Will a Land Plane work on turf?
- Thread starter rfc143
- Start date
- Views: 29544
The only exercise I get is jumping to conclusions!!! {said Fred}
I think I'm going to go in a different direction. My wife would kick my butt if she saw me come home with 10 gallons of Roundup! A small plot farmer down the road has a monster rototiller--looks like it has some kind of roller behind the tines to flatten things out after tilling. Also, in my neighbor farmer's old barn is what looks like an ancient spike harrow; it looks pretty cool, and I can probably borrow that too. Stay tuned...
BrokeFarmerJohn
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2016
- Messages
- 2,235
- Location
- Columbus Ohio
- Tractor
- 2017 Mahindra 5555, John Blue G-1000, Massey Ferguson 98, John Deere GP
You would need less than a gallon of the concentrated roundup and 10 gallons of water.
If your goal is just to level, a tiller wouldn't be the best choice, it will just loosen the dirt up to be leveled by a diff drag, I feel a tiller would take a very long time also. But it would depend on how unlevel the ground is to begin with.
Disking the field - YouTube
Dadnatron
Veteran Member
If you really want to address your issue, I would recommend moldboard plow. Then disc. Then reseed. I don't think you are going to make much headway if you are leaving the sod 'as is' and unless you have a monster PTO, you are going to be having trouble making any headway with a rototiller, in sod growing in rocks.
This also will allow you to put in exactly they type of grass which you want to have from now on.
I know it sounds harsh, but I don't think you are going to have much luck without either a huge number of passes with a disc or a single 'plow/disc/reseed' cycle.
Good luck.
This also will allow you to put in exactly they type of grass which you want to have from now on.
I know it sounds harsh, but I don't think you are going to have much luck without either a huge number of passes with a disc or a single 'plow/disc/reseed' cycle.
Good luck.
Egon
Epic Contributor
Roto tiller will work well but depends on how many HP are in front of it. It will probably take two to three passes with time in between for sod clumps to fully dry out and disintegrate. The ancient harrow will do a nice levelling job. Again multiple passes from different directions for each roto tilling.
There are many a sod field (pasture) that has been converted to grain with use of plow, disk and harrows. Guaranteed to work and does not require the high HP a rotatiller does. ( rotation of field, grain, grass pasture, grain.). Note that plowing sod goes better with the proper moleboard.
A disk or cultivator with proper shovels will also work well but again requires a lot of HP. The small six foot three point types don't cut it. A little extreme but an example of a disc that will work.
[video]https://www.google.ca/search?q=breaking+disc&client=safari&hl=en-ca&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijkavj0rXTAhWFOSYKHaEEBfkQ_AUIBygB&biw=1024&bih=681#imgrc=-3BRZDqW67x6PM:[/video]
Will this thing work? A neighbor owns it. It's a rototiller but on the back are some monster spike like blades sticking out of what looks like a segmented roller. Couldn't find much on it on the web. It's a Kuhn EL 81. Is this a "Cultivator"? It's got hydraulic cylinders on the roller thing to lift it.
Attachments
Dadnatron
Veteran Member
The roller is to firm up the bed prior to seeding. If the seedbed is too soft, the seeds won't germinate well. The 'spiked roller' is basically a 'cultipacker' attached to the rototiller. If you have enough HP, that setup just might work. Take it slow, and let the tines really chew up the sod. The cultipacker will just firm up the 'soft fluff' you are creating by going slow with the tiller. It is a good thing.
Try it and see what happens. If the rocks are bogging you down, or you aren't getting the results you desire, I would NOT press on with the tiller. But if things are giving you what you want, get after it. BUT... have a plan on how you are going to seed and with what, FIRST. If you till your pasture, then leave it for any significant length of time, you will have an eroded field of weeds before you get the tiller off. Line up your drill or broadcast spreader, or whatever. Make sure you have purchased your seed. Then get after it. If it doesn't work, just look to borrow a plow. That will work for sure.
Try it and see what happens. If the rocks are bogging you down, or you aren't getting the results you desire, I would NOT press on with the tiller. But if things are giving you what you want, get after it. BUT... have a plan on how you are going to seed and with what, FIRST. If you till your pasture, then leave it for any significant length of time, you will have an eroded field of weeds before you get the tiller off. Line up your drill or broadcast spreader, or whatever. Make sure you have purchased your seed. Then get after it. If it doesn't work, just look to borrow a plow. That will work for sure.
Egon
Epic Contributor
The sod may not be killed by rota tilling. There will be little rootlets that will take root. To eliminate this problem either chemical means or regular cultivation is required. As a side benefit many weeds also sprout which in turn are killed by cultivation. Preparing the seed bed may be an extended operation for quality results.
