I'm new to the food plot thing. Deer hunting buddies want to start working the ground next spring. Soil is fairly heavy and very rocky. I could probably chisel plow first, but that would bring too many rocks up. Hoping to hit it with round-up and then disc. We don't have any equipment yet. How big a tractor would I need to pull a 2 row disc about 6 feet wide? I don't know what that size disc would weigh. 800 - 1000 pounds?
disc for food plots
- Thread starter flINTLOCK
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stevenf
Platinum Member
flintrock, what a bag of worms you've opened the opinions will go from drag a brushy tree behind a 4 wheeler to you need a 90 hp tractor, 7 shank chisel plow and a 8' disc which is where I stand but I'm using the tractor for many other purposes besides just food plots. You will have varying degrees of luck with food plots mostly dependent on the weather and rain being the most critical. If your patient and can wait for rain a 6' disc weighted down a lot will do fine as far as the tractor to pull it probably a 30HP 4 wheel drive would do it but I'm guessing. I'm sure you'll get responses from folks with smaller tractors and they can steer you as to how small/cheap you can go to pull a 6' disc in damp soil (not wet just rained on in the last 2 or 3 days pretty good). In addition to a disc some type of spreader would be nice to sling the seed and fertilizer we still do it by hand but I'm watching for a good used one because walking a freshly plowed field back and forth gets old quick while cranking a hand type spreader.
Steve
Steve
Thats good to know. Maybe we can get by with a 4 footer. We've already limed 2 plots about 2 acres each for spring planting. Hope to work up another 4 acres for late summer planting. We were hoping a 30 horse NH or JD would have enough guts to do some light to moderate bush-hogging and handle a disc.
Harleymsn
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If all your gonna do is use the land mostly for hunting, and you really don't have another need for the tractor, I would suggest you call on a couple local farmers to see if anybody would do it for you. Before I started building my house here, I had a fella from down the road who did bush hogging for me and a few other land owners nearby. He also brought a disc and plowed up one guys place for the food plot like you mentioned. He charged us $25 per hour and worked pretty quick. If you can't find one, check your local rental shops. In town here there is an RSC rental shop, theyt have 30hp Kubotas with 4' disc harrows. I have my own tractor now, but to plow up my garden (about 1/2 acre) I rent the disc harrow for $35 for the weekend, lots cheaper than spending $600 to buy one.
andrewj
Platinum Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm new to the food plot thing. Deer hunting buddies want to start working the ground next spring. Soil is fairly heavy and very rocky. I could probably chisel plow first, but that would bring too many rocks up. Hoping to hit it with round-up and then disc. We don't have any equipment yet. How big a tractor would I need to pull a 2 row disc about 6 feet wide? I don't know what that size disc would weigh. 800 - 1000 pounds? )</font>
if it's too rocky for chisel plow then a disc harrow won't touch it...? you'd end up breaking disks. And as for waiting till spring, do it now. Depends onwhat you are planting but you want to chisel the ground, pull up roots let them dry in sun/cold and kill the plant so they won't emerge with your corn.
if it's too rocky for chisel plow then a disc harrow won't touch it...? you'd end up breaking disks. And as for waiting till spring, do it now. Depends onwhat you are planting but you want to chisel the ground, pull up roots let them dry in sun/cold and kill the plant so they won't emerge with your corn.
Ok, I'll chime in on the small tractor recomendation.
If its primarilly going to be a hunting property tractor, you'll want to take into consideration that you will have maintenance and bushhogging to be done. I like the compact tractors for this because they can cut 4wheeler trails very easily, usually between larger trees that you wouldnt want to remove. I use a 4' cutter because it wond hang on a tree while cutting.
I bought a Yanmar 2000 tractor package with a new 4' cutter, box blade, and trailer. Then had him throw in a used tiller,4' too. I'll say this goes down as one of my best investments..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The tiller is worth its weight in gold, much more valuable to me than the $500 I payed for it. However, it may not be the best soloution for your rocky situation. I would recommend the chissel plow. I have used one in the past to do food plots and it worked well. The crop will come up with rocks left behind. You can remove them as time goes by or as a weekend project. But either way, your goal is only to soften the ground for fertilizer and allow roots to establish. You surely wont go wrong with a 30HP JD or NH, I just went the inexpencive route with a 24HP 4x2 and its working really well for me. at about 1/4 the cost.
Happy shopping......
If its primarilly going to be a hunting property tractor, you'll want to take into consideration that you will have maintenance and bushhogging to be done. I like the compact tractors for this because they can cut 4wheeler trails very easily, usually between larger trees that you wouldnt want to remove. I use a 4' cutter because it wond hang on a tree while cutting.
