Skids Worn on LandPlane

[CliffordK]

I haven't ever used one of those, but it sounds like it might help with a bumpy field... hopefully not completely tearing up the turf.

A few years ago I picked up some brand new grader blade edges at the county surplus auction. It sounds like a perfect application for them.

 

[sandman2234]

I haven't ever used one of those, but it sounds like it might help with a bumpy field... hopefully not completely tearing up the turf.

A few years ago I picked up some brand new grader blade edges at the county surplus auction. It sounds like a perfect application for them.

I think you need a roller! Building one of these is a great idea, but mine cuts asphalt, much less turf!
David from jax

 

[CliffordK]

I think you need a roller! Building one of these is a great idea, but mine cuts asphalt, much less turf!
David from jax

Maybe a bit of research. Mom has a hay field that is a little bumpy in areas. But, it also has winter boggy problems. I'd rather try to flatten it without destroying the upper turf layer.

Of course some of the issues are also critters. Primarily moles and gophers. I've offered a couple of cats to help with the critters.

In the back there are some unique ant hills. If I was to expand the hay pasture, I'd have to deal with those too. About a cubic foot each. The ants don't really hurt anything. They apparently choose to build up in the boggy areas. I don't think that pasture was ever replanted since we had pigs that had their own unique plan for pasture contouring.

 

[jwmorris]

Of course some of the issues are also critters. Primarily moles and gophers. I've offered a couple of cats to help with the critters.

A gopher plow would be much more effective and faster. I made this one that makes a tunnel below ground and drops a thimble sized amount of poison seeds very 3ft at a presst but adjustable depth.

The 1" shaft below the hopper has a blind hole in it that rotates when the depth stop wheel is on the ground.

The 2" bar stock on the bottom makes the tunnel, the seed drops out behind it.

 

[sandman2234]

JWMorris, nice gopher plow. I agree that would be faster than cats! I am thinking that what the O/P was looking for is a way to make the pasture as flat as possible, which the grader would do a good job of, as long as the angle was controlled to not dig into the turf, but to skim across and only hitting the high areas. I am not sure that the best way to get rid of gopher runs would be to use a grader, because as the blade comes across the pasture and hits the run, it would tend to cut the elevated soil and carry it across to the next low spot. That would leave an uncovered hole, which I am sure isn't what the O/P wanted. If he used a roller, it would flatten that soil back into the run. The anthills would be sort of the same way, as the chances of pushing the dirt directly into the hole rather than just in the line of travel is going to be a challenge.
I am thinking that this is going to be a multi facet task, that never ends!
David from jax