I wouldn't care if the grass came back. I'm going to plant conservation mix. It's still going to be pasture (mowed pasture but pasture nevertheless). I just would like it to be smoother, less "pot hole" ridden pasture.
boggen
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2011
- Messages
- 3,829
- Location
- Trivoli, IL
- Tractor
- SSTT (Sideways Snake Tain Tractor) and STB (sideways train box) tractor, dirt harvester
1 acre size. i would say a tiller.
a plow, disc, drag harrow, etc... generally requires you to be able to pull straight in one direction and once on other side being able to lift the implement out of the ground to make any sort of turns. granted same thing with a tiller. but tillers you are more likely be able to back right up to different areas (house, sheds, driveway, etc...) and drop it down and go. unlike plow, disc, drag harrows, they need a few feet or more, before they actually dig in and start doing there thing. were as a tiller, you can set it down running, and let it slowly work its way down to depth, before you start moving.
the hard compact clay here. a disc would only chicken scratch the surface. and i need a plow to get down further to break up the hard pan and help tear the roots apart on the grass. once the couple inches of roots and hard pan torn up. then the disc would fall down into the dirt and begin tilling/chewing up the dirt and breaking up clods.
i overly abused the old allis chalmers CA with 2 bottom plow and disc. more so the disc. and ran as fast as i could MPH wise and just dropped the disc and let the dirt fly. and disc'ed a few areas 6 to 12 times. making different paths and at different angles. to cause the ruts, erosion, bumps, etc... to be spread out over larger area for smoother yard. but issue is there were still some "low spots" not as deep and not bumpy, but areas were water would collect.
if i had a box blade at the time, i would have..
1 plowed to break up sod into chunks and get deeper to break up hard pan at the surface.
2 disc-ed a few times in different directions to break up what i could (would of smoothed it all out)
3 ran a box blade to help fill in low areas and take out some higher areas
4 ran disc again to smooth out the little ruts and small little high spots from simply driving tractor over the area and dealing with some up and downs of box blade
5 ran drag harrow a couple times through it all to drag out any odd clumps and get a finishing touch.
6 seeded with grass
7 disc or drag harrow to work the seed in the dirt a little bit.
8 toss some straw out on hills / erosion areas.
if i had a large / wide enough tiller...
1 tilled
2 box blade to smooth stuff out here and there.
3 maybe tilled again pending on how much rutting i did (from tire tracks)
4 drag harrow
5 seeded with grass
6 disc or drag harrow to work the seed in the dirt a little bit.
7 toss some straw out on hills / erosion areas.
FEL (front end loader) can back drag and move dirt around, but just to rough and takes good amount of experence to get things level, compared to a box blade
a 3pt hitch rear blade, does not really allow you to move dirt were you need it, and requires fine control of 3pt hitch linakges to get it working for smoothing stuff out in large areas.
Harley rake could be an exception, to above... but it would be the "final touch up" just before tossing seed out. wanting to get down deeper and bust up the hard pan and get roughly the same compaction of soil across the entire yard would be what i would want to keep the bumps / ruts / low spots / frost heave of ground a way for a longer time. dealt with to many ruts in yard from driving tractors through wet soft yard.
sacrifice teeth on say a box blade, might work if you made multiple passes in different directions, to work the area over. vs using a tiller or plow. for me a disc just won't sink into the dirt.
to re-hit on compaction of soil.... just like filling in trenches. you toss in a couple inches at a time and compact the dirt, then anther couple inches of dirt, and then compact. i would want the entire yard to have the same approximate compaction clear through the yard. a few inches deep.
a plow, disc, drag harrow, etc... generally requires you to be able to pull straight in one direction and once on other side being able to lift the implement out of the ground to make any sort of turns. granted same thing with a tiller. but tillers you are more likely be able to back right up to different areas (house, sheds, driveway, etc...) and drop it down and go. unlike plow, disc, drag harrows, they need a few feet or more, before they actually dig in and start doing there thing. were as a tiller, you can set it down running, and let it slowly work its way down to depth, before you start moving.
the hard compact clay here. a disc would only chicken scratch the surface. and i need a plow to get down further to break up the hard pan and help tear the roots apart on the grass. once the couple inches of roots and hard pan torn up. then the disc would fall down into the dirt and begin tilling/chewing up the dirt and breaking up clods.
i overly abused the old allis chalmers CA with 2 bottom plow and disc. more so the disc. and ran as fast as i could MPH wise and just dropped the disc and let the dirt fly. and disc'ed a few areas 6 to 12 times. making different paths and at different angles. to cause the ruts, erosion, bumps, etc... to be spread out over larger area for smoother yard. but issue is there were still some "low spots" not as deep and not bumpy, but areas were water would collect.
if i had a box blade at the time, i would have..
1 plowed to break up sod into chunks and get deeper to break up hard pan at the surface.
