Best implement for leveling plots?

[omicron1792]

It's too late to replant in PA. Spring time it'll get leveled.

Understood. Same principle for spring.

I had a dozer do some work this past summer and had them level a field I had been not tilling for a couple of years. Broke my heart. But made planting so much easier after. And , all that work wasn’t for naught. It bounced back immediately and is acting just like it was before now, just flatter!

 

[Brokenbear]

I have a 14' field cultivator with trailing sweeps that smooths out the tool rows that I can run anywhere from 1 to 8" deep and get a nice level "agriculture grade" leveled top finish
Find a row crop neighbor with a similar piece of equipment and rent him to do it ..if you notill you wont need ground broken again for 10/15 years ..so pick a young neighbor so he'll remember how to do it (picture for explanation ..mine is green and wider and some day for sale I hope ! )
We have places around here also that rent this type of equipment so look around for rental also ..good luck

 

[RGrizzzz]

I have a 14' field cultivator with trailing sweeps that smooths out the tool rows that I can run anywhere from 1 to 8" deep and get a nice level "agriculture grade" leveled top finish
Find a row crop neighbor with a similar piece of equipment and rent him to do it ..if you notill you wont need ground broken again for 10/15 years ..so pick a young neighbor so he'll remember how to do it (picture for explanation ..mine is green and wider and some day for sale I hope ! )
We have places around here also that rent this type of equipment so look around for rental also ..good luck

View attachment 57907

I just bought one to attach to a disk.

 

[RGrizzzz]

A follow up question for the group. I managed to pick up the leveling bar and the rolling basket from a Perfecta in the price range I was looking for. The previous owner cut it off, with some of the frame still attached. I'm curious on the best ways to use this. I have a tractor and a Polaris Ranger as options. (it was partially apart for transport)

1. I could potentially attatch it to my 6' disk with the U bolts. (remove frame piece) But then I don't think I'm able to angle the disk anymore. I'm not sure how well it will lift off the ground either.
2. Attach a ball to the old frame piece and drag it with the tractor. I could raise/lower the 3 point to get the leveing bar off the ground for "transport". The roller can roll on the ground to the plots. Could likely drag it once at plots with the Ranger.
3. Attach some sort of 3 point frame. I don't have one, not sure where to source one. Thoughts?

 

[jsasker007]

Do you need to transport it back and forth or can you just get it to the plots and leave it there?

 

[RGrizzzz]

Do you need to transport it back and forth or can you just get it to the plots and leave it there?

It needs to be transported a few hundred yards from where it will be stored for most of the plots. Maybe 100 yards of it is stone driveway, the rest is grass/field paths. It will need to go to a farther plot once, sometime in the spring. That plot might be a 1/4" mile on the stone driveway. It needs to cross the creek too. I'm thinking we could "carry" it with a chain and the FEL on the tractor in this one situation.

Realistically, I hope to need this once to smooth out the finish grade on a few plots.

 

[Brokenbear]

Picture of disc or description would help ..but the picture above of just duplicate mounting your cage and sweeps like shown in the picture subbing your disc for the cultivator is you best bet ..your small hobby disc will likely need a tool bar fashioned on the back of your disc and then the mounting plate welded to the tool bar and be sure to make a series of positioning holes to move the sweep/cage assembly +/- in height ..the plus to all this is there is no such thing as a hobby disc not needing PERMANENT weight added to it so I would even consider including as you attach your tool bar to provide provisions to place additional weigh (s) ..if nothing but a tray/box to fill with heavy "stuff: of your choice"

Good score there

Bear

 

[RGrizzzz]

Picture of disc or description would help ..but the picture above of just duplicate mounting your cage and sweeps like shown in the picture subbing your disc for the cultivator is you best bet ..your small hobby disc will likely need a tool bar fashioned on the back of your disc and then the mounting plate welded to the tool bar and be sure to make a series of positioning holes to move the sweep/cage assembly +/- in height ..the plus to all this is there is no such thing as a hobby disc not needing PERMANENT weight added to it so I would even consider including as you attach your tool bar to provide provisions to place additional weigh (s) ..if nothing but a tray/box to fill with heavy "stuff: of your choice"

Good score there

Bear

It's a fairly heavy duty 3 point 6' disc. I forget the brand. It's got 3"+ square tubing, and two rows of cutters. You can run them straight or angle them.

I don't think you can weld on a tool bar because the two sides are independent, and you'd have to weld to both sides of the back set of discs. Then you couldn't angle them.

I'll see if I can find a picture of a similar disk.
Edit: similar to this, but it doesn't have the full square frame. There's nothing in the rear. I'll have a picture next weekend

Taylor Pittsburgh

Taylor Pittsburgh specializes in all types of tillage equipment - rotary cutters, mowers, disc harrows, hay equipment, tillage tools, seeders, ATV products, renovators, and much more.

www.taylorpittsburgh.com

 

[RGrizzzz]

Back piece of the disk is angle iron, not square tubing. Looks likely that I'll be dragging on a ball/hitch.

