drag a section of chain link fence over it afterwards if it still needs more leveling.

PTO powered Roto-tillers and Disc Harrows are both soil mixers and soil levelers. A Disc Harrow is perhaps a little better at soil leveling. One or the other. Both redundant. For six acres you can go with either without error.


Kioti DK4510 - dimensions

2015 - DK10 Series
Compact Utility tractor
Series next: Kioti DK5010

Dimensions:
Weight: 3373 lbs [1529 kg]
Wheelbase: 71.3 inches [181 cm]
Length: 124.3 inches [315 cm]
Width: 62.8 inches [159 cm]
Height (ROPS): 92 inches [233 cm]
Ground clearance: 15.2 inches [38 cm]
Front tread: 49.4 inches [125 cm]
Rear tread: 49.3 inches [125 cm]

A 4-WD tractor with a bare tractor weight of 3,373 pounds can effectively pull a Disc Harrow with discs 20 inches in diameter, as wide as the tractor rear wheels or a tad wider, through moist soil.

MORE ON DISC HARROW SELECTION:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...disc-harrow-selection-compact.html?highlight=

 

[JimR]

Here is a small one with laser. Even without the laser, they are good for land smoothing.

Bruce

That sure does work nice. I hate to even think about what that setup costs.

 

[JimR]

PTO powered Roto-tillers and Disc Harrows are both soil mixers and soil levelers. A Disc Harrow is perhaps a little better at soil leveling.
One or the other. You do not need both.

I did not know that a pto rototiller would level off the ground behind it. I haven't look closely at one yet or checked them out. I do have a small JD one that is for a lawnmower type machine with a PTO setup. I think it is only 42 inches wide. Using that for this job would probably be like using a spoon to empty a load of sand out of a dump truck. I got this years ago with a bunch of other equipment from an estate sale.

 

[airbiscuit]

"I could also have my friend till the entire field with his huge land plow setup and then I could smooth it out using ?????"

Then use a disc:

 

[airbiscuit]

Then use a spike harrow/drag

 

[airbiscuit]

Then get some diapers, because it will be as smooth as a baby's bottom.

 

[npalen]

I will have to respectfully disagree with suggestions to use tillage implements to level the OP's field. I feel that at least some type of grading implement is needed to get the field back to level. This is based on my interpretation of the description of the problems.

 

[airbiscuit]

i have about 6 acres of field that has been used for farm produce for many years. If you drive over this field East to West or vise versa it is smooth. If your travel North to South or vice versa it is like a washboard. We now want to make this field back into a nice easy to mow smooth field. What would be the easiest tools to use to make this project go along the fastest. The field is all weeds right now. It needs to be broken up.The edges of the planted areas all need to be lowered and graded to blend into the previous planted area. I already have a box blade, grader blade, rock root bucket and a landscape rake. The edges of the planting areas have really good sod that is going to need to be busted up to taper the edges of the field where it is slightly sunken down. Would it be better to rototill the entire area and then smooth it all out with a grader scraper? I could also have my friend till the entire field with his huge land plow setup and then I could smooth it out using ????? I have been reading about the grader scrapers and think that may be the best tool to flatten the ground back out. Would the grader scraper be the best tool to use to smooth out an area like this? Would rototilling the field be better than running a land plow all over it. I could also use my box blade to rip the entire field. Hopefully somebody has already dealt with this issue and can give me some advice.

I will have to respectfully disagree with suggestions to use tillage implements to level the OP's field. I feel that at least some type of grading implement is needed to get the field back to level. This is based on my interpretation of the description of the problems.

I agree that there is a difference between making it smooth vs. level. Tillage equipment will make it smooth and diminish humps and furrows, (easy to mow), but general contours will remain. If you want to remove a hill or make something absolutely flat and level, then a large grader, land leveler or earth mover would be the tool of choice.

 

[BrokenTrack]

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)

 

[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)

View attachment 665003

View attachment 665004

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.