2 disc-ed a few times in different directions to break up what i could (would of smoothed it all out)
3 ran a box blade to help fill in low areas and take out some higher areas
4 ran disc again to smooth out the little ruts and small little high spots from simply driving tractor over the area and dealing with some up and downs of box blade
5 ran drag harrow a couple times through it all to drag out any odd clumps and get a finishing touch.
6 seeded with grass
7 disc or drag harrow to work the seed in the dirt a little bit.
8 toss some straw out on hills / erosion areas.
if i had a large / wide enough tiller...
1 tilled
2 box blade to smooth stuff out here and there.
3 maybe tilled again pending on how much rutting i did (from tire tracks)
4 drag harrow
5 seeded with grass
6 disc or drag harrow to work the seed in the dirt a little bit.
7 toss some straw out on hills / erosion areas.
FEL (front end loader) can back drag and move dirt around, but just to rough and takes good amount of experence to get things level, compared to a box blade
a 3pt hitch rear blade, does not really allow you to move dirt were you need it, and requires fine control of 3pt hitch linakges to get it working for smoothing stuff out in large areas.
Harley rake could be an exception, to above... but it would be the "final touch up" just before tossing seed out. wanting to get down deeper and bust up the hard pan and get roughly the same compaction of soil across the entire yard would be what i would want to keep the bumps / ruts / low spots / frost heave of ground a way for a longer time. dealt with to many ruts in yard from driving tractors through wet soft yard.
sacrifice teeth on say a box blade, might work if you made multiple passes in different directions, to work the area over. vs using a tiller or plow. for me a disc just won't sink into the dirt.
to re-hit on compaction of soil.... just like filling in trenches. you toss in a couple inches at a time and compact the dirt, then anther couple inches of dirt, and then compact. i would want the entire yard to have the same approximate compaction clear through the yard. a few inches deep.
Wow. Thank you Sir. I actually never thought of the room at the ends of the field (I don't have any). So much for thinking I could just scoot around the acre with an implement I happened to have access to, for an hour or so. Maybe I can just increase the spring tension in the Kubota seat while I mow the field as it is.:scratchchin:
boggen
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2011
- Messages
- 3,829
- Location
- Trivoli, IL
- Tractor
- SSTT (Sideways Snake Tain Tractor) and STB (sideways train box) tractor, dirt harvester
reduce tire pressure in tires, go slower, buy some memory foam or some such. (cheap stuff), get a flat sheet for a bed. get some duct tape. and some scissors.
try 1 to 3 layers of foam approx 1/2" to 1" thick. and cut the foam up so it is just a little bit smaller in width than the seat. (do not let the foam ride up on the arm rest mounts, it gets funky if you do), wrap bed sheet over the pieces of foam, and just place all the duct tape on the back side (same side), chair i am seating in now in front of computer. got a portion for my rear and enough length for back portion of seat. when it looks like it is time for a wash, pullng the tape off and another sheet goes on. and more importantly, it took a few tries of finding thickness of foam for rear, and for back of seat. till i found something i liked for thickness. i been tempted to see about how to sew or take measurements and get something sew up for me. but *meh* every time i have thought about it. shortly there after i spill a glass, or drop something on it. and time for a washing. the cushion slides here and there and i need to readjust the stupid thing every time a set down almost. and if i do not tape up the edges correctly on the back side the tape comes off. and makes a mess trying to pull tape off. but *shrugs*
i have also tossed a small piece on the old allis chalmers CA seat, it has a seat cushion, already, but another made it a bit easier on the rear.
==========
open up the old paper phone book, and look up "equipment rental" not just menards, lowes, homedept, ace hardware, but dedicate store to equipment rental, and see about renting something. getter done and over with. and get rid of the bumps.
try 1 to 3 layers of foam approx 1/2" to 1" thick. and cut the foam up so it is just a little bit smaller in width than the seat. (do not let the foam ride up on the arm rest mounts, it gets funky if you do), wrap bed sheet over the pieces of foam, and just place all the duct tape on the back side (same side), chair i am seating in now in front of computer. got a portion for my rear and enough length for back portion of seat. when it looks like it is time for a wash, pullng the tape off and another sheet goes on. and more importantly, it took a few tries of finding thickness of foam for rear, and for back of seat. till i found something i liked for thickness. i been tempted to see about how to sew or take measurements and get something sew up for me. but *meh* every time i have thought about it. shortly there after i spill a glass, or drop something on it. and time for a washing. the cushion slides here and there and i need to readjust the stupid thing every time a set down almost. and if i do not tape up the edges correctly on the back side the tape comes off. and makes a mess trying to pull tape off. but *shrugs*
i have also tossed a small piece on the old allis chalmers CA seat, it has a seat cushion, already, but another made it a bit easier on the rear.
==========
open up the old paper phone book, and look up "equipment rental" not just menards, lowes, homedept, ace hardware, but dedicate store to equipment rental, and see about renting something. getter done and over with. and get rid of the bumps.
