leveling farm field

[Eric_Phillips]

I have about 10 acres of old farm field complete with farrows. I would like to level out the farrows for two reasons, easier to mow and we would like to get the horses home. I have a 27hp CUT so I am some what limited in what I can pull. Any suggestions in how to do this, what implements to use? I should also mention there is a good crop of weeds in there also.

Eric

 

[FL_Cracker]

Try to bush hog the weeds as low as possible and then you should be able to hit it with a disc. If it hasn't gotten too hard the disc should break it up and level it out......

 

[beenthere]

Will be tough to level if there is much for sod. Not clear what you mean by 'old farm field'. Has it been planted to grass for pasture? If that is your goal (pasture) then maybe starting with someone plowing the field, then discing the field to smooth out the furrows, followed by a cultipacker (or similar) and seeding with a drill. There are procedures to follow to eventually get a good level field with pasture grasses. Your local Ag Extension folks should be of help to you. Maybe a neighbor farmer would hire out to you to get the field prepped and level too. I wouldn't want to try that job with my 32hp CUT as it takes bigger equipment to do a good job of tilling and leveling, IMO.

 

[Freds]

The wider the implement, the better.
I am turning my former corn planted acreage back into a smoother land and am using a tiller. I hope to replant in a couple years, but for now just getting rid of the old corn rows and having a smother surface to brush hog suits me fine.
It's slow going, but I'm in no hurry, otherwise getting a farmer with bigger "toys" to work the field would be my other option.

 

[Eric_Phillips]

Last year the field was planted with corn. Now it just has the old stalks and weeds. A couple of low spots have nice grass growing. I tried mowing the field with a finish mower but the ground is too uneven. Right now I want it smooth enough to mow with the finish mower and eventually seed it for pasture. If I have a farmer come in and plow and disk I will probably then go ahead and seed it for pasture now. The biggest question I was trying to get answered is if my small tractor was going to be able to reasonable tackle this big of a job with things like a tiller, box blade and york rake. I have a friend that will let me barrow these implements but I am thinking this is too big of a job for borrowed stuff and I don't have the money right now to go out and buy these.

Eric

 

[beenthere]

That's a lot of acres for a CUT, but also a lot of seat time, which you may enjoy. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif But I wouldn't.

If in corn last year, I would get a farmer to disc it well, or whatever they can do to get it leveled out, then drag it, plant winter wheat and grass seed (if that works in your area) this fall. You will have a fantastic pasture in the future.

 

[Buck]

I've got the same kind of problem. I am going to hire a local farmer to plow then disc. Several years ago, someone plowed my field and didn't finish the job by discing it.

Note that I do have a tiller, a two bottom plow and a box scraper. My field is 5 acres and I do not want to do it myself as my experience is that it is too long of a job for my 30 HP CUT. I have been using these implements for 1/4 acre jobs in the past and they have generally taken a lot of time.

This is though a good time to plow in Rochester, given the recent rains.

 

[normde2001]

If your area allows "agricultural burns", I would burn the weeds off, then go after it with whatever kind of ground engaging equipment you have, boxblade, etc. Georgia only requires a 4' clear band around the area to be burned.

 

[Fireman_dcb]

We bought a 10 acre farm which the previous owner used for raising pheasants. 6 acres of pheasant pens needed to be torn out which left post holes about every 8 feet and a 1 foot deep trench all around where the fencing was buried underground. Still have 2 more acres to rip out but in the mean time I'm having a local farmer come in with a big 'ol John Deere (not sure of the size but he's pulling a daisy chained disc, harrow and a 14 row planter behind it) to level out the site and fill in the trenches and post holes. The biggest concern he had was not having enough headland to turn his tractor and disc around.

 

[Slamfire]

Dang I wish my Pappy had known a 30hp tractor was to small to work up 5 acres. I wouldn't have spent near as much time on the seat of his 8N. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif