Food Plot Equipment

[H80Hunter]

If you were building up your equipment from scratch, what would you buy to maintain a couple food plots ~1 acre in size? We have access to a small garden tractor (27hp) and a Polaris Ranger UTV. Would you buy a small disk and pull with the tractor? Would you buy UTV implements and use the UTV? I'm kind of leaning toward a small disk to pull behind the tractor and just using the UTV for spraying and hauling.

Thoughts?

 

[Someday isle]

I do my small plots with a 450 cc ATV, a 60 inch ATV disc and 4 foot cultipacker. I use a tow behind spreader and a push spreader for fertilizer and lime and seed everything with a bag seeder. I have a DR walk behind for mowing. It works for me but I’d love a compact tractor instead. I’m sure the garden tractor will work but I think it wouldn’t hold up long term. Given the options you presented I think the UTV might be better.

 

[H80Hunter]

Is that a king kutter disc? What are you using for weight? How much weight are you using?

 

[Someday isle]

It’s a model I bought at our local Dickey Bub hardware store. I think it’s a Witco - here’s the description,

The Model WOFOD-16 ATV Flip-Over Disk Harrow is a pull behind disking harrow for disking up and preparing ground with ground cover for planting food plots. Tow behind any four wheel drive ATV 350 to 400cc or larger, or a tractor or vehicle 18 hp and larger. The tow bar has a pin type connection. Disk harrow has a 60 inch disking width.

The cultipacker is a field tuff 48 inch.

I use about 100 pounds of old plastic coated weights from on old weight set. I just ratchet strap them on the top. I tried using cinder blocks and even tied down they just break apart. I’d love to weld a post on top and anchor the weights down better but it works. I’ve also used a heavy log strapped on top too. If you zig zag a little it cuts great.

 

[yoderjac]

If you were building up your equipment from scratch, what would you buy to maintain a couple food plots ~1 acre in size? We have access to a small garden tractor (27hp) and a Polaris Ranger UTV. Would you buy a small disk and pull with the tractor? Would you buy UTV implements and use the UTV? I'm kind of leaning toward a small disk to pull behind the tractor and just using the UTV for spraying and hauling.

Thoughts?

I would start by watching some of the "Ray the soil guy" videos. Begin with the infiltration one. He is focused on large farmers with big equipment but the underlying soil health principles hold for food plots. Next read some of the Crimson N Camo Throw and Mow threads on this forum. He takes the underlying soil health principles and applies them to small equipment food plotters.

Next you need to make a decision as to whether you want to go the traditional tillage route or the min-tillage route. This will drive your decision as to what kind of techniques you will use and that will drive what kind of equipment to buy.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[H80Hunter]

I’m familiar with the videos. I guess I more can’t decide if I should be building my “Arsenal” around a small garden tractor or the utv. I’ve seen the GH max attachment but that make sure me nervous I’ll break something on the UTV.

 

[yoderjac]

If you are going with the min-tillage approach, you will primarily be spraying, mowing, and broadcasting seed. Depending on your soil type, at most, you will be scratching the surface (top 1"). Generally, I prefer a tractor, even a garden tractor. They are designed to operate at a slow constant speed. This allows for more precise operation for spraying. Your tractor will handle a tow-behind boom sprayer well. A chest mounted broadcast spreader like a Solo works great for an acre or two. The only issue with a garden tractor is mowing height for clover and such. Generally, they don't adjust high enough. If you use a drought resistant clover like durana and are careful only to mow with rain in the forecast and use the highest setting on the mower, you can get by with it. For a UTV you will need to add a towbehind mower with it's own engine. However, if you go with the garden tractor, you could always use a tow behind mower.

 

[Peplin Creek]

I’m familiar with the videos. I guess I more can’t decide if I should be building my “Arsenal” around a small garden tractor or the utv. I’ve seen the GH max attachment but that make sure me nervous I’ll break something on the UTV.