 

[bigboreblr]

That implement you bought looks alot like an Arena drag for horse events. Probably be good on sandy soil by itself. Typical northast heavy clay soils, you going to need the discs in combination with that. You could change the angle of attack on the disc to a less aggressive angle. IF possible, go alongisde hills, not up and down them.

Nothing wrong with a bit of discing the soil. I'd lime and fertilize if possible. Spring will be a better time for you , if ground moisture isn't too excessive. Can see the teeth on the drag getting filled up with straw if you try late summer.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Does any have thoughts on the easiest way to convert the leveler bar/rolling basket into a 3pt mount? I don't think I'm going to be able to mount to the disk, without damaging it. Do companies sell 3pt conversion kits? 3 pt might be better than pulling with a ball hitch on the UTV.

 

[RGrizzzz]

It's alive! The cabin brain trust realized we had some meat left over to drill through and attach bolt on 3 point pins. It lifts high enough to get the leveling bar off the ground. We can drag it to the plots around the house/barn, or carry it in the bucket, if we need to go to the farther plots. It'll take an additional pass after the disk, but it'll serve the purpose we want, for about $300 total. (what you see, new bearings, bolt on 3 point pins)

 

[Brokenbear]

It's alive! The cabin brain trust realized we had some meat left over to drill through and attach bolt on 3 point pins. It lifts high enough to get the leveling bar off the ground. We can drag it to the plots around the house/barn, or carry it in the bucket, if we need to go to the farther plots. It'll take an additional pass after the disk, but it'll serve the purpose we want, for about $300 total. (what you see, new bearings, bolt on 3 point pins)

View attachment 65060

Maybe when you want to move it (remove top link) just run a chain from the pin of the tractors top link mount to the middle of the black tool bar holding the roller cage? Of course Chain rigged with the swing arms in the lowest position

Bear

 

[omicron1792]

It's alive! The cabin brain trust realized we had some meat left over to drill through and attach bolt on 3 point pins. It lifts high enough to get the leveling bar off the ground. We can drag it to the plots around the house/barn, or carry it in the bucket, if we need to go to the farther plots. It'll take an additional pass after the disk, but it'll serve the purpose we want, for about $300 total. (what you see, new bearings, bolt on 3 point pins)

View attachment 65060

Love ingenuity. My boy @Foggy47 in here is a wizard at building stuff too

 

[SD51555]

If you're already close and want to get to perfect, this might be your tool. The video style here also speaks to me. I had one of these out a few years ago and never got a chance to hook it up and run it. A good rental outfit will have the whole rig for you to use.

 

[RGrizzzz]

If you're already close and want to get to perfect, this might be your tool. The video style here also speaks to me. I had one of these out a few years ago and never got a chance to hook it up and run it. A good rental outfit will have the whole rig for you to use.

If I was choosing skid steer attachments, I'd go for a rock hound. PA soil is loaded with rock.

 

[Foggy47]

It's alive! The cabin brain trust realized we had some meat left over to drill through and attach bolt on 3 point pins. It lifts high enough to get the leveling bar off the ground. We can drag it to the plots around the house/barn, or carry it in the bucket, if we need to go to the farther plots. It'll take an additional pass after the disk, but it'll serve the purpose we want, for about $300 total. (what you see, new bearings, bolt on 3 point pins)

View attachment 65060

If you would build a location to mount your top link a foot or two above those pins......you could pick it up with the tractor.....and perhaps regulate how agressive it digs into your soil. Clever set-up.

Just re-read this thread....and I can see where you are going with this implement. If it were mine .....and I wanted what you got here....I believe I would get rid of some of that iron where the black and red iron meet.....and use your pins closer to those spring teeth. Then make the means to pick it up by adding a top link bracket. A few hours and a welder and you will be golden.

 

[RGrizzzz]

If you would build a location to mount your top link a foot or two above those pins......you could pick it up with the tractor.....and perhaps regulate how agressive it digs into your soil. Clever set-up.

Just re-read this thread....and I can see where you are going with this implement. If it were mine .....and I wanted what you got here....I believe I would get rid of some of that iron where the black and red iron meet.....and use your pins closer to those spring teeth. Then make the means to pick it up by adding a top link bracket. A few hours and a welder and you will be golden.

I think it will accomplish what we want to do. With the 3 point arms all the way down, the leveler fingers will angle fairly flat. It's hard to see, but there's a pin that controls the limit on the angle for them. They'll fold almost flat with one of the pin positions. I'm less worried about how it will do, and generally more worried about how many rocks we will bring to the surface and possible drag vs how the implement will work. We talked about removing the extra iron, but I think the additional weight might be a benefit. Time will tell. It'll get used later this summer.

 

[GMan5465]

My neighbor borrowed me this drag that I hooked to a drawbar on my three point. That I beam was heavy enough to pull and drag dirt into low spots. It is about 8 feet long. Worked great to level the new areas after I disked them up. It’s up side down to show the plates it would drag on. You could raise and lower the three point to get more or less aggressive.