Cultipacker or heavy lawn roller: What will work better

[LD1]

Areas around the barn construction were a mess since this was a very wet spring. IT was never very smooth to begin with, with dips and low spots and what not. So about a month and a half ago I disc'd everything real good with the plan to run the cultipacker over it. Then we got about a month of straight rain. Sod re-established, etc. I had to mow it slow and with the deck all the way up on the Ztr.

So now we have had a week+ of dry hot weather, I am back at it. This time I used the tiller to go over everything to a depth of 4 or 5 inches. But a neither the tiller or disc break up sod clods real well. So I am wondering what is better.

1. Cultipacker. its either a 10 or 12' single row pull type. I lifted its the neighbor farmers and I have lifted it on and off of the trailer for him before. I am guessing it weighs 1300-1500#

2. Heavy lawn roller. 38" diameter and 4' wide. Weighs about 800# empty and is ~2/3rds full of oil, so about 150 gallons for another 1200#. It does pack real well but never used it to try to break up clods.

Here are some pics. I still need to use either the blade spun backwards or the landscape rake to level some areas out and smooth out some of the ridges the tiller left. Also a pic of the lawn roller. Sorry, none of the cultipacker.

 

[dusty3030]

Never hurts to roll it or try the cultipacker but to bust up clods you need a "do - all" or something similar first.
Do you have a drag or spike harrow? If they are dry you will bust them up pretty good with a drag then roll or cultipack.

 

[LD1]

Nope, no drag. I dont even have a piece of chain link fence to use.

I have:
54" tiller
2-bottom plow
6' disc
cultipacker
Roller
7' heavy Blade
6' lighter blade
Landscape rake

That is the extent of my dirt working equipment

 

[dusty3030]

Turn you landscape rake backwards and that would work.
Might have to play with top link angle a little so it rides up over stuff good but that should work.

 

[AaronS]

If the clods are dry, either will work. I think the cultipacker would work better and faster.

 

[mx1alex]

Maybe do both. I think the cutlipacker will have a better shot at breaking up the clods and then finish everything off with the roller.

 

[Halftrack]

My first concern is if you have the dips and low spots erased. If you don't fix them now, they will be there forever. My suggestion to remove them is a couple of 2x10 boards flat at a slight angle to each other with other boards fastened above to use as a drag to fill the low spots. It could be pulled behind the disc, blades or rake to level out the field. It will also break up the clods. If you get it level to your satisfaction, spread your grass seed with a fan spreader and then cris-cross cultipack to work the seed in. Now don't touch until you have 3 to 4" of growth or more and then either as mowing or prior to, roll with the heavy roller. You can always dismantle the drag and use the boards for something else later. Late August, through September usually produces enough rainfall for seed germination and growth. Good luck.

 

[Baby Grand]

For busting up the clods I'd hitch up the cultipacker, provided everything is dry enough. Once the clods are reduced, the rake or the rear blade should do a good job of redistributing the top layer so you get a smooth, contoured surface.

 

[bigtiller]

A reverse tine tiller would bury the grass clumps, but you don't have one. So next, I would use your cultipacker. If you pulled it from several different directions it should stuff the clumps into the soil. Just remember, the mower ride will not be smooth as glass for a few years.

I used a spike harrow to finish my yard before planting and it took several years for the spike marks to level out.

 

[bcp]

I used a spike harrow to finish my yard before planting and it took several years for the spike marks to level out.

A quick, cheap implement for smoothing is a couple of pallets. Turn them upside down, side by side, then nail a couple of 2x4's across them to make an 8 foot wide pallet. Pull it around to remove marks, grooves, ridges, etc.

Bruce