Homemade 2 shank subsoiler

[ptsg]

View attachment 804458The ground force is extreme in MI clay. See the picture below.

One of the reasons why I went overkill on mine. I saw a similar unit for sale locally, asking €300 (crazy price IMO), but it's just built to lightly unless they meant it should only be used in sand or something.

 

[paulsharvey]

One of the reasons why I went overkill on mine. I saw a similar unit for sale locally, asking €300 (crazy price IMO), but it's just built to lightly unless they meant it should only be used in sand or something.

That is, or let's say Was, a middlebuster or potatoe plow; not a subsoiler; and not really intended as a primary tillage impliment.

 

[Renze]

This more or less what I'm trying to achieve.

In this case, it's a Landini 2-55 with 50 HP, same weight and size as mine, pulling a 5 shank ripper about 11" to 13" deep.

Thats allmost the same as the 9 shank Jako cultivator we borrowed from the neighbour. It took all 55 hp of our Zetor 5245 to bury it to the frame. Off course it weighs 3 times as much as this Landini which aids traction...

Given the tape measure he holds beside it, its barely putting the chisels under, so 20 to 24cm working depth (8 to 10")

 

[ptsg]

And it's done! Still subject to some minor changes after some testing but it's done. Specially the corner of the shanks. That will most likely come out.

Any bets on how long it will take for the support stand to turn into the 3rd shank?

 

[Renze]

Any bets on how long it will take for the support stand to turn into the 3rd shank?

Have you used it already ?
It pulls easiest if you make the 3rd leg staggered, which makes it easier to compress the soil sideways inbetween the shanks.

We used to borrow a grassland subsoiler with a disk coulter in front, and a foot wide steel roller behind each leg. It was a two leg machine and we used to overlap 50% to achieve staggered tines: The coulter and roller of the center leg were missing so the owner. disassembled the center (3rd) tine.

My guesstimate is that your tractor, on radials, at slightly less than half the weight of ours, will pull 3 legs just fine where ours pulled 9 on light soil. The rear row of tines have half the resistance of the front row so effectively we were pulling a 7 tine (5 in the front row breaking up full field, 4 in the rear row running in mostly broken up soil because of the too narrow tine spacing to bust the soil to the same 10 to 12" as the moldboard plough)

 

[Renze]

If this is an Olive orchard will there be roots to contend with? Amazing how strong a small root is when anchored in the ground.

As points for power requirements,
In the fall I run a 9 shank disk ripper and in areas where we haul a lot of loads try to get it down 14 - 16 inches deep. Frequently limited by traction. 480 HP 4WD drive estimate weight at 45,000 lbs. Never ever get that deep on first pass.

Neighbor has 5 shank subsoiler on 300 HP FWA tractor and he spins out trying to go 16-18” deep on packed headlands.

"Where we haul a lot of loads" i guess the OP doesnt run grain trucks or 300hp tractors on row crop tires in his veggie plot, so he doesnt have packed headlands...

What kind of ripper do you use, a pull type, which puts the weight of the soil being lifted on the implement wheels or crumbler roller instead of on the tractor ? When our friend ripped the frame of his grassland subsoiler to pieces on an ore deposit in his field, we borrowed a very heavy Evers 3 leg ripper from a neighbour, with our 5245 on duals i could run it up to 30" deep untill the grain stubble started to plug up under the frame. That was in low range, at a speed where it would have spun out if it wasnt for the weight of the lifted soil pulling extra weight on the rear axle. When i lifted the 3pt at the end of the pass without stopping, the tractor would simply wheelie up untill the draft resistance and downforce would reduce when the ripper came out of the ground and the front axle came down to earth.

Unlike a cultivator with steeper chisel angles intended to mix rather than lift, you get a lot of extra traction with a ripper when having it 3pt mounted.

 

[ptsg]

Have you used it already ?
It pulls easiest if you make the 3rd leg staggered, which makes it easier to compress the soil sideways inbetween the shanks.

We used to borrow a grassland subsoiler with a disk coulter in front, and a foot wide steel roller behind each leg. It was a two leg machine and we used to overlap 50% to achieve staggered tines: The coulter and roller of the center leg were missing so the owner. disassembled the center (3rd) tine.

My guesstimate is that your tractor, on radials, at slightly less than half the weight of ours, will pull 3 legs just fine where ours pulled 9 on light soil. The rear row of tines have half the resistance of the front row so effectively we were pulling a 7 tine (5 in the front row breaking up full field, 4 in the rear row running in mostly broken up soil because of the too narrow tine spacing to bust the soil to the same 10 to 12" as the moldboard plough)

Haven't tested it. Tomorrow if the weather allows. I was joking about the 3rd shank as I'll most likely forget to take the stand off.

My tractor without the loader on, is around 1650 KGs, give or take 50 KGs. I don't have radials though. Definitely something I would go with if I were to buy a tractor today.

 

[oldnslo]

"Where we haul a lot of loads" i guess the OP doesnt run grain trucks or 300hp tractors on row crop tires in his veggie plot, so he doesnt have packed headlands...