How rocky is your soil? I have a groundhog max. On a Polaris 500, I will say, it’s pretty good at small plots. But it takes a beating with rocks. I haven’t broken a disk, but I have broken the hitch that’s part of the hitch kit that comes with it, I also have a bracket on the disk that will need some repair. Overall for the price it’s pretty nice. If your soil isn’t that rocky. I would consider it. You can till pretty fast with it. Get a harrow drag so you can smooth out the ruts and you’re golden.

Like stated above, I do all my plots with an atv. Here is my equipment list.

Groundhog max disk
Tuffline harrow drag 48 inches wide
20gal fimco sprayer with a 4 foot aftermarket boom.
Moultrie atv spreader
Earthway shoulder spreader.

This gets me through 7 plots. Sizes from 3/4 acre to as small as an 1/16. It’s great for kill plots. Absolutely wouldn’t want to use this setup on anything bigger than 1 acre though.

If I had to do it all over again and monthly bills aren’t a concern, compact tractor and properly weighted disk would be my first purchases.

 

[Someday isle]

I’ve said several times before on different posts that if I had one do over I’d have bought a compact tractor - but it just wasn’t in the budget. The ATV has worked fine for me and I can use it for a lot of stuff as long as I’m cautious to not overwork it. My neighbor has a BX Kubota. I’d think it’s too small to do much but it clearly outworks my ATV with not near the strain. All that said, I’m sure your UTV will be a solid piece of equipment as long as you use it within its limitations. In a couple years all my kids will be out of college - and then there might be a tractor. Sometimes we just have to work with what we have.

 

[j-bird]

My collection has grown over the years and many of these are used when I bought them as I live in farm country so many of these are floating around and can be had for reasonable prices....

Tractor, FEL and mower where new. I include my Stihl chainsaw because I still think it is one of the most valuable habitat tools (best $/reward) you can have.
Ford 309 2 row plate planter (bought used for $50). 6 foot double gang disc and 2 bottom moldboard plow - both gifted to me if I would just take them. Cone spreader, boom sprayer, back pack sprayer and hand broadcaster all bought new. This list of tools isn't pretty or fancy but it gets the job done. Only tool I do not show here that I use is a KK tiller I borrow.....I can't justify buying one myself to use 1 or 2 days a year.

 

[SwampCat]

For years I planted 40 acres with a JD 28 hp 790 . I have a UTV, but in my opinion, there is no comparison between a UTV and compact tractor for food plot work. A bush hog and disk is what I would consider minimum for the tractor, and a sprayer and spreader for the UTV. If possible, I would want a 3 pt spreader and sprayer for the tractor. I now have a 28hp and a 65hp JD - with equipment for both. I am ALMOST ashamed of the equipment I now have - and I still "need" more.

 

[Tree Spud]

If you were building up your equipment from scratch, what would you buy to maintain a couple food plots ~1 acre in size? We have access to a small garden tractor (27hp) and a Polaris Ranger UTV. Would you buy a small disk and pull with the tractor? Would you buy UTV implements and use the UTV? I'm kind of leaning toward a small disk to pull behind the tractor and just using the UTV for spraying and hauling.

Thoughts?

Hunter ... for the 2 acres you a doing, you core tools would be a disc, sprayer, and cultipacker. These would be all items you can pull with an ATV/UTV. I used to do 7-8 acres with this set-up before I purchased a tractor.

As stated above, if you can spray and mow weeds/plants, you can do alot of no till with minimal equipment.

I would have to understand by what you mean as a "small garden tractor ... 27 hp". Equipment is geared for different purposes.

What is your soil like? Heavy clay or looser loam?

 

[TreeDaddy]

For years I planted 40 acres with a JD 28 hp 790 . I have a UTV, but in my opinion, there is no comparison between a UTV and compact tractor for food plot work. A bush hog and disk is what I would consider minimum for the tractor, and a sprayer and spreader for the UTV. If possible, I would want a 3 pt spreader and sprayer for the tractor. I now have a 28hp and a 65hp JD - with equipment for both. I am ALMOST ashamed of the equipment I now have - and I still "need" more.

