How to turn Raw Land into Farm Land?

[tsafa]

New L3800 owner here.

How can I turn raw land into farmland? I have a new L3800 (38 hp) with a front end loader. What other attachments should I consider buying for this task?

I expect to find rocks and tree roots. Planing to work around a really big rocks or trees. I have to make due with the L3800, but I am open to getting more attachments for it.

Any tips on how to best use them would also be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Disk or spring chisel plow, will break up the hard surface.
Harrow to break up the bigger stuff after plowing.
And a way to seed it back to something, what do you want to grow?

 

[tsafa]

I am thinking Pumkins or similar. Something that is easy to harvest.

Or maybe just grass (extending the grass area).

Will the disk or spring chisel plow break up roots? How will I expect to have rocks between 12" and 24" . Larger rocks I will probably dig up with FEL when I see them.


Would a Rake on the 3 pt be useful ?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

landscape or root rakes are really good to have too, makes short work of the root cleanup.

Depending on how hard your ground is, another option might be a roto tiller.
I field cultivator does a great job at ripping roots out, that's what I made mine to do.

Here is the one I made, It's on the B7100 here and 9 teeth was a bit much for the B, I have a 3 tooth one that I made that just rips the ground right up


Here it's on the L3450, the L pulls it without a problem!

 

[tsafa]

landscape or root rakes are really good to have too, makes short work of the root cleanup.

Depending on how hard your ground is, another option might be a roto tiller.
I field cultivator does a great job at ripping roots out, that's what I made mine to do.

Here is the one I made, It's on the B7100 here and 9 teeth was a bit much for the B, I have a 3 tooth one that I made that just rips the ground right up
View attachment 8914

Here it's on the L3450, the L pulls it without a problem!
View attachment 8915

Great stuff. You are expanding my Tractor Vocabulary. I did not know these things even existed.

I like the Field Cultivator in the photo. It seems like it might work very well for straining out large rocks and roots but leaving the dirt behind.

How does the Roto Tiller work? Any advantage to that over the Field Cultivator?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

That's exactly what it does and it rips out just about any foliage, roots and all.

I use that and a spike harrow and that sets everything right up for a real good seed bed.

 

[tsafa]

Doing some googling to find pictures of all these different attachments. Thanks for the tips.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/370884403170?lpid=82

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/countylinereg;--c--tine-cultivator-1-row?cm_vc=-10005

http://www.everythingattachments.co...-C-Tine-Cultivator-p/kk-c-tine-cultivator.htm

https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...a=X&ei=W1KBUve9POawsQSu1oHoBg&ved=0CE0Q8wIwAA

What do you think about the one from Tractor Supply for $300?

King Kutter seems to be the KING KONG of Field Cultivators. Do you think my L3800 can pull that with 38 HP?

 

[tsafa]

Is there any difference in how the patern teeth are arranged on the Field Cultivator? I see some of them in a triangle shape, others in a single row others in an offset double row.

 

[skeets]

Here ya go look through here they have just about everything you could want and videos on how to use it

http://www.everythingattachments.com/

And welcome, pictures are nice too

 

[tsafa]

Here ya go look through here they have just about everything you could want and videos on how to use it

http://www.everythingattachments.com/

And welcome, pictures are nice too

Yep... that is just where I was.

I am liking this one:
http://www.everythingattachments.co...-C-Tine-Cultivator-p/kk-c-tine-cultivator.htm

It says "not for Sub-Compact tractors". Ok for L3800, Right?

Edit: I was just talking to someone and they recommended getting a box blade instead and angling the teeth to dig in and the box up. He said that I will hit many big rocks in my area and the teeth will be a lot tougher on the box blade. What do you think about his opinion?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

What you want is a field cultivator, not a row cultivator, there is a big difference in how they work.

http://www.everythingattachments.co...ivator-15-80-p/lb-cultivator-2row-lb15180.htm

They have spring tines that will bounce around rocks.

A box blade with rippers is fine but it's going to beat the snot out of you as there is no give in the tines.

If you have a lot of rocks to deal with maybe a sub-soiler would be a good bet.
http://www.everythingattachments.co...l-Sub-Soiler-p/kk-sub-g-yp-pro-sub-soiler.htm

 

[tsafa]

What you want is a field cultivator, not a row cultivator, there is a big difference in how they work.

http://www.everythingattachments.co...ivator-15-80-p/lb-cultivator-2row-lb15180.htm

They have spring tines that will bounce around rocks.

