Land Leveling

[jmg69]

I am in the process of clearing 3 acres of land for a new home site. I will need to level this land after clearing. does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this easily. I have had a mulcher there mulching underbrush and such and now the terrain is rough. I am thinking of building a 6 tire drag and using that. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[kebo]

How rough is the terrain? Most people would probably use a boxblade and smooth it over. If there's any stumps left over then you might need to rent a stumpgrinder. If it's really rough, then you might need to hire a skid steer or maybe even a dozer.

For the mulch left over, you could get a landscape rake and rake it up into piles. If your tractor has a loader, you could then collect it all and make one or more piles of mulch and use that later on for flowerbeds etc. Good luck, and welcome to TBN!

 

[Thomas]

Average dozer w/good operator would make the task easier more so if there were any kind of stumps..after dozer done rake or drag.

 

[Army grunt]

You have a box blade, also a rototiller. Thats all you need. The above is all good if you got $ers to spend, if not do it yourself. Use the tines on box blade to loosen the soil on high spots then re set them to less an simply grade the stuff with the box blade. thats what its for.. go in different directions an try to keep your tractor level.rember small amounts at a time.keep the soil loose don't pack it. i have done my airstrip like that.If you want to really get it flat i used a roller with airerator spikes to keep the dirt loose an dragged a 8ft 6x6 behind that.top dress with sand spred with the same drag system. keeping the topsoil (dirt) is the trick. i have seen the same trick using a box spring from a bed weighted down with cement blocks..hope this helps. If you have stumps an need them out a excavator (backhoe) will do that. most guys get a min. hr rate to do this.
Army Grunt

 

[The Haymaker]

Anyone ever made a drag from a skidder chain? Once winter goes away I may remover the 500lb spiky mess from the back of my pickup (good traction!) and weld up a drag mat from it.

E

 

[Thomas]

Haymaker.
Thinking about starting rock crop this year..New England known for rocks.

 

[The Haymaker]

Haymaker.
Thinking about starting rock crop this year..New England known for rocks.

We're "lucky" in that aspect. I'm on a bottomless veing of marine clay. Go 100' behind me and it's 40' depth of extremely fine sand, like mortar sand. You can dig in the stuff all day and not even find a pebble.

Of the 15 acres I play on here, I know where there are TWO rocks and they are less than 10" round. BUT, go 10 miles from here and it's some of the best rock-garden style dirtbiking in Central Maine.

I'm thinking the mat, with it's weight and icepicks, will be great from breaking up sod and grinding off high spots.

 

[charlz]

I'm thinking the mat, with it's weight and icepicks, will be great from breaking up sod and grinding off high spots.

Sounds like what you will have is a 'blanket harrow':

Norwest Manufacturing

I have something similar. It does a nice job of smoothing loose dirt, not so much at leveling anything that is not loose. It tends to just conform to the ground, following the dips etc. You might have better luck with a 'bar harrow' for chewing down high spots. Even then you would have to make several passes. If it is sod it likely won't dig in at all.

Beaver Valley Supply Company - McFarlane Harrow Sections

 

[The Haymaker]

Sounds like what you will have is a 'blanket harrow':

Or a blanket o' sorrow?

Not sure what I'll end up with. Bottom line is that at 500lbs, I'll at least end up with weight box filler!

E

 

[jenkinsph]

I built a landplane with the blades set straight, works great for smoothing yards out. It is 8' wide with 5' long skids running it in both directions yields great results.