Why be ashamed?

Is your wife ashamed of all the shoes she has??!!!!! Mine isn't !!!!!

bill

 

[SwampCat]

Why be ashamed?

Is your wife ashamed of all the shoes she has??!!!!! Mine isn't !!!!!

bill

My wife actually talked me into buying my 65 hp tractor. Ended up being her anniversary present.

 

[Wild Thing]

Peplin Creek asked the first quetion I would ask...Do you have rocky soil? If you do, you can drag your disc around all day long and do little other than breaking up your dics. How many passes do you want to make in order to prep your soil for seeding? I started out using ATV implements many years ago, like many others. I quickly gravitated to farm tractors and heavier discs but it wasn't until I bought a field cultivaator that I finally started making some progress in turning dirt. I even went to bigger farm tractors and a 12' cultivator. I have since graduated to the full No-Till philosophy and that is what I practice today.

If you have loose soil and no rocks you can get by with ATV implements. You have to start some place, but if you want to expand and do things more efficiently, you will want to move up to farm equipment.

 

[Tap]

Hunter ... for the 2 acres you a doing, you core tools would be a disc, sprayer, and cultipacker. These would be all items you can pull with an ATV/UTV. I used to do 7-8 acres with this set-up before I purchased a tractor.

As stated above, if you can spray and mow weeds/plants, you can do alot of no till with minimal equipment.

I would have to understand by what you mean as a "small garden tractor ... 27 hp". Equipment is geared for different purposes.

What is your soil like? Heavy clay or looser loam?

All good points. Especially the questions about soil and rocks. I guess what should also be asked is, are your plots flat or level?

Everyone would like to own a late model tractor with a FEL, but you can do an amazing about of work with something as basic (and affordable) as a Ford 8N
.
A 3 point hitch is usually a better choice, except for discing. A drag disc works better than a 3 point disc. But 3 point implements are much nice if you are working small plots where you need to back-up into tight areas. I'm not a fan of very many tow-behind implements. They suck when you need to back them up.
I'd also recommend that discs should have an adjustable pitch so you can change how aggressive they bite. The one in the photo posted above doesn't look adjustable. I'm not sure I'd buy one like that.

The OP didn't mention what exactly he'd like to plant. The answer will have a big influence on what type of tractor or UTV you need. I've become a big fan of the Throw N Mow technique for basic plots that are usually good enough for deer plots. A case in point...Last fall I wanted to brush hog some field edges that were being overrun with various invasive stuff. Multi Flora Rose, Mile-a-Minute, grapevines, and Oriental Bittersweet were the main problems. They were all spreading onto my pear and crab apples. I needed to open the area a bit. I brush hogged and then just broadcast rye and clover into all the mow trash. Fast forward to now...those are the areas of my plots that deer are feeding the heaviest. It's pretty amazing how easy it is to grow rye and small seeded stuff like clover and brassica. You barely need any tillage at all.

 

[Someday isle]

You are correct in that it is not an adjustable disc in that picture I posted. I’m not sure that anyone even makes an adjustable disc for an ATV. All I can say is that it works well enough for what it is. My soil is definietly rocky in some places. But I’m doing small plots. The largest of my three traditional plots is 1/3 of an acre and they’re all carved right out of the woods. I also have between 3/4 and an acre of trails that I plot on. Its certainly not the best - but it is useful and it works well enough. My son and I just remind ourselves that we’re food plotters not Farmers. I’m not getting deep tillage but it breaks the ground up and we’ve had decent success using it.

 

[Wild Thing]

All good points. Especially the questions about soil and rocks. I guess what should also be asked is, are your plots flat or level?