A box blade with rippers is fine but it's going to beat the snot out of you as there is no give in the tines.

If you have a lot of rocks to deal with maybe a sub-soiler would be a good bet.
http://www.everythingattachments.co...l-Sub-Soiler-p/kk-sub-g-yp-pro-sub-soiler.htm

Thanks again Wolfman !

 

[armylifer]

I use my box blad to rip up my garden. It makes fast work of tilling hard packed soil as well as leveling the garden plot. I used it to make our 60 ft x 60 foot garden plot and to take out several tons of sub-surface rocks.

 

[Burt]

Yep... that is just where I was.

I am liking this one:
http://www.everythingattachments.co...-C-Tine-Cultivator-p/kk-c-tine-cultivator.htm

It says "not for Sub-Compact tractors". Ok for L3800, Right?

Edit: I was just talking to someone and they recommended getting a box blade instead and angling the teeth to dig in and the box up. He said that I will hit many big rocks in my area and the teeth will be a lot tougher on the box blade. What do you think about his opinion?

Box blades are not normally used for rock notification like that. Your first two options are great ones and give you the most flexibility. Consider also that you are doing this one time and will you need an implement that many times. I'D consider hiring it done for a one time deal and then just clean it all up with your shiny new tractor. You may never need a disc harrow again.

We have a spring tooth unused here.

Get yourself a "San Angelo" bar at Home Depot in the gArden section for about $25. Put it in the hole behind your loader arm, get off your 3800 and look at what kind of rock you discovered. Our have rocks about the size range you describe. Once you unearth it, put or leave it in an area you can go back for a loader full. The instructions on how to use a San Angelo bar are on each end.

Build a planting" berm or loading ramp if you get a bunch too much.

Good diggin and getting some dirt on stff.

Burt

 

[tsafa]

Get yourself a "San Angelo" bar at Home Depot in the gArden section for about $25. Put it in the hole behind your loader arm,

Burt

I just went out to look at the FEL. I don't see any hole that would hold that bar in a spike position. I have an LA524. Can you give me some more detail on this? I already have a San Anglo bar. I just did not know its name till now.

Your idea is similar to using a Sub Soiler on the 3 pt. I was considering this one for $180.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/countylinereg;-sub-soiler?cm_vc=-10005

 

[skeets]

tsafa,, a good point brought up depending on how much land you want to dig up,
It maybe more cost effective for you to get a local farmer that has everything they use, to plow it up disk it all out and you go alone picking up the rocks and other little nasty's.
Then go look for a tiller cause once all that heavy stuff is done you most likely will never use that stuff again.
I am in no way trying to talk you out of anything just that a buck is tight now a days, and if you don't have to spring for equipment you will most likely use only once or twice it would be cheaper to get it done by someone who already has the stuff big enough to get the job done right in the first place,,, just MHO

 

[tsafa]

Thanks for all the good advice everyone.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'm all for getting an implement that is muti use. Here is a three point 2" receiver hitch and a ripper insert that I made to rip out roots and smaller rocks.

 

[tsafa]

I'm all for getting an implement that is muti use. Here is a three point 2" receiver hitch and a ripper insert that I made to rip out roots and smaller rocks.

View attachment 8926

That is very cool. I am going to guess that they don't sell that, right?

 

[Burt]

I just went out to look at the FEL. I don't see any hole that would hold that bar in a spike position. I have an LA524. Can you give me some more detail on this? I already have a San Anglo bar. I just did not know its name till now.

Your idea is similar to using a Sub Soiler on the 3 pt. I was considering this one for $180.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/countylinereg;-sub-soiler?cm_vc=-10005

OK, we have different loaders.
You could tie your San Angelo bar there, or just bungee it on.

SRI, can't send a pic as my pictures don't have URL's attached to them. I can send one to a private e-mail if you wish.

At some point, your need will be to just DIY and get going...I also have a sub soiler but don't think it's purpose is going to go very far at removing the big ones, in fact, be more of a problem. You mentioned that you want a multi-purpose tool. A sub soiler is really all about digging a small unconventional trench. You cannot tilt it like a box blade and it is limited to a small area behind your tractor. Thus I classify these as single purpose tools.

Most box blades will do a multi-purpose for you but then you need to decide what you will use it for after you clear your land.

I'm sticking with my original recommendation of finding a farmer that has the large discs and hiring him for the big stuff. Clean up the rest with you loader, San Angelo or your new box blade.

Now, go get dirty!

Burt