Hay King Pasture Renovator

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I bought a 4 shank pasture renovator/aeriator. The shanks are about 15" spread apart so theoretically it covers 5 feet.

Has anyone here used one? I talked to my deere dealer and they liked them but said "Don't try to make any turns while its in the ground." We have about 26 acres of coastal bermuda and suppossedly, the front coulters cut the roots so that it keeps a bunch of crap from wrapping up in the rippers. I'm guessing to run it 4-6" deep. It will probably depend on the moisture in our clay soil and any weight I might add. I'm planning on running it in the spring, prior to fertilizing. They claim 10-15 HP per shank to run it.

I bought it at an auction and would have prefered to get a 6 shank model. So, if I like how it works, and I decide to move up, I might put it up for sale.

 

[zjohnson]

I pulled a 12 ft over my pastures this spring before the fertilizer trucks came. I was pleased with the results. It works like a subsoiler in that it should do very little surface damage( yep the coulters cut the roots and the shank should leave an inch or so clean "cut" in the ground) while the tips should shatter the subsurface. It needs to run deep enough so you get the clean surface cut - this means weight (down pressure) and grunt to pull. My 90 hp worked in 4wd to pull the 12 ft'er through - thought I might have to break out the old 1130 (no cab,air,radio - how did the old farmers survive? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )to pull it! Don't try a sharp turn with the shanks down - the best that will happen is that you will bog down - most likley something expensive will break. Pretend you are row cropping and make straight cuts - lift - and start another row.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

One thing to keep in mind, different soil types have different needs. But basically, if you have compacted soils, they need to be opened up.

Pasture renovators are a compromise. They shatter compaction at a shallow depth. The BEST thing for the soil would be ripping deep. (i.e. "deep ripper", chisel plow, ect) Those tools however would take your pasture out of use for a while, untill they were re-seeded and re-established grass.

Speaking from my experience (in soils around here) they work best when ran as deep as possible. I rented one a few years back (same brand) I ran it almost to the coulter hubs. (Roughly 8" deep) It pulled like an anchor (3-shank, behind 60+ HP/6800 lb tractor)

The biggest noticable improvement was with drainage. The field I did was noticable less proned to standing water than prior to "renovating".

Just a note. We have clay-based soil, shallow top-soil, with limestone usually less than 5' below the surface.

 

[slowzuki]

The pull hard, watch out for roots in recently established fields. They can stop a tractor quickly.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Thanks guys.

I was told to pull it "slow", that going too fast seemed to start shearing off bolts quickly.

Time and experience will tell.

Next spring I'll update this post with some pictures of what it does and how it seems to work.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Update on pasture renovator.

Turns out these things will pull up rocks if you have them. We have maybe a few percent of rocks up to small potato size in which this thing noticably "pulled" them up to the surface. I was running it deep, up to the coulters' hubs. I did this after a rain when the soil was moist and I added a couple hundred pounds of weight to help it go deep. We have clay type soil.

I also used it to till up my garden by making multiple passes over and over. It did an excellent job. I went back over it easily with a 5 hp Sears tiller to turn under the grass and to mix in some mulch. The tiller had it easy since the dirt was all broken up.

I've decided I want to sell or trade it for a disk. I would recommend it to someone with dirt fields(no rock), 40-45 hp.

My dealer will rent me an Aerway which is like a big meat tenderizer. I've used it before. I don't think it does as good a job but it doesn't pull up rocks.
AerWay Ag

I guess I'll rent it again this spring.

 

[jimg]

Thanx for the Aerway link. Their website doesnt contain too much detailed info though. Do you know what the HP recommendation / ft of attachment is? Also when you say it doesnt do as good a job what do you mean? What Im after is how youre measuring the result. Thanx....

 

[LoneCowboy]

I have an Aerway, it's my business. (Pasture Aeration)
It's pretty **** cool, esp out here where it's just solid hard pack clay.
Goes as deep as the compaction lets it. (first pass can be as little as 2", but come back 90 days later and it's down to 5" and another 90 days and it's down to the full 8")
it's not a straight tine, it twists as it pulls so it "shatters" the ground, but it's perfectly fine for putting animals back on it.

I talked with the factory a while.
7 PTO HP per foot of Aerway,
DO NOT ADD extra weight, he said you'll break the frame, it's designed to take the weight it has on it. I have the water fill option (so i can truck it around) and full up, the 5' model weighs like 1800lbs.

It needs some front weight to run right, it's a little front end light when it's full up, even with the FEL. You can' tturn with it in the ground.
It does amazing things for the soil though.

Oh, things are outrageously expensive. a 5' is about 4 to 5 grand. 8' pull type is about 7 grand.

works great when overseeding too.

 

[dullpain]

Update on pasture renovator.


I've decided I want to sell or trade it for a disk. I would recommend it to someone with dirt fields(no rock), 40-45 hp.

Wish I was close by , would love to have it............. been looking but no luck.

 

[kossetx]

Kyle, Have a # I can call?