I bought a Yanmar 2000 tractor package with a new 4' cutter, box blade, and trailer. Then had him throw in a used tiller,4' too. I'll say this goes down as one of my best investments..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The tiller is worth its weight in gold, much more valuable to me than the $500 I payed for it. However, it may not be the best soloution for your rocky situation. I would recommend the chissel plow. I have used one in the past to do food plots and it worked well. The crop will come up with rocks left behind. You can remove them as time goes by or as a weekend project. But either way, your goal is only to soften the ground for fertilizer and allow roots to establish. You surely wont go wrong with a 30HP JD or NH, I just went the inexpencive route with a 24HP 4x2 and its working really well for me. at about 1/4 the cost.
Happy shopping......
Eric_Phillips
Platinum Member
I have a 27HP FarmTrac and have been pulling the 6.5' KingKutter disc sold by TSC. The area for the lawn I sprayed RoundUp first then disced. Worked just fine. The past two weekends I went out back to burn some brush piles. The weeds have been growing around them for about two years. The ground was damp but I pulled the disc around, with no added weight, and it made some nice fire breaks. With the weeds it took 4-5 times around to get the dirt really turning over. When I did the lawn area I had about 700lb added and I had to keep the thing from digging in too far in the sandy areas. I have industrial tires, 4 wheel drive, gear drive and have had no problems pulling this disc.
Eric
Eric
theboman
Veteran Member
The Outdoor Channel recently had a thing on food plots and thier pick as the best thing to use is a tiller on a tractor.
First till the area (carefully of roots, stumps, rocks etc). Then spread the seed by whatever means (they used hand cranked and push type seeders) then they used the tiller (not engaged) and drove over the area, a poorman culitpacker! I loved the idea. I'm thinking hard about doing this in a place or two I hunt.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm new to the food plot thing. Deer hunting buddies want to start working the ground next spring. Soil is fairly heavy and very rocky. I could probably chisel plow first, but that would bring too many rocks up. Hoping to hit it with round-up and then disc. We don't have any equipment yet. How big a tractor would I need to pull a 2 row disc about 6 feet wide? I don't know what that size disc would weigh. 800 - 1000 pounds? )</font>
First till the area (carefully of roots, stumps, rocks etc). Then spread the seed by whatever means (they used hand cranked and push type seeders) then they used the tiller (not engaged) and drove over the area, a poorman culitpacker! I loved the idea. I'm thinking hard about doing this in a place or two I hunt.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm new to the food plot thing. Deer hunting buddies want to start working the ground next spring. Soil is fairly heavy and very rocky. I could probably chisel plow first, but that would bring too many rocks up. Hoping to hit it with round-up and then disc. We don't have any equipment yet. How big a tractor would I need to pull a 2 row disc about 6 feet wide? I don't know what that size disc would weigh. 800 - 1000 pounds? )</font>
TNhobbyfarmer
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<font color="blue"> Thats good to know. Maybe we can get by with a 4 footer. We've already limed 2 plots about 2 acres each for spring planting. Hope to work up another 4 acres for late summer planting. We were hoping a 30 horse NH or JD would have enough guts to do some light to moderate bush-hogging and handle a disc.
</font>
Since your're talking about 8 acres or more, I would get as big a tractor as possible. Thats a lot of plowing, disking and planting. Since this is probably ground that hasn't been worked in years (if ever), you will need to work it up pretty good the first time. I would suggest getting a moldboard plow and disk at minimum.
As for a chisel plow, you will need a lot of tractor to use one. A compact tractor just won't get it.
Good luck. I enjoy making food plots. A good plot used by deer will give you lots of satisfaction.
</font>
Since your're talking about 8 acres or more, I would get as big a tractor as possible. Thats a lot of plowing, disking and planting. Since this is probably ground that hasn't been worked in years (if ever), you will need to work it up pretty good the first time. I would suggest getting a moldboard plow and disk at minimum.
As for a chisel plow, you will need a lot of tractor to use one. A compact tractor just won't get it.
Good luck. I enjoy making food plots. A good plot used by deer will give you lots of satisfaction.
Of course size will play a big factor. However we used a 3 tine chissel plow(assuming were talking about the same inplement) behind a JD4100 4x4(20HP) this year and it worked beautifull. I agree that a larger tractor will make things easier, but will it be needed next year and thereafter for maintenance? Just my thoughts, I'm sold on a compact 22-28HP for hunting properties.
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
Isn't it fun to spend someone elses money!
If we were talking unlimited budget, I'd say get yourself a 50 to 75 HP tractor, a tiller, a disc, a chisel plow, and all the rest of the goodies that've come up so far. But I don't recall hearing the "unlimited budget" decree.
So, Back to the original question. A 20 to 25 HP tractor will handle a 6' disc in UNPLOWED ground. It won't dig in far enough to bog you down. In plowed ground, you're gonna have a handfull. I'd stay with 4 to 5'. 3-point disc's aren't known for their deep penetration. That's primarily because they tend to be lighter weight. (Although there are some HEAVYweight 3-pointers around)
I'd forget any notion of using a chisel plow with anything smaller than 50 HP. (And then, you'd still need to stay relatively small) For no more ground that you're talking, a simple single-shank subsoiler would do the trick if you truely do need to rip open the soil. There's a difference between "being able to pull a given implement" and "pulling it on a sustained basis without trashing your tractor". Once again, you aren't talking hundreds of acres here.
One thing to remember. With a deer plot, you aren't after the maximum yields like a grain farmer would be. You don't need to do everything to optimum levels. Just getting a good, solid stand with your crop is enough.
If it were me, and I was starting off with a clean slate, I'd consider something like a Kasco Eco-drill (Kasco Mfg. Shelbyville, Indiana) (no-till planter) and a sprayer. Hit the areas with round-up. Then come back a few days later and no-till your "crop". Less wear and tear on the equipment, and you'll get every bit as good of a crop.
If we were talking unlimited budget, I'd say get yourself a 50 to 75 HP tractor, a tiller, a disc, a chisel plow, and all the rest of the goodies that've come up so far. But I don't recall hearing the "unlimited budget" decree.
So, Back to the original question. A 20 to 25 HP tractor will handle a 6' disc in UNPLOWED ground. It won't dig in far enough to bog you down. In plowed ground, you're gonna have a handfull. I'd stay with 4 to 5'. 3-point disc's aren't known for their deep penetration. That's primarily because they tend to be lighter weight. (Although there are some HEAVYweight 3-pointers around)
I'd forget any notion of using a chisel plow with anything smaller than 50 HP. (And then, you'd still need to stay relatively small) For no more ground that you're talking, a simple single-shank subsoiler would do the trick if you truely do need to rip open the soil. There's a difference between "being able to pull a given implement" and "pulling it on a sustained basis without trashing your tractor". Once again, you aren't talking hundreds of acres here.
One thing to remember. With a deer plot, you aren't after the maximum yields like a grain farmer would be. You don't need to do everything to optimum levels. Just getting a good, solid stand with your crop is enough.
If it were me, and I was starting off with a clean slate, I'd consider something like a Kasco Eco-drill (Kasco Mfg. Shelbyville, Indiana) (no-till planter) and a sprayer. Hit the areas with round-up. Then come back a few days later and no-till your "crop". Less wear and tear on the equipment, and you'll get every bit as good of a crop.
I like the idea of spraying, then drilling the seed. Would the rocky ground damage the drill? I thought drills were very pricey. Don't know is we could afford several thousand $$ piece of equipment. Thanks for all the good advice. Could you frost seed next year to renew the crop?
Just to throw another idea to you, here is what people are doing with no-till and trying to spray less,
no-till roller
My fantasy, build one of these to mount in place of my front bucket with a drill on the 3 point. The Kasco eco-drill looks ideal, but $$.
Kasco supplier
I've linked to this supplier cause they list prices which the manufacturor doesn't.
One pass and you would knock down and kill your cover crop leaving it as mulch, then drill the seeds in underneath.
I'd love to find a cheaper alternative to the no-till drill.
Oh, this is my first attempt at posting links, hope it worked.
Cheers, Dennis
no-till roller
My fantasy, build one of these to mount in place of my front bucket with a drill on the 3 point. The Kasco eco-drill looks ideal, but $$.
Kasco supplier
I've linked to this supplier cause they list prices which the manufacturor doesn't.
One pass and you would knock down and kill your cover crop leaving it as mulch, then drill the seeds in underneath.
I'd love to find a cheaper alternative to the no-till drill.
Oh, this is my first attempt at posting links, hope it worked.
Cheers, Dennis
spanky8N
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"the opinions will go from drag a brushy tree behind a 4 wheeler to you need a 90 hp tractor, 7 shank chisel plow and a 8' disc"
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif That was my laugh for the day. Yes opinions vary on TBN!
To add to the post I pulled a 6' disc behind my 8N with no problems in wet plowed soil.
Dan
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif That was my laugh for the day. Yes opinions vary on TBN!
To add to the post I pulled a 6' disc behind my 8N with no problems in wet plowed soil.
Dan