Everyone would like to own a late model tractor with a FEL, but you can do an amazing about of work with something as basic (and affordable) as a Ford 8N
.
A 3 point hitch is usually a better choice, except for discing. A drag disc works better than a 3 point disc. But 3 point implements are much nice if you are working small plots where you need to back-up into tight areas. I'm not a fan of very many tow-behind implements. They suck when you need to back them up.
I'd also recommend that discs should have an adjustable pitch so you can change how aggressive they bite. The one in the photo posted above doesn't look adjustable. I'm not sure I'd buy one like that.

The OP didn't mention what exactly he'd like to plant. The answer will have a big influence on what type of tractor or UTV you need. I've become a big fan of the Throw N Mow technique for basic plots that are usually good enough for deer plots. A case in point...Last fall I wanted to brush hog some field edges that were being overrun with various invasive stuff. Multi Flora Rose, Mile-a-Minute, grapevines, and Oriental Bittersweet were the main problems. They were all spreading onto my pear and crab apples. I needed to open the area a bit. I brush hogged and then just broadcast rye and clover into all the mow trash. Fast forward to now...those are the areas of my plots that deer are feeding the heaviest. It's pretty amazing how easy it is to grow rye and small seeded stuff like clover and brassica. You barely need any tillage at all.

"They suck when you need to back them up". Ha Ha. Had to laugh when I read that Tap. And it is probably true if you don't know how to back up a trailer or pull behind implement. I've been backing up trailers since I was old enough to drive so pull behind implements was never a big deal but I would have to agree with you based upon some of the guys I've seen trying to launch or retrieve their boats at the boat ramps.

 

[Tap]

All good points. Especially the questions about soil and rocks. I guess what should also be asked is, are your plots flat or level?

Everyone would like to own a late model tractor with a FEL, but you can do an amazing about of work with something as basic (and affordable) as a Ford 8N
.
A 3 point hitch is usually a better choice, except for discing. A drag disc works better than a 3 point disc. But 3 point implements are much nice if you are working small plots where you need to back-up into tight areas. I'm not a fan of very many tow-behind implements. They suck when you need to back them up.
I'd also recommend that discs should have an adjustable pitch so you can change how aggressive they bite. The one in the photo posted above doesn't look adjustable. I'm not sure I'd buy one like that.

The OP didn't mention what exactly he'd like to plant. The answer will have a big influence on what type of tractor or UTV you need. I've become a big fan of the Throw N Mow technique for basic plots that are usually good enough for deer plots. A case in point...Last fall I wanted to brush hog some field edges that were being overrun with various invasive stuff. Multi Flora Rose, Mile-a-Minute, grapevines, and Oriental Bittersweet were the main problems. They were all spreading onto my pear and crab apples. I needed to open the area a bit. I brush hogged and then just broadcast rye and clover into all the mow trash. Fast forward to now...those are the areas of my plots that deer are feeding the heaviest. It's pretty amazing how easy it is to grow rye and small seeded stuff like clover and brassica. You barely need any tillage at all.

"They suck when you need to back them up". Ha Ha. Had to laugh when I read that Tap. And it is probably true if you don't know how to back up a trailer or pull behind implement. I've been backing up trailers since I was old enough to drive so pull behind implements was never a big deal but I would have to agree with you based upon some of the guys I've seen trying to launch or retrieve their boats at the boat ramps.

I can back up trailers and stuff that have a long tongue with no problem. But I owned or used a few implements with very short tongues and they were just about impossible to even back them straight, let alone maneuver them around bends or into tight spaces.
Even if you can back them up, you ain't gonna do it as quickly as you can when using 3 point stuff.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[H80Hunter]

Thanks for all the input guys.
To be honest, it’s a property we’re in the process of buying. I’m familiar with the no till philosophy and probably will go that route. I don’t actually know what the soil type is in the area where the plots would be. I’ll look into that next time I’m out there.

I think for now I’m going to kind of plan on sprayer/spreader/cultipacker for the UTV. Mow with the tractor. I think I can get a lot done that way with winter rye and clover.