What kind of ripper do you use, a pull type, which puts the weight of the soil being lifted on the implement wheels or crumbler roller instead of on the tractor ? When our friend ripped the frame of his grassland subsoiler to pieces on an ore deposit in his field, we borrowed a very heavy Evers 3 leg ripper from a neighbour, with our 5245 on duals i could run it up to 30" deep untill the grain stubble started to plug up under the frame. That was in low range, at a speed where it would have spun out if it wasnt for the weight of the lifted soil pulling extra weight on the rear axle. When i lifted the 3pt at the end of the pass without stopping, the tractor would simply wheelie up untill the draft resistance and downforce would reduce when the ripper came out of the ground and the front axle came down to earth.

Unlike a cultivator with steeper chisel angles intended to mix rather than lift, you get a lot of extra traction with a ripper when having it 3pt mounted.

The unit I run is what is called a disc ripper here in the USA. Case IH 870 Ecolo-tiger. It has tandem disc gangs in the front that you can adjust depth from tractor, 9 ripper shanks, then closing disks and roller baskets. This is purely pull type on 480 HP 4WD articulated steer tractor. Neighbor has Case IH not sure on model approx 300 - 325 HP (I think) MFWA with the 5 shank 3 point mounted ripper so he gets benefit of weight and draft for added traction. Packed head lands lugs really don't bite so it is a pure friction drive system.

 

[ptsg]

Say what?

First pass ever. 40cm deep up to the gussets.

Tractor had no issues other than some hard spots here and there that required me lift the 3 pt an inch or so.

More to follow.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Say what?

First pass ever. 40cm deep up to the gussets.

Tractor had no issues other than some hard spots here and there that required me lift the 3 pt an inch or so.

More to follow.

gg

 

[K5lwq]

Great job! A video would be nice if you get a chance.

 

[ptsg]

Great job! A video would be nice if you get a chance.

For sure, just another day. Just got rained out for today.

 

[jmc]

Full depth in dry soil, no less. Nice!

 

[dieselscout80]

My father in law had a big DMI subsoiler took +250 HP to pull.

It had small wing type protrusions on the replaceable tooth to increase the scattering of the soi hardpan. As your subsoiler pull easy enough adding the wings may help loosen your soil.

 

[bigtiller]

My father in law had a big DMI subsoiler took +250 HP to pull.

It had small wing type protrusions on the replaceable tooth to increase the scattering of the soi hardpan. As your subsoiler pull easy enough adding the wings may help loosen your soil.

I agree. Add a ~ 6" shovel (wing) to the chisel points you have now for a greatly improved shattering of dry soil.

 

[ptsg]

We had a severe storm hitting the Portuguese islands of Azores and Madeira, so we're now getting some of the leftovers in mainland. Mostly those quick showers that come and go. Either way, rain is more than welcome to come.

Anyway, still managed to use the subsoiler some more on the olive grove and got some clips of it working.

The front end is a little bit on the light side since I took the front weights off a couple months ago. I could use the loader but just gets in the way most of the time. I'm also still running tire pressure for loader work at the front which won't help much. The rear are right at 14 PSI or a little bit less and are loaded with water.

I'm super stoked on how everything worked. Heck, I would be happy if the thing would just dig by itself, let alone pull it full depth. I'm really surprised the tractor pulled it so nicely. I did bring it back home for a nice coat of paint and I'm still going to cut the back corner of the shanks.

I did play a little bit with the draft control but wouldn't let me go full depth, only like 3/4 depth. Looks like I need to do some adjustments on the linkage possibly so I can use it more reliably.

Here is the video:

 

[Renze]

I did play a little bit with the draft control but wouldn't let me go full depth, only like 3/4 depth. Looks like I need to do some adjustments on the linkage possibly so I can use it more reliably.

Draft control wont help you subsoiling, the legs extending so far down puts too much pressure on the top link to make it do other than simply lift your implement. A plough is much longer, creating different draft control dynamics.

 

[jmc]

I did play a little bit with the draft control but wouldn't let me go full depth, only like 3/4 depth. Looks like I need to do some adjustments on the linkage possibly so I can use it more reliably.

Yep, shortening the top link will creat more clearance angle under the foot when it's fully buried. As is, that heel and bottom might be plowing way down there too.

it would be interesting to "streamline" the shanks' 1 1/4" x 15" or so frontal area. Maybe tacking a 15" long strip of 1/4" x 1/2", on edge, down the center of their faces. A lazy way to kinda chamfer them.

But dam, it's good enough on the first try.

 

[ptsg]

Yep, shortening the top link will creat more clearance angle under the foot when it's fully buried. As is, that heel and bottom might be plowing way down there too.

it would be interesting to "streamline" the shanks' 1 1/4" x 15" or so frontal area. Maybe tacking a 15" long strip of 1/4" x 1/2", on edge, down the center of their faces. A lazy way to kinda chamfer them.

But dam, it's good enough on the first try.

I forgot to mention that before but I did chamfer the shanks a little bit. Still has about 1/4" width at the crest (?) but I got fed up of the grinder and grinding dust. I figured some serious work hours will take care of that.

Once I do more testing, I'll play with different top link lengths and also the different holes on the top link mount.

 

[K5lwq]

I would say that is an excellent first run at it! Thanks for the video!