How do you fix ruts with a tractor?

[/pine]

Interesting, kind of like fixing a golf ball mark but on a large scale.

Repairing "divots" was exactly the rationale behind my first reply to this thread (#10)...grass seed and sand, in 10 days you never knew they were there...!

 

[wagne223]

I HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM---LOGGING CO. LEFT SOME HUGE RUTS IN MY YARD AND WOODS. I PLAN ON USING MY KIOTI AND A BOX BLADE TO LEVEL THEM OFF. THE GRASS WILL PROBABLY CLOG THINGS UP, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. I DON'T CARE IF THE GRASS DIES, IT'S A FIELD AND WILL COME BACK EVENTUALLY.

I lease timber land for hunting so I encounter these huge ruts frequently.

Note: working on ruts left by heavy machinery is a rollover hazard. Pay attention and be sure your ROPS is securely up and seatbelt is in good condition and on!

I am a novice at dirt work, however, this is my process using the attachments I have.

1. Pull disc harrow over the area to loosen the material. (Ruts are a combination of compacted soil as much as displaced soil)

2. Perform 1st smoothing with box blade and back dragging bucket.

3. Wait for rain to compact the area, or drive over many times with tractor to compact.

4. Use box blade to move material from any high spots to any low spots.

5. Final smoothing .

6. Allow natural vegetation to grow in.

 

[Ford850]

For minor ruts like the OP had in a lawn, I use a potato fork and pry up the 'dents' one fork width at a time. Sometimes I work down both side of each rut. Works like a charm and no seeding necessary. Major ruts I till, drag, seed, roll.

Interesting, kind of like fixing a golf ball mark but on a large scale.

I think I got the tip on this site years ago, and I've used it many times now.

 

[JDAOWNER]

I lease timber land for hunting so I encounter these huge ruts frequently.

Note: working on ruts left by heavy machinery is a rollover hazard. Pay attention and be sure your ROPS is securely up and seatbelt is in good condition and on!

I am a novice at dirt work, however, this is my process using the attachments I have.

1. Pull disc harrow over the area to loosen the material. (Ruts are a combination of compacted soil as much as displaced soil)

2. Perform 1st smoothing with box blade and back dragging bucket.

3. Wait for rain to compact the area, or drive over many times with tractor to compact.

4. Use box blade to move material from any high spots to any low spots.

5. Final smoothing .

6. Allow natural vegetation to grow in.

THANKS--I HAVE AN OLD DISC, I'M NOT SURE IT WILL CUT THROUGH THE GRASS. IT'S 3 FT TALL, AND IT'S STILL TO WET TO WORK.

 

[/pine]

After re-reading a few posts I think there may be some misconception as to the analogy of fixing a golf ball mark and repairing a divot...the comparison should be towards the latter not the former...

fixing a ball mark (dent) on a green by prying up the turf from the side so it appears smooth is only a temporary fix...if green keepers did not constantly sand greens they would be very lumpy from all the soft spots that would develop where ball marks had been fixed...

Granted pushing the compressed earth/grass back up does not require reseeding the depressions will return with live loads including lawn mowers etc...

 

[ruffdog]

Interesting, kind of like fixing a golf ball mark but on a large scale.

Yes, just like fixing a golf ball divot. I did the same thing when the Propane truck drove part way into the front yard. It worked great and that was a few years ago.

 

[hawkeye08]

Some farmers with circle irrigation have special dump trailers that have a narrow opening to dump that fills the ruts left the circle wheels. Perhaps adapt a small dump cart to only dump 6" wide?

 

[big bubba]

deepen the ruts w/tractor tires. fill 1/2 to 2/3 w/smaller creek gravel. top off w/clay based soil, then back drag w/fel

 

[TheMan419]

Tiller. Yes it will kill the grass. Till it, smooth it with a drag harrow. Plant new grass seed.

As for the mosquitoes, kill more of them. We were held hostage by them a couple years ago. I went to war with them, but used a sprayer you attach to the end of your garden hose and pour the chemical in. Worked well. Def more work than using the sprayer on the tractor, but did not rut up the lawn.

 

[hks003]

I use a ratchet rake and back drag. It pulls up grass, but it leaves most of the dirt as it drops into low spots.

 

[strantor]

I had the most luck fixing my lawn ruts by waiting, letting it dry out until just the right day when the ground is semi-soft, not soupy and not dry, and just walking beside the ruts, pushing the displaced turf back where it goes with my feet. Then a day or 2 (or 5) later when its dry enough to drive the tractor on without making worse ruts, donthe same thing with the tractor. Drive beside the ruts, right on the edge, and let the weight of the tractor tires push the remaining displaced turf back where it goes. What remains is either no rut, or a very small mark that can be easily filled in without calling truckloads of fill dirt.

 

[coobie]

I HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM---LOGGING CO. LEFT SOME HUGE RUTS IN MY YARD AND WOODS. I PLAN ON USING MY KIOTI AND A BOX BLADE TO LEVEL THEM OFF. THE GRASS WILL PROBABLY CLOG THINGS UP, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. I DON'T CARE IF THE GRASS DIES, IT'S A FIELD AND WILL COME BACK EVENTUALLY.

3 point rotor tiller works wonders.Finish with lawn roller.

 

[Lowcountry Rebel]

Some farmers with circle irrigation have special dump trailers that have a narrow opening to dump that fills the ruts left the circle wheels. Perhaps adapt a small dump cart to only dump 6" wide?

I did the opposite, we made a deflector ( inverted V, 1 sheet of plywood ripped down the center and some 2x framing) and mounted it onto a small trailer, pulled the trailer between the ruts with a 4 wheeler and used my loader to dump gravel fill onto the deflector- 90% went entirely into the big ruts. Drug it with my LPGS to smooth out, then top dressed with 57 stone.

 

[bazman82]

I've always either used my back blade to fill in the ruts and smooth out the best I can or if really bad and deep I'll bring dirt from somewhere else and fill them in. Then I'll just back drag with the bucket and disc then use either the cultipacker or cultimulcher (depends on the area I am fixing up).

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Problem is the compacted soil. Even with filling and reseeding, there will be a noticeable difference between where the ruts were, and where they aren't. Depending on the use of the area, you might want to consider tilling the soil up, replanting, and rolling the entire area. And then keep off it with the tractor when it's wet. ;-)